Kinloch Castle: 'Right owner' sought for historic Rum lodge

The "right owner" is being sought for a 19th Century island castle off the west coast of Scotland.

Kinloch Castle is a former hunting lodge on the Isle of Rum - one of the Small Isles, south of Skye.

The castle and most of the island are owned by NatureScot, formerly Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

It says Kinloch Castle is not for sale on the open market but it is looking for a "beneficial owner" for the property and its grounds.

NatureScot said the lodge requires restoration work and a future owner would need to conserve and preserve the property, while minimising its impact on the environment.

A Fort William-based businessman has submitted a plan to the Scottish government for the refurbishment of Kinloch Castle.

Angus MacDonald, who owns a bookshop and a cinema is a former vice president of National Trust for Scotland, said his plan would require some public money along with funds he would raise.

Two years ago, Kinloch Castle Friends Association (KCFA) proposed developing part of the castle into a 51-bed B&B and later turning other areas into a museum.

But SNH rejected a request to transfer the property to KCFA as a community asset.

The agency said it was concerned the group did not have funds to maintain the castle.

NatureScot said over the past nine years it had been delivering a conservation plan to maintain and protect the castle, in agreement with Historic Environment Scotland and Highland Council.

A spokeswoman said: "We feel the castle will best support the community with the right owner, and we have been working towards that goal over the past few years.

"While Kinloch Castle is not currently on the open market for sale we continue to work to identify a beneficial owner for the castle and grounds."

NatureScot said any future owner would need to contribute towards "three key objectives".

The spokeswoman said they were securing the conservation and preservation of the castle, contributing to the sustainability of the Rum community and enhancing nature on Rum and, thirdly, minimising the castle's impact on the natural environment.

Kinloch Castle was built in 1897 as a hunting lodge for Lancastrian industrialist George Bullough and he had it luxuriously furnished.

The property fell into decline after World War One and was taken over by SNH's predecessor, the Nature Conservancy, in 1957.

It has required extensive restoration work over the years.