Send us an email or give us a call today! Duncraig Castle, Plockton: See 87 traveller reviews, 134 candid photos, and great deals for Duncraig Castle, ranked #1 of 4 Speciality lodging in Plockton and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. After loading the empty tank into his car and dodging both wandering sheep and oncoming traffic along the winding single-lane road, he would be lucky to get to the store before closing time. Theyre obviously spending a lot of money on it and it seems to be in good taste and high quality work thats going on.. "Living on the coast was one of our dreams, and so to have the castle on the west coast of Scotland is just incredible. [11], In 1897, the Highland Railway built the Kyle of Lochalsh Extension to their existing line to Stromeferry, which included a dedicated station for Duncraig Castle. It followed the fortunes - or otherwise - of the 17 members of the Dobson. Duncan and Lisa, neither of whom bought into the castle, were left out of most major decisions. That use did not please neighbors; the home closed in the 1990s. He recently moved to New York from London. We will have nine or 10 rooms for the B&B and every single one of them will be different.. It's all about compromise - and it seems this family have got what it takes to make life at Duncraig Castle a real family affair. After World War II, when the castle served as a military hospital, it was donated to the local government council, which ran a boarding school for girls here until 1989. Duncraig Castle near Plockton has been sold to a mystery buyer just two weeks after being put on the market at offers over 2.85 million. Surrounded by knee-high weeds, it has become a dumping ground for the castles castoffs. It took a 12-hour car journey and a fleet of moving vans to get them there, but the Dobson family are settling in nicely - apart from a few teething problems, of course. by Duncraig Manor & Gardens | Blog - News | 4 comments, Or, how to buy a white elephant, inside unseen, By Deborah Salomon Photographs by John Koob Gessner & Duncraig Manor(see the Originial Pinestraw Articel here ). We have the facility and experience to make your dreams come true. A three-bedroom, semi- detached house in Plockton sold recently for 440,000. Seventeen members of the Dobsons' extended family moved into the castle in the summer of 2003,[3] including Sam and Perlin's daughter as well as Sam's parents and three of his siblings, each bringing their own spouses and children, leaving jobs in England and occupying a different wing of the castle. From 1945 to 1989, Duncraig was run as a domestic science college for students across the Highlands and Islands. Duncraig Manor and Gardens isnt exactly Downton Abbey, although rather grand for Southern Pines village, circa 1920s, when moneyed Northerners flocked to outdo each other residentially in the newly chic winter enclave. Ms Hazeldine and Mr Gass spent years completely renovating the 19th century property which was in a very poor state of repair when they purchased it in 2009. Each of the guest rooms is named and furnished after places the Naysmiths have visited, including Nagamo, Vienna, Jamaica, Charleston, Budapest. Built in the 1860s, Duncraig Castle was used during WW2 as a naval hospital and from 1945 to 1989 as a domestic science college. The roof leaked. "I've thought about leaving lots of times but the journey was too long.". . Sam refused to pay. The castle operated as a Bed and Breakfast and wedding venue in 2021 and 2022. This week people in Plockton expressed their surprise that such a substantial property had sold so swiftly. A Scottish castle has been sold just eight days after it went on the market, with the buyer paying significantly over the 2.8 million asking price amid a flurry of interest from both home and abroad. Alan's previous job working in a sandwich factory seems like another world. Some have extra-long soaking tubs. Charlie M MacRae and 7-year-old Charlie open the newly renovated Duncraig Castle with proud owner Suzanne Hazeldine watching on. Natural-gas lines dont reach his rural estate, so he needs the propane to run his expensive Aga stove. Cornish tea Like most Brits, Samuel's parents Alan and Sybil never imagined they would end up living in a castle. And local opinion quickly swung against Sam and Perlin. Were really chuffed with how its turning out. Duncraig Castle is a mansion in Lochalsh, in the west of the Scottish Highlands. Without streetlights or any large town for dozens of miles, the long nights were disorientingly dark. I didnt see it coming, Sam says. Duncraig Castle, a former domestic college, was home to the television crew on the set of BBC drama "Hamish Macbeth" - but now it's the Dobsons who are in residence. The grounds comprise woodland, a jetty, a boathouse, private pontoons and the island of Eilean Lagach. Duncraig Castle, a former domestic college, was home to the television crew on the set of BBC drama "Hamish Macbeth" - but now it's the Dobsons