The owner of the landmark Arisaig House is seeking permission to upgrade and extend the listed building.
Multi-millionaire financier Jeremy Hosking bought the property for £2.8 million last year.
The Brexit supporter secured the deal after two previous purchase attempts collapsed.
He has now applied to Highland Council for listed building consent for the work. The work is described as “part restoration and part renovation”.
Modernising and enhancing the property
In a design statement accompanying the application, specialist building surveyors Smith and Garrett say the plan is to modernise the building without changing its use.
It is also planned to slightly extend the B-listed building. They are not planning to take it back to the original size when it was built in 1863-64.
“The thrust of the scheme is to upgrade the house, removing scars of its 1980s conversion to a hotel, at the same time protecting and enhancing what remains of its heritage significance”, the statement says.
The future of Arisaig House is unclear.
At the time of the purchase, it was said Mr Hosking would occasionally stay in the property, but that “wouldn’t be its prime purpose”.
Patrick Barrow is a spokesman for Mr Hosking and commented in October.
He said: “Its final purpose and where it may or may not fit into a more integrated plan for a leisure business is yet to be decided.”
The consent application says the current use as a residential building will not change.
Asked about any future change of use, Mr Barrow said there was “no comment to offer, beyond saying that Arisaig House requires essential and extensive renovation”.
The plan includes changing the building lay-out from 17 bedrooms, including 12 suites, to 13 suites.
An improved second staircase, a small lift, and an upgraded service staircase are planned. There are also plans for an enlarged bay window on the ground floor, a porch and a second-floor bathroom extension.
A former hothouse will be replaced with an orangery and a lean-to plant room is to be put on the site of a demolished outbuilding. The housekeeper’s accommodation will be remodelled.
What is happening to Arisaig House?
A domestic kitchen is planned in a room on the north side of the building. Electric and water services are to be updated.
The heating system, consisting of two old oil boilers under the house, will be replaced in a new plant room and upgraded to include a groundsource heat-pump.
The design statement says the building is roughly three-quarters the size of the original, before a fire in 1935, and the essential layout will not change.
Did Mr Hosking buy Kinloch Castle?
Mr Hosking also tried to buy Kinloch Castle on Rum, but faced opposition from islanders and an intervention from the Scottish Government.
The A-listed castle is owned by NatureScot and has fallen into disrepair over many years.
Mr Hosking planned to create a charitable trust to restore the castle and its contents. This was so it could be operated as a hotel.
The sale was put on hold in November by Scottish Government minister Lorna Slater after meeting concerned locals.
Ms Slater promised to advocate on the behalf of the Isle of Rum Community Trust in talks with Mr Hosking.
But in March the planned deal was dropped.
Mr Hosking said Ms Slater’s Green Party had “completely crushed” the conservation project.
Conversation