A fairytale Highland castle is to be restored for use as a luxury private home.
The new owners of Carbisdale Castle near Bonar Bridge have gained planning permission for the refurbishment.
The castle was most recently used as a youth hostel but it has lain vacant for a number of years.
It was sold to a London-based investment company last autumn.
The FCFM Group has generally remained tight-lipped about its plans for the castle – other than saying it intends restore Carbisdale “to its former glory as a world-class private residence in the Highlands of Scotland” when it took over the ownership.
Yesterday the company did not respond when asked for further comment.
However, the planning application gives an idea of the work which will be carried out.
The most prominent change will be a new spa area in the castle basement, with a swimming pool to be built under the castle’s terrace.
It would also include a new window which would open up “excellent views” over the Kyle of Sutherland.
Elsewhere, plasterwork throughout the castle would be repaired to match the original. Items such as panel radiators introduced when the building served as a youth hostel will be removed and replaced with cast iron column radiators.
Work is also to be carried out on the clock tower, with a new electronic mechanism which allow the castle’s bells to chime on the hour.
Planning officer Norman Brockie said many of the changes would be beneficial to the appearance of the castle, including burying the gas tanks and removing an external stairway used as a fire escape in the building’s days as a youth hostel.
In his report he said: “The change of use, from hostel to a single residential home (which was the building’s original use) raises no issues with regard to planning policy or guidance.
“The hostel, while it provided valuable tourist accommodation, has been closed for over two years.”
Carbisdale is the last castle to be built in Scotland and was constructed between 1906 and 1917 for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland.
Carbisdale was operated by the Scottish Youth Hostel Association for 65 years until it closed in 2010.
A previous deal to turn the historic property into a luxury hotel fell through amid much controversy.
