Rum resident raises community concerns over the restoration of Kinloch Castle

By Ross Hempseed

March 9 2023, 1:07 pm

Kinloch Castle on the small isle of Rum. Image: Peter Price/Shutterstock

A Rum resident has spoken about the sale of the iconic Kinloch Castle, arguing its restoration could harm the community and its surroundings.

Fliss Fraser, director of Rum Enterprise, wrote about her views on plans to sell the castle privately to a multi-millionaire in The National.

Kinloch Castle, completed in 1900, was the private residence of Sir George Bullough, a textile tycoon from Lancashire.

During its lifetime, this imposing castle has served as a luxury retreat and was a hostel until 2015 operated by NatureScot, but since then has stood vacant and neglected.

Fliss Fraser has spoken out about the plans to restore the Castle. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson

Plans to restore the castle have been in the works for years, but Miss Fraser argues it would be in the interest of the Rum community to leave the building alone.

Millionaire Brexit backer Jeremy Hosking is currently offering to buy the property but has been halted by an intervention by the Scottish Government.

Miss Fraser explains the restoration of Kinloch Castle must consider several issues, including community empowerment, land reform, the environment, and sustainability.

Kinloch Castle has stood for more than 120 years

She also has concerns it will dredge up issues like “excessive wealth and where it came from, privilege and the resurfacing of a community servicing the estate”.

On the issue of sustainability, Miss Fraser argues the castle simply isn’t “self-sustaining” as it was never built for that purpose.

It also operates off diesel generators, which goes against the community’s efforts to expand its hydroelectric scheme to deliver cleaner energy to residents.

In addition, Kinloch Castle sits in the middle of the small community it divides residents as originally the community lived to serve the castle’s owners.

Fliss Fraser has raised concerns over the impact the castle’s restoration might have on the community. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson.

With millions of pounds ready to be invested, Miss Fraser says it presents an “existential threat” to the community and again highlights the power imbalance from the past.

Miss Fraser says the community is not very interested in restoring the castle to its former glory and it is instead “a very few self-interested individuals who have no connection to Rum”.

Planning permission to transform the castle remains undetermined, but Miss Fraser says the opportunity is there to create something “open, accessible, inclusive and serve the Rum community”.