Betty the resident ghost of Carbisdale Castle will soon be house proud again.
An ambitious and costly renovation of the imposing Sutherland landmark is underway after being bought by London barrister Samantha Kane this year.
The Press and Journal has been given exclusive access to the castle as it begins its multi-million pounds transformation.
Ms Kane is “throwing everything” at the legacy project, aiming to have it largely completed by this time next year.
How much did Carbisdale Castle cost?
Having relocated from the city, the castle is now Ms Kane’s permanent residence and near full-time occupation. She has even picked out the room in which she will be buried.
She bought Carbisdale for a reduced £1.2 million after it went on the market in May for the third time in six years.
Already that amount and more has been spent on initial work as the castle starts to reveal signs of the grand home it once was.
The eventual price tag is a conservative £10 million.
As well as Betty, another spiritual presence is the project’s inspiration, Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, who had Carbisdale built between 1905 and 1917 and who looks on from a portrait in the breakfast room.
Ms Kane, 62, calls herself the Lady of Carbisdale and has a desire to recreate the castle in the style of her predecessor who died before the building was completed.
“I’m trying to preserve this grand building as the duchess intended it. She did not live long enough to see her dream realised.
“If I can do that for the castle, for the duchess and for the people of Sutherland it would be a real achievement.”
Castle of spite
Mary Caroline was the second wife of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland.
The marriage was not popular in the Sutherland family. When the duke died in 1892 his will, in favour of the duchess, was contested by his son, the 4th duke.
Eventually, the duchess got a substantial settlement and an agreement to build a castle outside the Sutherland Estate.
It was said the site was chosen for its prominence to spite her husband’s family.
The castle’s tower has just three clocks – the side facing Sutherland is blank – allegedly because the duchess did not wish to ‘give the time of day’ to her late husband’s family.
“I was captivated by her story”, says Ms Kane. “In my own life, people laughed at me or said I couldn’t make it. That drives me to complete this place.
“It’s a driving force. Motivation is a very important aspect of this whole story.”
A quick tour of the building reveals the scale of the undertaking.
While work has been carried out on the castle roof and exterior, inside it is restoring past grandeur.
Extensive cleaning and decorating of ornate ceilings and walls are bringing back to life areas like the lower and upper galleries, ballroom and billiards room.
A restored stained glass window depicting historic dukes throws light on the magnificent wooden staircase leading to some of the 22 guest rooms which are all being fitted with en-suite bathrooms.
One of these is a conversion of the so-called Spook Room, once inhabited by the ghostly Betty.
Collecting former Carbisdale art
Artwork and sculptures scattered around the castle will soon be back on display having been bought separately by Ms Kane who is hunting down other pieces that were sold elsewhere.
She also wants to collect documents and memorabilia to make the castle library a memorial to another part of Carbisdale’s history.
It was bought in 1933 by Colonel Theodore Salvesen, a Scottish businessman of Norwegian extraction.
He offered it as a safe refuge for King Haakon VII of Norway and Crown Prince Olav, during the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II.
King Haakon made an agreement at the Carbisdale Conference in 1941, that Russian forces, should they enter Norwegian territory, would not stay there after the war.
The library will form part of a castle museum that will eventually open to the public.
Ms Kane also has plans to restore Carbisdale Woods and purchase woodland nearby to extend the estate.
It all adds to the cost which has been the downfall of previous attempts to maintain and run Carbisdale.
After Col Salvesen died his son, Captain Harold Salvesen, inherited the castle. He later gave it to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association.
It remained a hostel for more than 60 years. The castle’s breakfast room where the portrait of the duchess hangs once accommodated four dormitories.
Between 2012 and 2014 the SYHA spent around £2 million on structural work and repairs but eventually maintaining the building became untenable.
It was bought in 2016 but plans to create a private residence did not proceed.
However, proposals for a cinema, catering kitchen and a spa featuring swimming pool gym, are now part of Ms Kane’s vision.
Carbisdale Castle renovation ‘a cash-thirsty project’
She reckons she has completed to date a little over 10% of the work needed.
“To do it properly and as it was originally intended will take a lot of time and expense.
“It’s a cash-thirsty project. It never ends. I’ve already spent a lot more than the original budget.
“But I’m in love with this building and I want to devote my life and everything I own to preserve it.
“I’m throwing everything at this castle to make it a home and for me to be remembered as the lady who saved it and preserved it.
“But without passion and determination it just wouldn’t work.
”It’s a challenge and you have to have the courage to take on the challenge. Somebody has to preserve this place. If it was left as it was it would be almost criminal.
“I don’t want to run a hotel, I don’t want to have a commercial venture. I just want to build something to give back to the people of Sutherland.”
She plans to sell some of her property portfolio and use other business interests, including in energy firms, to help pay for the Carbisdale project.
She is also planning to create her own Carbisdale whisky brand, initially with a local distiller. Eventually, she plans to build a distillery in the castle to provide more income.
Her intention is that, as well as a museum, the building will host small-scale events, such as Burns nights.
It is part of her hope of integrating fully into the community which she says has been “welcoming from day one”.
There is also talk of taking on a director’s role at Brora Rangers and setting up a charitable foundation to support local initiatives.
“Once restored, I’d like to involve the public as a lot of people are fond of Carbisdale and love to see it.
‘I want to give something back’
“The museum idea I was going to leave as my legacy. But if it could be open in my lifetime, then why not?
“I’ve reached a stage in my life where I want to give something back. I’m not coming here to make money, I’m here to enjoy the castle and preserve it.
“I don’t want to be the person who comes to their castle in Scotland for 10 days a year. I adopted the name of the castle. This is now my primary residence and where my roots are going to be.
“It’s expensive but it’s going to be worth it. I hope, and I’m sure, I will achieve it.”
And should doubt creep in, she turns to the duchess for inspiration.
“If she is up there looking at me she should be happy because I’m keeping my promise.
“This vision of your castle of spite will materialise.”
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