who are in residence. In one room, you can actually squeeze behind a wardrobe and end up in the school addition. Whether it is a UK buyer or an international buyer, the international interest means that a UK buyer will have to be prepared to pay what you need to pay to secure the property, Mr Ewer added. It kind of makes me miss living back in Nottingham, where you could flip a switch for heat, or just turn the oven on and make dinner, said Perlin Dobson as she stood beneath an awning watching her husband tilting and sliding the tank in the rain. Information about property on 5224 Duncraig Rd, Minneapolis MN, 55436-2019. It was built in 1866 in the Scottish baronial style, to designs by Alexander Ross, for Scottish Member of Parliament and businessman Alexander Matheson. With the pound being weaker than the dollar, we do expect a high level of international interest in high-end properties.. I dont think shes malicious, but you do not want to stand in her way. Lisas husband, Brian, rubbed some people the wrong way. Important Defensive Tower For Sale with Galbraith Group . Sams brother Greg and his sister, Lisa, also gathered up their spouses and children and moved north, lured by the promise of a small, well-respected school for their kids, the possibility of reconnecting with family and the suggestion that they would eventually share in the spoils of the castle. Find local news, entertainment, debate and more Anne Daviesyour local Inside Out presenter. While walking along a third-floor hallway, Perlin pointed out the black mold that covered the plaster wall so completely it looked like wallpaper. It sits close to Duncraig train station, built in 1897 by the Highland Railway Company as a private stop for the castle, but which was later opened up to the public. Five years after moving to Duncraig with the whole Dobson clan, Sam and Perlin are alone in the castle with their 8-year-old daughter, Millie, and Joshua, their infant son. We made it a matter of prayer. Also a matter of money, since the 18-month restoration cost in the low seven figures. But how are they settling in? In the early 2000s, it featured in a reality television programme that followed its past owners in their struggle to renovate the rambling pile. Its a start. He helped to bring in the railroad and was rewarded with his own train station. I feel that Ive come out the other end of this, and I am much stronger for it and more comfortable with myself. . His plans to set up the Highland Christian Music Centre Trust at Duncraig never materialised. ", HOME, HOSPITAL, COLLEGE AND TV ACTORS' BASE. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Greg and Elfine had described the castle and area as wonderful but until we saw it on TV we had no idea of just how stunning it is. They repainted the house and even began remodeling the kitchen. Sam and Perlin didnt adopt a child after all. 790 E Connecticut Ave, Before the Dobsons took it over, the castle had lain empty for five years following the closure of a domestic college owned by Highland Council. Windows that stretch nearly from floor to ceiling look out across the loch to steep, treeless mountains. However, from a business angle this home-away-from-home for guests trading up isnt quite what the Naysmiths planned. The driver duly. [13] The Hamiltons, supporters of social reform,[11] planned to use the castle as a community education centre for local people to receive training in activities such as weaving. It would be good if there was some employment at the castle and it continued to play a role in the community.. Caroline made the drapes covering paned casement windows here and throughout while I was waiting for the rest to be done.. They, along with the parents, Alan and Sybil, refused to comment for this article. His uncle, Sir James Matheson, a native of Sutherland, was co-founder of the vast Hong Kong-based commercial empire, Jardine Matheson. Duncraig Castle: Fantastic Location and Building - See 106 traveler reviews, 173 candid photos, and great deals for Duncraig Castle at Tripadvisor. Were putting it back to how it should be, reinstating the grand rooms and the coving and shuttering in very traditional style. The castles original stable at the top of the road had been divided into five homes. Girl, 12 & boy, 17 die following major incident at beach, Virgin Media customers told to switch off their routers - heres why, Alison Hammond breaks down in tears on This Morning, Bournemouth beach deaths: Boat impounded by police, Police investigation launched after man and woman found dead in shed, Body of 15-year-old found in lake after massive police search. One by one, family members became disillusioned and angry and left. David JohnstonI viewed Duncraig Castle while it was for sale. Though Scottish social-services records are not public, Judith Wallace, a senior clerical assistant with the agency that handled the Dobson case, confirmed that even an acquittal of such a crime could prompt this type of restriction. THE