TWENTY-FIVE EASEL PAINTINGS AT KINLOCH CASTLE
Written from
on-site research and illustrated with photographs from his personal archive by
George W. Randall, co-founder on 16 July 1996 and former Vice Chairman of
Kinloch Castle Friends’ Association.
Kinloch Castle, Isle of Rùm, Scotland as it appeared in 1957 the year of acquisition by the British Government of the day and subsequent transfer to Nature Conservancy.
INTRODUCTION.
For those unfamiliar with Kinloch Castle, a Grade 1 Listed Building and its recent history, I have included this Introduction and an Overview to better illustrate the ravages human neglect and indifference continue to bring to bear on building and contents and better understand the hows, whys and wherefores of the survey results.
The 26,400 acre island off the west-coast of Scotland was purchased by the British Government in February 1957 with tax-payers money and placed in the care of Nature Conservancy, today NatureScot (NS). No specific funds for maintenance of Kinloch Castle or a more appropriate body for the care of it or its contents have ever been allocated, or actively sought. Today NatureScot as a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government directly hold the title to the property and are legally responsible for its upkeep and future sale, currently underway.
In 1996 Scottish Natural Heritage, SNH, (successors of Nature Conservancy, since August 2020 NatureScot), commissioned a "Survey as to the Condition of Twenty-five Easel Paintings at Kinloch Castle" on this Inner Hebridean island.
The survey was carried out over three days in March 1996 by an independent professional conservator and Fellow of the Association of British Picture Restorers with an accredited studio near Edinburgh. It is apparent from some of the survey titles no guidance was given by SNH, e.g. the Portrait of a Gentleman and Portrait of a Lady were known to be of James Bullough and his wife, Martha. Equally the oil by Maud Earl titled, Irish Setter, was known to be Sir George Bullough's champion black and tan setter, Rum Bess.
The portrait titled, Portrait Countess of Durham could not possibly be of Sir George and Lady Bullough's daughter, Hermione, later Countess of Durham, as she was not born until five years after the work was painted, the artists name, Sydney White, and date, 1901, being clearly visible. In 2005 I made enquiries from the Hon. John George Lambton, grandson of Sir Gorge and Lady Bullough, (he died in 2012), and he confirmed my belief the portrait depicted his cousin, Gladys Bullough, daughter of John Bullough, (father of Sir George), by his second wife. Gladys was born in 1888 at Meggernie Castle, Perthshire, John Bullough's Highland home where the portrait was originally displayed.
The conservator's brief, “categorise the work required for the paintings into short, medium and long-term priorities.” The resulting twenty-five individual reports gave detailed assessment of condition and recommendations for treatment: Urgent, On-site, Some On-site plus Studio Treatment, for each painting.
Ian and Kathleen Macarthur managed licensed Kinloch Castle as a gourmet hotel for a decade until 1994. Ian conducted hour-long castle tours of the principal rooms for visitors.
However, short-sighted SNH showed absolutely no enthusiasm to actively promote Kinloch Castle as a place to stay for the wider traveller resulting in an economically unsustainable hotel operation. Most overnight guests were university groups, hardy walkers and climbers all looking for budget accommodation with the option to self-cater or eat in the castle bistro.
In the forty bed hostel they found it.
In an unconvincing attempt to justify the continuing viability of the hotel operation SNH appointed Phil. Beaver, a London hotelier for twelve months; it was in peak season during his tenure I first stayed in the castle, it was half-full, eight overnight guests. Hotel staffing and operational costs were very high, guest numbers disappointingly low resulting in a negative appraisal with the operation closing at the end of 1995.
Weather and its effect on sea conditions must always be borne in mind when making a sea crossing. The only same day return sailing to Rùm is run by Arisaig Marine from their excellent pier facilities at Arisaig on Thursdays during July and August.
Even the 190 passenger capacity all-year round Caledonian MacBrayne ferry, Lochnevis, from Mallaig only calls at Rùm four of five times a week, depending on the season, and always subject to weather and sea conditions. Still today visitors staying several days, particularly those with immediate return commitments, must allow for the possibility no ferry could call on their planned day of departure ... ... ...
The hostel continued until 2015 when overnight stays within the castle ceased due to Health and Safety Concerns, the building fenced off and Danger Keep Out notices posted.
The author re-visited the island on 17 July 2025 and was appalled at how neglected the building appeared, and, far worse, the deliberate desecration of the bistro and kitchen areas he could see and photographed through the windows.
Kinloch Castle is constructed of red sandstone quarried on the Isle of Arran, (80 nautical miles away), highly porous and not recommended for building in proximity to the sea.
Seven decades of almost no maintenance, initial bad roof design led to blocked gutters allowing overflows to permeate the walls creating high internal humidity. With no temperature / moisture control it was not long before dry rot and mildew inexorably attacked structural woodwork, several rooms, wall coverings and eventually, as we shall see, affect many pictures and paintings.
Three paintings; Portrait of King James VI, Battlescene and Mary Queen of Scots with Child James VI, were deemed in “extremely poor condition …… requiring major structural conservation and restoration treatments” in a conservator’s studio. .
The original oil on canvas measures 247 x 125 centimetres (100 x 48 inches) in a dark wood frame. The artist's signature, Pauwel Casteel, was noted on the lower edge, 65 cms. from left rebate edge. The painting, since removed, was located halfway up the principal staircase its reverse against the back wall of the Piper's Room. The dark, awkward location and reflective nature of the oil medium made photography challenging.
The three page Report is very thorough. In 2016 I posted full details with more images in a separate paper: Art Treasures of Kinloch Castle The Storming of Buda(pest) 1686.
The Kinloch Castle painting is a fine example of Casteels’ work as forces 
WHY?! WHERE IS THE PAINTING NOW?! . 
Despite the structure as well as the surface of the
painting being fragile it was possible to examine the back without removing
from its frame.
Comprising three sections of timber overall measuring
89.8 x 72 cms., (35 x 29 inches), the portrait was structurally unstable
throughout with dramatic losses in the lower right revealing the white
ground of plaster and size, (gessoe), used to prepare panels or canvas preventing
paint from soaking into the support material. The delamination remains active due
to temperature and humidity fluctuations in the Great Hall corridor location.
Water staining was
noted along the bottom of the frame.
Immediate action to stabilise further loss of paint and ground layers included application of facing tissue and adhesive across the surface of the painting followed by treatment in a dedicated studio.
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| . Structurally unstable there has been movement along both vertical joints of the three sections of timber which make up the painted panel over a long period of time.
The painting is a deliberate example of an anachronism in art ... ... “a chronological inconsistency designed to help a contemporary audience engage more readily with a period in history by misplacing people outside their proper time period ... to make the past more relatable.” * |
