KINLOCH CASTLE, ISLE OF RUM, WEST COAST OF SCOTLAND
The brief but spectacular history of the Category A listed Kinloch Castle is part of the, at moments extravagant, often harsh and sometimes tragic, human settlement of the Island of Rum, off the West coast of Scotland.
The Castle, an almost untouched and intact example of a purpose-built 'Scotch Baronial' shooting lodge of the late Victorian/Edwardian age, was built by the Lancastrian industrialist, George Bullough in 1897 for entertainment and to impress. After his marriage to Monique Lilly de la Pasture in 1903, some of the rooms were changed from stern neo-Jacobean, to neo-Adam with touches of French dressing.
Its cultural significance lies primarily in the overall quality and uniqueness of its design and detailing, enhanced by its unaltered state and the completeness of its lavish and opulent interiors and fine furnishings. As a document and evocation of recreational Edwardian society in the Highlands, Kinloch is unsurpassed.
The Island of Rum is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a National Nature Reserve. The survival of the Castle and its collection as an entity is principally due to its purchase by the Nature Conservancy, with the Island, from the Bullough Trustees in 1957, following the death of Lady Monica. In 2004 Scottish Natural Heritage (the successor government agency to the Nature Conservancy) asked The Prince's Regeneration Trust to lead a project for the repair, conservation and sustainable use of the Castle as a means of contributing to the long term sustainability of the Island and its community.
An ambitious, exciting and beneficial package of proposals has been developed by The Prince?s Regeneration Trust. The Castle has the potential to act as an economic powerhouse supporting and underpinning the community buy-out by the Rum Community Trust. The preferred scheme will comprise the repair, conservation and re-presentation of the Castle's principal rooms and their contents that will be open to the public and will be available for use for a range of purposes including conferences, residential courses, weddings etc.
It will also involve the creation of a range of accommodation including a refurbished and accessible c30-bed hostel, 'hosted' accommodation within the principal wing and two self contained apartments for let, together with new kitchen facilities and the provision of a cafe/bar for use by visitors and the community.