new owner of a historic Highland castle known to millions of TV viewers said buying the landmark was a "dream come true". Later named Duncraig by subsequent owner Dr. George Matheson, who had ties to the Scottish Duncraig Castle built in 1866, this was more lodge than castle, executed with a whiff of Tudor, suitable for a newly minted English lord with eight children wanting sprawling summer digs in hunt country. "At the time we thought 'they are so lucky'; it is wonderful. We relly appreciate it. This was originally opened in 1897 as a private station, and is now open to the public. Find out owner contacts, building history, price, neighborhood | Homemetry. Caroline made the drapes covering paned casement windows here and throughout while I was waiting for the rest to be done., Its what is beyond that matters, he states with conviction. Duncraig Castle was built in 1866 for Sir Alexander Matheson, who made his fortune in the opium trade in the Far East. [21] In 2009 the Dobsons decided to sell the castle and move on. But it seems the bargain price of the castle - 505,000 - was masking a few horrors - a plumbing problem, to name just one. When we entered the old gym, Sams space, Perlin rolled her eyes and laughed. No auctions, which are too time-consuming, Caroline says. The school block was dangerous there were lights that you touch and get electrocuted; some child could end up getting killed in there. He got a court order halting the program. It is on the Kyle of Lochalsh line, which runs from Inverness to Kyle of Lochalsh, lying between Stromeferry and Plockton on that line. 10205 Riverside Drive Toluca Lake, CA 91602 818-763-5162: Hollywood Hills Office. There was plenty to do. The renovation will be a work of art itself - to fully restore the castle will cost the family around 600,000. The castle, which stayed in the Matheson family until the 1920s, was used during the Second World War as a naval hospital and then gifted by then owner Sir Daniel Hamilton to the Highland Regional Council, which used it as a catering college for girls until the late 1980s. Ms Hazeldine told The Scotsman: "We have been passionate about Plockton for a number of years. I really enjoyed the program and my family have put a huge amount of work into the castle,were all very proud of them. Copyright 2019 Duncraig Manor & Gardens |. 5224 Duncraig Rd Minneapolis, MN 55436-2019. . 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The station received a category-B listing in 1997. It takes a village to support a castle. Seventeen members of their family moved from Nottingham and Leicestershire to live there. Sam and Perlin had had enough. When this place came up, I felt like we had to do it, Perlin says. But nobody calls it rustic or even family style. While strong interest in the property had come from the US and Middle East, Duncraig Castle sold to a buyer from the UK. Sam felt confident that his family could overcome whatever problems turned up. Sam says, "We spotted the castle in the paper and started saying to people, 'what do you think about buying a castle'? Scotland POA. [7] The station features a single concrete platform and an unusual hexagonal shelter with pyramid-shaped roof. For the past 13 years, Duncraig has been owned by Suzanne Hazeldine and husband Duncan Gass who renovated the building and ran a successful business. She never got inside. Sam and Perlin owned one of them and offered it to his parents. Duncraig Castle, near Plockton, was catapulted into the media spotlight when a television documentary was filmed there. How can you compare where you live now to Leicester? I wish the Dobsons the best of luck. Everyone used portable toilets outside the castle. And though Sam dons a kilt to take an annual trip abroad with the villagers to watch rugby, they dont understand how a son could evict his parents. SAM DOBSON LIVES IN A SCOTTISH castle set on 40 acres of forested land with its own train station, boathouse and two private islands. It just got ludicrous.. Book Duncraig Castle, Plockton on Tripadvisor: See 97 traveller reviews, 154 candid photos, and great deals for Duncraig Castle, ranked #1 of 4 Speciality lodging in Plockton and rated 4.5 of 5 at Tripadvisor. A small (but obligatory for the era) butlers pantry leads into a mammoth kitchen more utilitarian than magazine, with ceramic tile backsplashes, a square island and a Blue Star gas range tucked into a niche perfect equipment for a wedding caterer but a bit much for the Naysmiths, who as concierges are required by law to live on the premises. Though Perlin thought buying the castle was a smart financial move, she never had much interest in living in the country. The gleaming pegged floors are mostly stained. For years, Sam and Perlin had wanted a second child but had been unable to conceive. Sam and his parents had an ongoing dispute about whether the proceeds from a home sale should count as the parents investment in the castle.
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