Fancy living like king of the castle?

MURDO MACLEOD


IT WAS once known as the royal brothel, a playground for the rich and privileged amid some of Scotland's finest scenery.

But now the 105-year-old Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum is set to be turned into holiday homes for those who aspire to join the landed gentry as part of a £6m plan to rescue it from chronic neglect.


The castle narrowly failed to win cash from BBC TV's Restoration competition in 2003, leading to fears that the building might decay completely.

But Scottish Natural Heritage will tomorrow unveil its proposals to restore the castle, which was built in 1900 by a wealthy English industrialist. It became a notorious playground for London society - including King Edward VII, who was dubbed "the playboy prince".

It was claimed at the time that if King Edward, who frequently visited the castle both as Prince of Wales and as King, arrived there without female company, a companion would be provided for him, hence its nickname: "the royal brothel".

The report, prepared for SNH by the current Prince of Wales' Phoenix Trust, will recommend three options for the restoration of the property, which is suffering serious damp problems and which costs £65,000 a year in running repairs.

The favoured option is thought to be converting the building into holiday apartments and a museum while allowing areas such as the ballroom to be hired out, and offering tours of some areas.

Another option would see it remain partly as a hostel and partly as a museum. A third choice would see almost the entire building turned into holiday homes with one part used as a museum. Following tomorrow's announcement, SNH will begin detailed studies of the options.

The programme needs to raise £6m for the repairs. As much as £1m could come from the public purse, with the rest coming from trusts and private developers who would make money from renting apartments created by the rebuild.

In 2003, the castle featured on the BBC2 Restoration series, where it came runner-up in a phone poll in which viewers voted on which building should receive more than £3m for conservation works.

The plight of the castle attracted the Prince of Wales' interest and he chaired a meeting of conservation chiefs at Balmoral early in 2004. That led to the Phoenix Trust bringing together a team of specialists who were commissioned by SNH to produce the report.

It is hoped that a rescue package would transform the castle from an expensive ruin into a money-spinner for the island, with clients able to hire out the ballrooms and dining suites.

The plan has been welcomed by Douglas King, honorary secretary of the Kinloch Castle Friends Association. He said: "We have become increasingly concerned about the deteriorating state of the castle. The roof needs replacing, and although most of the public areas look fine, there are parts of the castle which are in a very bad state. This could be the last chance for the castle. Properly developed, it has enormous potential to boost tourism and employment on the island."

David Maclennan, the north of Scotland area manager for SNH, said: "It's encouraging to see real progress in finding a long-term sustainable solution to Kinloch Castle's restoration. The castle has a key role to play in the island's future. It is a major visitor attraction."

Fliss Hough, of Rum Community Association, said: "This would enhance the island for the community and visitors alike and could lead to a range of further opportunities."

Jill Channer, director of the Phoenix Trust, said: "We are convinced the time has come to find the sustainable future for the castle that everyone wants."

Sir George Bullough, the son of a Lancashire industrial tycoon, commissioned the castle in 1897 and it was completed three years later at a cost of £250,000 - equivalent to £15m today. Bullough paid 300 workmen an extra shilling a day to wear kilts during the construction. Smokers received another 2d a day as tobacco kept the midges at bay.

Kinloch then became a "must-see" destination for London socialites who went there for glittering parties at which they could hunt by day and dance by night.

Bullough brought alligators and giant turtles to the island, where they lived in heated glasshouses. The alligators had to be shot as they kept escaping.

But since the 1950s, when it was sold off by the Bulloughs, the castle has deteriorated and the Edwardian decor and priceless artworks risk being destroyed by creeping damp.

Thats interesting have any pics of the castle or island

I don't think I do but found a few on the net

one image of the interior and the Lady in the painting might explain alot too. who knows?

Isle of Rum ('hill ridge'?) is eight miles long and eight miles wide at most, and covers an area of sixteen square miles. It is located 7.5 miles west of Point of Sleat on Skye. It is the largest of the Small Isles, and provides an impressive aspect: the pinnacles of the Cuillins of Rum rise to a height of over 2600 feet. The climate is quite wet, and the island was once forested. It is still home to a large herd of red deer, as well as wild goats and ponies, and a colony of Manx shearwaters, which numbers some 120,000. There are also otters, seals, and sea eagles

Click to view attachment

Rum was settled from earliest times, but there are few remains of significance. Rum was a property of the Clan Ranald branch of the MacDonalds, but passed to the MacLeans of Coll. The island supported a population of over 400, but in 1826 it was cleared of all folk who went to Nova Scotia-barring one family, and turned into one large sheep farm. In 1845 it was to be converted into a sporting estate, but it was sold in 1885 to John Bullough, a successful machinery manufacturer, and his son built the splendid Kinloch Castle. In 1957 the Nature Conservancy Council bought the island and it is now a nature reserve, and Kinloch Castle is run as a hotel.
The Hebrides

and a link to the Hotel

Click to view attachment

Although not a real castle, here's a couple more pictures.

Yes, a Royal Folly and Brothel it is!

sparks more of a castle-meets-tropics kinda theme. Interesting decor and architecture just the same...