Castle Development Goes to Planning

The plans for the purposes of planning consent for the development of Mingary Castle have now gone to Highland Council Planning, and are available on their site here.

The proposal is for a "Reinstatement to residential property including change of use from ruin to residential", and includes turning the north and east ranges into a single, large house while the west range becomes a separate accommodation.  While many may wish that it could become a visitors' centre open to the public, its remote location and the relatively few visitors who come on to the Ardnamurchan peninsula mean that this is not a viable option.  The most probable use of the castle will be as a high-end letting property, though this does not preclude some public access.

From the start, the Mingary Castle Preservation and Restoration Trust was determined that the only way to safeguard the long-term future of this historic building was to ensure that it would earn its keep.  However, while the Trust was prepared to fund the initial work to save the building from imminent collapse, despite its best efforts no substantial external funding, either from private or public sources, has yet been forthcoming.  The plans could therefore end up as academic as, if the trust can’t afford to complete the project then, notwithstanding all the work to date, the castle will remain closed to everyone and will eventually fall down.

The consultation period, during which the public can comment on the proposals, runs until 24th October.  Comments can be submitted on line.