A letter from the King helped raise Samantha Kane’s spirits when the daunting task of restoring Carbisdale Castle was taking its toll.
Messages of support from the community, letters from former castle residents and bunches of flowers left anonymously on the doorstep also helped her in darker moments.
It’s now a year since the London barrister became the Lady of Carbisdale.
She made the “spontaneous” purchase after flying north to view the Sutherland landmark. She fell in love with it on first sight.
Labour of love inspired by a duchess
An ambitious £10 million renovation was started immediately with Phase 1 recently completed.
The castle is now Ms Kane’s main home and she is driven to make it the grand residence envisaged by her predecessor. The Duchess of Sutherland died before the building was completed.
It’s a labour of love, but one that even she has questioned at times.
“When I first took on the task people said they thought I was extremely brave or mad because there was so much to restore. It has been a huge effort.
“I admit, at some stage, it looked too much. I’ll never give up, but at some point the task appeared to be really hard and there were so many obstacles coming at once.
“I needed to remind myself to be strong and face the difficulties and move on.
“But any time I was about to give up I was also supported by the community.
“I would wake up sometimes and try to solve hundreds of problem at once. But then I’d find a bunch of flowers on the doorstep.
“Gestures like that are really encouraging. With determination and local support I get up again and fight the war as it were.”
Support also came from other unexpected areas.
Carbisdale an important landmark
A celebration to mark the completion of the restoration’s first phase also commemorated the King’s coronation.
An invitation to visit Carbisdale Castle has yet to be taken up by the monarch. He did, however, send a message to Ms Kane expressing his interest in the castle’s history as well as support and encouragement in its restoration.
“That was such a boost for me when I was facing what I thought were insurmountable difficulties.”
The castle was a youth hostel for more than 60 years and people who stayed there have also contacted Ms Kane.
“Thousands of people stayed here and many have sent me letters with memories from the 1950s and 60s”, she said.
“It shows that Carbisdale Castle is an important landmark locally, but also nationally and internationally.
“So giving up is not an option because if I give up what will happen to Carbisdale Castle?
“I keep asking myself ‘do we need the castle to be here in 10, 20, 100 years’ time?’
“But without someone so passionate, the restoration would not be done and eventually this building will not be sustainable.”
So far, the castle renovation has included extensive work on the roof and exterior. There was water seepage that threatened to collapse ceilings.
Cleaning and decorating of ornate ceilings and walls have brought back to life areas like the lower and upper galleries, ballroom and billiards room.
Ms Kane has also set up the Lady Carbisdale Trust to support local projects and launched the Lady Carbisdale blended malt. A castle distillery is planned.
Another Royal connection
She has also found time to protest against a proposed overhead power line which she said could destroy her legacy project.
The barrister considered legal action against SSEN over its plans to route a new 400KV overhead line between Spittal in Caithness and Beauly. Fears it would run close to the castle have since subsided.
Artwork and sculptures scattered around the castle will soon be back on display.
They were bought separately by Ms Kane who is hunting down other pieces that were sold elsewhere.
She also wants to collect memorabilia connecting to another previous resident, King Haakon VII of Norway.
The castle was bought in 1933 by Colonel Theodore Salvesen, a Scottish businessman of Norwegian extraction.
He offered it as a safe refuge during the Nazi occupation of Norway in World War II.
The Norwegian crown now forms part of Carbisdale’s logo and a memorial library will form part of a castle museum that will eventually open to the public.
Other future plans include a swimming pool, spa and cinema, opening up the west wing with 23 en-suite bedrooms and to install a renewable energy system to power the castle.
Ms Kane also intends to restore Carbisdale Woods and purchase woodland nearby to extend the estate.
Eco-tourism and membership could bring in needed income
An eco-tourism project with up to 12 accommodation units is earmarked around the castle loch.
This, and the intention of offering membership of Carbisdale for around £5,000 annually to those who wish to stay in the castle, are aimed at bringing in income to help restoration costs.
While hinting at some opposition to the plans, she insists it will not mean Carbisdale becoming an exclusive venue.
“There are one or two people who don’t understand and are opposed to change”, she says.
“But keeping Carbisdale as a derelict building is not going to be a benefit to the wider community.
“The castle will not be an exclusive club for wealthy guests. That is not a model I want. Nor will it be a hotel. This is my home.
“But because of the vast amount of maintenance the castle needs, and its long-term sustainability, I must think about ways to strike a balance between how it can produce income without excluding the local community.
“My message to the community is that they are not excluded and their support is crucial for the castle’s survival and success.
“The castle needs the community and the community needs the castle.
“But it also needs people to contribute towards its survival.”
Conversation