Monthly Archives: October 2013

We love our Lairds and Ladies …

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We recently received this wonderful message:

What a perfect gift idea this was!

My retiring aunt Lady Anne is convinced that she has noble if not royal roots in Scotland. And I just love single malt whisky. Could there be any better reasons to return to your enchanting country time after time, year after year! Last May, during our whisky trip to Highlands and Speyside we visited the Inveraray Castle, and also ruins of Dunnottar Castle. A year before that, on our way to Islay, Jura, Highlands and Lowlands, we visited Stirling Castle and Edinburgh Castle (not to mention all the distilleries).

Now we know, where to go next time…

Work begins on the Castle!

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It’s a small step, but an essential one. For the architect’s survey at the end of the month, we need to make all the walltops safe. We have commissioned Brown’s of Strone to do the work, and they turned up this morning with a 3-tonne boom lift. The guys took me up this afternoon – suitably clipped on and wearing hardhat to see what the top looks like. Here are some images of the work.

And of course all of this is paid for by the ScottishLaird Project!

The panorama I took at the top shows how structurally sound the structure is despite not having a roof!

Panorama at the top of the castle

As all those who have been on tours at Dunans will know, the castle restoration is projected to take place over the next 5-8 years, and result in a public building with a visitor centre, exhibition/conference space and accommodation (for Lairds and Ladies) – but we’ll be publishing more on this once we have the architect’s plans in hand!

We make the International Edition of the Economist

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from the international edition of the Economist:

Cicci Rikanovic, a Swedish-Croatian, became “Lady Cicci Rikanovic of Chaol Ghleann” after she purchased a single square foot of land from the privately owned Dunans Castle for €45 in June. She describes her purchase as “a true commitment to the preservation of culture rather than a desperate longing for nobility”. The proceeds of the sale go to the restoration of the castle, damaged by fire in 2001. Every little helps.

Thankyou Lady Cicci for capturing the spirit of the project, and for helping us publicise what we are doing!