A new future is taking shape for Kinloch Castle on Rum as delicate talks continue with an enthusiastic preferred bidder
It was love without first sight for the potential new owner of Kinloch Castle on the Isle of Rum.
The India-based entrepreneur, now the preferred bidder for the castle, was so taken by the once elaborate 19th Century pleasure palace - which today stands merely wind and watertight - that he put his proposal to buy the castle before seeing it in person, it is understood.
With damp, rot and structural decay now embedded in the Grade A listed-building, which has an estimated restoration bill of £20m, bringing Kinloch back to life is a project that demands deep pockets - and perhaps a fair dose of courage.
“I can only imagine he has visited by now,” one source said.
The entrepreneur, whose identity is being closely guarded, is pressing on with legal talks over his future ownership, with hopes that missives will be concluded this autumn.
NatureScot, the government agency which has owned the castle since the 1950s, has faced many false dawns and disappointments in its attempts to sell it on.
Kinloch, which is being sold including the remaining possessions of original owner George Bullough, a supremely wealthy industrialist from Yorkshire who created the castle as a high-status holiday home. A Steinway grand piano, four-poster beds, silk wall hangings, Indian brass tables and Japanese laquer cabinets are among the last vestiges of his tenure.
While past attempts to sell the castle have been mired in political interference and community dissent, the future direction of Kinloch is being pursued with the utmost care.
A statement from the government agency said: “We can confirm that we have identified a preferred bidder for Kinloch Castle following the open market sale. In considering prospective buyers, we have taken into account not just the financial offer but also the planned use for the castle and how its future will contribute to the nature, sustainability, community and economy of Rum.”
The views of the residents of Rum - where around 50 people permanently live - have been central to discussions on the future of Kinloch over recently years.
Financier Jeremy Hosking came close to securing the castle in 2022 following several stalled attempts to shed Kinloch from national ownership. But the sale was paused following intervention by Lorna Slater MSP, then minister for green skills, circular economy and biodiversity, after concerns were raised by the Isle of Rum Community Trust.
The trust claimed the sale threatened its aims of land ownership, community empowerment and sustainability with the trust resisting the idea that “extreme wealth” could be a “panacea” for the island. Mr Hosking is now in the process of restoring Arisaig House .
Research later concluded that the majority of islanders - 67 per cent - would support the sale of the Kinloch and it being brought back into use for the wider benefit of Rum, with a hotel one of the uses regarded as a positive use.
NatureScot earlier made a commitment to keep the community informed of progress on any sale, with meetings held in recent weeks with key figures.
The preferred bidder has pledge to repair and restore the castle to protect its historic fabric and interiors.
His plan to create a boutique hotel comes with a pledge for “cultural, educational and ecotourism experiences”.
Employment opportunities, training programmes and partnerships with residents and organisations connected to the island have been promised.
“We are continuing legal discussions with the preferred bidder with a view to agreeing the missives this autumn,” NatureScot said.
But while the delicate discussions continue, there may be some sense of restlessness on Rum about the castle’s future direction - and whether land and assets outside the castle estate are also being sought.