Wednesday, March 13, 2024

 

KINLOCH CASTLE 
An assortment of digital and conventional film images taken by George W. Randall, co-founder in July 1996 and former 
Vice Chairman of Kinloch Castle Friends' Association.

The Luggage Lift raised items from the ground floor (by court yard entrance) 
to first floor bedrooms, on the south corridor.
(July 1998))

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The majority of my blog photographs were taken on conventional film between 1992 and 2010, when  I acquired a digital camera.
Where specific research Blogs have previously been posted I have included 
a link to the relevant posting for further information, 

e.g. THE RATNER SAFE;   S.Y. RHOUMA;   STOLEN ITEMS;
and the ORCHESTRION.

The images below are a selection of  pictures in my Kinloch Castle archive 
 taken since my first one day only visit in 1992.

The following year I stayed with a friend in Foxglove Bothy for a week, 
and in subsequent years in Kinloch Castle when run as a hotel.

The front of house  hotel operation ceased in 1997 after which I stayed regularly in the excellent Hostel, (the former Servant's Quarters),  for 7 - 10 days at a time, researching the castle, its contents, 
former policies, greenhouse, and the amazing island.
I was fortunate in the early years to meet sons of former employees of 
Sir George Bullough who themselves had lived on the island, who had first hand
recollections and  photographs which I was permitted to copy;
notably two Mcnaughtons, sons of Duncan Mcnaughton, piper and Head Keeper,  and Jim Smith, who gre up un the island, attended the school and was very involved with the care of the Rum Ponies.


My thanks to all who were so patient with my questions and  to 
Scottish Natural Heritage and the late Magnus Magnusson, its former Chairman, for granting me unrestricted access to Kinloch Castle for my research.
It  opened my eyes to  a passion that continues to this day.
                                                                                                                                                             

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More are being added ... ... Please Keep Viewing!

Become interested and involved -  
HELP SAVE KINLOCH CASTLE FOR 
FUTURE GENERATIONS

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DINING ROOM



The oil painting on the end wall depicts Sir George Bullough's 
Steam Yacht Rhouma ...  ...  ...
it was STOLEN in July 2023!


Link to SIR GEORGE BULLOUGH'S OCEAN GOING STEAM YACHT RHOUMA -


and other STOLEN TREASURES -


Basement below Dining Room was used for group meetings.
Furnished with work tables and chairs it had overhead projector, screen, microscopes etc. for research visitors, particularly university students, and was much used.

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SMOKING AND GAMES ROOM
Table by Burroughes and Watts, London.

Burroughes and Watts, London, Score Board.








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GREAT HALL 

Japanese crafted Bronze Eagle in Great Hall.

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STEINWAY MODEL D PIANO 96366 
(Manufactured Hamburg, Germany in 1900)

NOTE: The castors have been removed.



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Lack of maintenance over many years means gutters leak and overflow resulting 
in  damp walls and moisture penetrating the sandstone building 
damaging inside decoration, contents and fungal growth.

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LADY BULLOUGH'S DRAWING ROOM



Damp penetration and high humidity are a constant threat to building and contents.
Construction of sandstone, immediately adjacent to the sea ,
was not a good choice of building material.

Poor maintenance over decades is increasingly taking its toll.
In addition the still fully furnished building is closed and no longer used,
 as the saying goes:  
USE IT OR LOSE IT !!

See dedicated blog to Rhouma.

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HOSTEL  BATHROOM

Shower and toilet facilities for visitors, first floor, north-west turret.


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Drought and or technical problems occasionally interrupted water supplies, 
despite the island being the wettest in the Hebrides. 

A water treatment plant was built to overcome any risk to health from bacterial infection water previously being drawn direct from a mountain stream.
(Photograph MAY 2010)

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NEW BRAITHWAITE COLD WATER TANK 
INSTALLED TOP CASTLE TOWER 
(MAY 2010)

(Photograph May 2010)





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BISTRO MENU

Bistro evening meal menu for guests.
The licensed Bistro served full English or Continental Breakfast  to Castle guests
and three course evening meals to guests and island visitors.


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COURTYARD AT NIGHT

The Castle Courtyard at night.
Former servant's quarters, until castle closed Hostel accommodation, upper left, 
and Four pane stain-glass window Oak Bedroom Corridor - both 1906 additions. 
Six pane window Castle Office.

The west gate Courtyard entrance at night, looking west.
Directly above  Corridor serving Oak Bedrooms part of the 1906 addition.
This, the West Wing, originally being single story .

