Kinloch Castle - Isle of Rum
Posted: Saturday, 05 August 2006 |
As there is currently no resident blogger from Rum on Island Blogging, I would like to take it upon myself to report on the visit to Kinloch Castle by the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay on June 1st.
Prince Charles took a personal interest in the Castle when it featured on the Restoration programme on 大象传媒 TV in 2003. He directed the Phoenix Trust, which he patronises, to draw up plans for the restoration of both the castle and its contents.
The following is taken from the , which I recommend for a visit.
The proposals for the castle which are still being developed propose that there will be major restoration, maintenance and repair works carried out. This will include the majority of the contents. The front of house rooms will be converted with minimal alterations to the fabric into a lodge type hotel with 6 or 7 en-suite letting rooms. There will be limited public access to the principal ground floor rooms with tours timed to fit in with visiting ferries and cruise ships, roughly similar to that at present. At the back of house rooms, currently occupied by the hostel, 8 apartments are proposed ranging from 1 - 6 bedrooms. They will be used for short-term holiday lets. Before work can commence, a new hostel and education centre will have to be built. It will be on the site of, and cover the same footplate as the former greenhouses at the north-east corner of the walled garden. Work on the castle will not commence until the new hostel is open. That is likely to take at least 2 years before the new hostel goes through the planning process, and is built. The design of this building has not yet been finalised.
Estimated costs of the works are 拢8,000,000 in total, 拢6,000,000 for building work, and 拢2,000,000 for restoration of contents.
Those wishing to contribute towards the restoration of Kinloch Castle and its unique collections can do so by joining the KCFA. The Association organises working parties for volunteers to help out in maintenance several times a year.
Prince Charles took a personal interest in the Castle when it featured on the Restoration programme on 大象传媒 TV in 2003. He directed the Phoenix Trust, which he patronises, to draw up plans for the restoration of both the castle and its contents.
The following is taken from the , which I recommend for a visit.
The proposals for the castle which are still being developed propose that there will be major restoration, maintenance and repair works carried out. This will include the majority of the contents. The front of house rooms will be converted with minimal alterations to the fabric into a lodge type hotel with 6 or 7 en-suite letting rooms. There will be limited public access to the principal ground floor rooms with tours timed to fit in with visiting ferries and cruise ships, roughly similar to that at present. At the back of house rooms, currently occupied by the hostel, 8 apartments are proposed ranging from 1 - 6 bedrooms. They will be used for short-term holiday lets. Before work can commence, a new hostel and education centre will have to be built. It will be on the site of, and cover the same footplate as the former greenhouses at the north-east corner of the walled garden. Work on the castle will not commence until the new hostel is open. That is likely to take at least 2 years before the new hostel goes through the planning process, and is built. The design of this building has not yet been finalised.
Estimated costs of the works are 拢8,000,000 in total, 拢6,000,000 for building work, and 拢2,000,000 for restoration of contents.
Those wishing to contribute towards the restoration of Kinloch Castle and its unique collections can do so by joining the KCFA. The Association organises working parties for volunteers to help out in maintenance several times a year.
Comments
Sounds like a good plan, as a conservator I would love to work on a project like that!
Esther from Purmerend, Netherlands
Esther, If you're serious about that, get in touch with KCFA, I'm sure they would love to hear from you. Note of warning: you can't get much more remote than the island of Rum, and the midgies are something else!
Arnish Lighthouse from Stornoway
Why can't the Rothesay crowd fund the restoration? It would not make much of a dent in their assets. The general principle is that Patrons, Trustees, Board members should make significant financial contributions to any cause which they oversee or to which they affix their names. How much is Charlie boy contributing?
mjc from NM,USA
The plastic flower pots are the most genuine things there.
calumannabel from Deadloss Castle Rum without Coke Ice and a slice
Hi Arnish Lighthouse, I have just sent out an e-mail to the effect that I would love to work on the project. Being remote makes me like Rum even more I must say and I'm very curious indeed about those midgies. Do tell me more!
Esther from Purmerend, Netherlands
Esther, midgies are the B52's of insect life and their mission is to make human existence miserable. If you do ever get to Rum, you have two options, take up pipe smoking or buy skin-so-soft products from Avon and apply liberally! Cats, strangely enough don't seem to have the same problems, but then when do they ever?
jas from central belt
Hi Jas, thanks so much for the heads up. I'm glad my cats will be fine if I decide to go but those midgies do sound like a true pest. Shouldn's suprise us that our pestst don't seem to be bothered bij them :o))
Esther from Purmerend, Netherlands
Although there is no-one blogging, a good place to keep up with what is happening on Rum is the monthly newsletter at www .westword.org.uk
hrossey from Mainland Orkney
I have been in Lewis since late 2004 and am observing life on this fascinating island from an outsider's perspective. I look out at the lighthouse every day - as it looks out over the island and the sea. 
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