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Carbisdale Castle was built in the early 20th century
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- Author: Steven McKenzie
- Roll, BBC reporter in the Scottish Highlands and Islands
2 hours ago
“Everything seemed to be falling apart,” says Samantha Kane of her first glimpse of clifftop Carbisdale Castle.
There was a problem with water intrusion in parts of the cottage and some rooms were in serious condition.
When the Londonborn lawyer visited in 2022, the property in the Scottish Highlands was for sale for the third time in six years.
Significant maintenance costs, or perhaps rumors that the castle was haunted by a ghostly white lady, appeared to have deterred some potential buyers.
But the barrister, now known as Lady Samantha Kane of Carbisdale Castle, was intrigued.
She says: “I heard it was sold but then the sale fell through and it was back on the market.
“I thought I should at least visit it. So I caught a last minute flight to Inverness and made my first trip this far north, to the Highlands.
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Samantha Kane Lady Carbisdale outside the castle
She added: “I arrived at Carbisdale Castle and it was very atmospheric. It’s a magnificent building.”
“When they opened the door and I walked in, there were large rooms but unfortunately they were all in ruins. There was heavy water intrusion.
“But I thought someone should preserve this iconic building and landmark for future generations. I immediately made an unconditional offer and said, ‘I have to buy this castle.'”
Your offer has been accepted.
Lady Carbisdale’s interest in the property near Ardgay in Sutherland began when she learned of its history.
Starting in 1945, the castle was a youth hostel for 60 years, but during World War II it served as a refuge for members of the Norwegian royal family following the invasion of Norway by Nazi Germany.
At the end of the war, Carbisdale confirmed the signing of an agreement that obliged Russian troops, who had captured Norwegian villages in the fight against German soldiers, to withdraw peacefully from Norway.
And there was the castle’s original resident, Mary Caroline Blair. Lady Carbisdale was fascinated by her story.
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The castle was built for Mary Caroline Blair
In Victorian London, Mary Caroline was the wife of an army captain. The Oxford native found herself at the center of a high society scandal.
She had an affair with George SutherlandLevesonGower, a married man and the third Duke of Sutherland.
The Duke’s family owned vast estates in the Highlands and played a role in the infamous Sutherland clearances, which saw families often forcibly removed from their land to make way for largescale farming.
A bitter family feud arose when Mary Caroline became the Duke’s second wife just months after the death of the first. By this time, Mary Caroline’s first husband had already died from a gunshot.
The new Duchess’s inlaws were dissatisfied with the quick wedding.
Queen Victoria, a close friend of the Duke’s first wife, was among those who urged the Duke to wait longer before marrying again.
Although her official title was “Duchess of Sutherland,” Mary Caroline was derogatorily called “Duchess of Blair.”
Tensions rose when the Duke himself died and the Duchess’s inheritance was contested by her stepson.
She was later jailed for six weeks in London’s Holloway Prison after being accused of destroying documents relating to the will.
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In 2022, restoration work was carried out at Carbisdale Castle
The dispute was eventually resolved with the Duke of Sutherland’s family agreeing to build a new home for the Duchess provided it was on land outside the boundaries of the family’s Sutherland estate.
The Duchess chose a property on a hill close to the property and was visible from there.
The clock tower was built with only three dials, with the side facing the Sutherland Estate being white because the Duchess did not want to pay attention to her former inlaws.
The architectural details would make Carbisdale known as the “Castle of Wickedness.”
Lady Carbisdale says: “She was a woman who built a castle in the Victorian era when women didn’t have many rights.
“It touched me because I had faced discrimination in my life, and it made me do my best to succeed to prove to the world that no one can bring me down.”
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Interior of the castle with pool table and red and white decoration
In the year since its purchase, extensive renovation work has begun on the castle and Lady Carbisdale has further plans.
The property is her private residence, but she proposes opening parts of it as a museum telling the history of the castle and the region. She still hopes to use other areas for “quality tourism.”
Lady Carbisdale also plans to build a distillery and 12 ecotourism lodges powered by renewable energy systems. The projects would support local jobs.
Lady Carbisdale’s other ideas include inviting the Norwegian royal family to see where their ancestors were safe during wartime.
“I personally believe it is Duchess Blair,” says Lady Carbisdale, suggesting that unexplained noises in undeveloped parts of the estate could be caused by the ghostly resident.