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GUEST'S SITTING ROOM
FORMERLY LADY BULLOUGH'S BEDROOM

Castle guest's Sitting Room.
Following the death of her husband in July 1939 this was Lady Bullough's bedroom.
Note the Grinling Gibbons arched screen. 


https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/3149945780622106744/3348346303147429101

Photograph from Country Life taken shortly after acquisition in 1957 
by the British Government of the island on behalf of the Nation.



The Oriel window below is to the right.


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EXTERIOR WATER DAMAGE 
Total lack of ensuring gutters and fall pipes were clean and clear has resulted in large areas of permanently wet outside walls.
This is the courtyard side of the Ballroom and left the courtyard entrance 
to the Great Hall.
With the death of Sir George Bullough in 1939 the high level of exterior annual maintenance rapidly declined to the point of ceasing to all intents and purposes.
The sandstone building comprising  deep valley gutters in the notoriously wet climate of Rum was ill-advised. 
Together these two factors alone are taking a terrible toll on the exterior, interior 
and contents through water ingress.

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In 2003 an episode of the BBC Television series Restoration featured Kinloch Castle. Co-presenters, chartered surveyor Marianne Suhr and architect Ptolemy Dean "found the castle at a critical stage in its history, (but) could still be saved, BUT if allowed to go further, just another couple of years without maintenance it could be lost. 
It is going rapidly down hill. We are at a stage that is critical to the building."

Viewing the roof from the top of the tower the presenters commented: 
"The way these roofs are configured has meant that you get this great run off of water and all that water goes into the building above the slate line. 
There are acres of hopeless gutters. 
As soon as you get open joints where the mortar has come out water goes straight into that joint, working its way down through the wall into the room below. 
There is water coming in all over the place. 
Walls which are damp with timber on them are great places for dry rot. 
Damp is a real killer."
Their final comment:
 
"If this house was on the mainland it would be saved."

Regrettably Kinloch Castle, which featured in Programme 7, failed to win enough viewer votes, achieving 110,00 opposed to 282,018 for the Victoria Baths, Manchester.


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RATNER SAFE 
 


To see the contents of the safe open the link below.


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LUGGAGE LOFT BY LUGGAGE LIFT
A convenient depository for damaged pictures, small furniture etc.



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STOLEN AND RECOVERED


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B A R

Four-poster Oak Bedrooms above bar and archway.

A welcoming facility for guests, island visitors and residents 
was the creation of a bar and eating area by Castle Manager, David Frew. 
During his tenure accommodation and Bistro sittings were frequently at capacity, 
the Bar bridging the stretched catering needs,
proving Kinloch Castle showed every sign of financial  success 
in the right hands!
 


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STOLEN AND RECOVERED


In 2023 a sword was reported stolen from inside Kinloch Castle 
it was later recovered from a house on the island.



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KINLOCH CASTLE AS HOTEL AND HOSTEL


For several years up until the mid-1990's the front of house and principal bedrooms 
in Kinloch Castle were run as a sixteen bed hotel by husband and wife team, 
Ian and Kathleen MacArthur. Guests had the run of the building and ate their breakfast and gourmet dinner in the mahogany dining room.

Ian also oversaw the Hostel accommodation in the former servant's quarters, much used by overnight visitors and university groups from around the world and  conducted hour long castle tours to all visitors.

I was fortunate to spend several nights in the castle when still operating as an hotel and video recorded two full tours with Mr. MacArthur and his successor Clive Hollingworth until the hotel side ceased to operate  in 1995;
 the forty bed hostel continued until  2013 when in May of that year
 it accommodated its last guest.
A tragedy that should never have been allowed to happen!

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THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF ROTHESAY 
VISIT KINLOCH CASTLE - 1 JUNE 2006

Known in Scotland as Duke and Duchess of Rothesay,
(in England as Duke and Duchess of Cornwall),  the Duke, wearing his Lord of the Isles tartan, and Duchess, visited Kinloch Castle on 1 June 2006. 
They were shown round the castle and grounds by Property Manager, Tom Cane and District Manager, David Maclennan of Scottish Natural Heritage, today NatureScot. 
A sumptuous buffet was laid on in the Dining Room, here Castle Manager, Kim Glennie gives the table a final check prior to the royal guests arrival.


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The Orchestrion.
The back pannelled wall is directly below the Piper's Room.
The instrument is no longer operational,
and has never been professionally (or otherwise) restored.


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COURT BEDROOM WALLPAPER




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LAST UPDATED 28 MARCH 2024