Duncraig Castle facts for kids
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Duncraig Castle is a large mansion in Lochalsh, located in the west of Scotland. It is a special old building, officially called a category-C listed building. You can find it in the Highland council area, just east of the village of Plockton. It sits right on the southern shore of Loch Carron.
The castle was built in 1866 for Alexander Matheson. He was a Scottish businessman and a Member of Parliament. The castle was designed in the Scottish Baronial style. This style looks like old Scottish castles. The architect who designed it was Alexander Ross. The Matheson family owned the castle until the 1920s. Then, it was sold to Sir Daniel Hamilton and his wife. They owned the land next door. The Hamiltons hoped to use the castle for teaching local people. However, this plan never happened. When World War II started, the castle became a naval hospital.
After the war, the Hamiltons had passed away. The castle was given to the local council. They turned it into a home economics college for girls. This college taught skills like cooking and sewing. It operated until it closed in 1989. The castle was empty for over ten years. In 2002, the Dobson family from England bought it. Seventeen family members moved in! They faced huge costs to fix up the castle. The family had some disagreements because of this. They even shared their story with a TV company. This led to a five-part series on BBC1. In 2009, most of the family had moved out. The Dobsons then sold the castle. The new owner wanted to turn it into a bed and breakfast. It was open for two years but then closed again. The castle still needed a lot of work. As of 2020, it remains closed.
The castle has its own train stop, Duncraig railway station. This station is on the Kyle of Lochalsh line. It first opened in 1897 as a private station. Now, it is open for everyone to use.
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What is Duncraig Castle Like?
Duncraig Castle is found on Loch Carron. This is part of the west coast of Scotland. It is in the beautiful Highlands. The castle is on the northern side of the Lochalsh peninsula. It is north-east of the town of Kyle of Lochalsh. It is also close to the Isle of Skye. The village of Plockton is nearby. The castle is easy to reach by train. The Duncraig railway station is right there. This station is on the Kyle of Lochalsh line from Inverness.
The castle building has three floors. It was built in the Scottish baronial style. This means it has an old, castle-like look. It has an uneven shape with nine sections. You can see pointed roofs called gables. It also has battlements, which are like the tops of old castle walls. The building has eighty rooms inside. This includes a very large dining room. There is also a small chapel. It has an eight-sided water tower. A big, modern part was added later. The castle has been a special "category C listed building" since 1982. This means it is an important historical building.
The land around the castle is about 40 acres. Much of this land is covered in trees. There is also a boathouse. The estate even has two private islands. The castle used to operate as a bed and breakfast (B&B). The owner and her family also live there. However, as of 2020, the B&B is not open. It is waiting to reopen after a lot of renovation work.
The Duncraig railway station serves the castle. It does not have staff working there. Abellio ScotRail runs the trains. The station is between Stromeferry and Plockton. It is part of the Kyle of Lochalsh line. The station has one concrete platform. It also has a unique six-sided shelter. This shelter has a pyramid-shaped roof. The station itself became a special "category-B listed building" in 1997.
History of Duncraig Castle
Building the Castle
Duncraig Castle was built in 1866. It was built by Sir Alexander Matheson. He had earned a lot of money. He wanted a country home for big parties. The castle is near the Matheson family's main home. That home is called Attadale. The architect Alexander Ross designed the castle. Matheson died in 1886. The castle stayed with his family. They rented it to rich people. It was still used for summer fun and parties.
In 1897, a railway line was extended. The Highland Railway built the Kyle of Lochalsh Extension. This line went to Stromeferry. It included a special station for Duncraig Castle. This station was named Duncraig railway station. At first, only the Matheson family could use it. Later, it was opened for everyone.
New Owners and New Uses
By the 1920s, the Matheson family had money problems. They sold the castle. Sir Daniel Hamilton and his wife, Lady Hamilton, bought it. They owned the nearby Balmacara Estate. The Hamiltons believed in social reform. They wanted to use the castle as a community education center. Local people could learn skills like weaving there. In 1938, the local government talked with the Hamiltons. They discussed using the castle for education. But these plans did not happen. World War II started in 1939. Sir Daniel Hamilton died early in the war. During the war, the government used the castle as a naval hospital.
By the end of the war, Lady Hamilton had also passed away. The castle was given to the Inverness-shire council. It was meant to be a community place for the Highlands. The education authority ran it as a home economics college for girls. A new part was added in 1969. It was built in a modernist style. The council also made other changes. They removed fireplaces. They put in a central heating system. The college closed in 1989. The building was empty and uncared for over the next fourteen years. However, in the mid-1990s, it was used for filming. The BBC show Hamish Macbeth was filmed there.
The Dobson Family and TV Fame
In 2002, Sam and Perlin Dobson bought the castle. They ran a business in Nottingham. In the summer of 2003, seventeen members of their family moved in. This included their daughter, Sam's parents, and three of his siblings. Each sibling brought their own family. They all left their jobs in England. Each family took a different part of the castle. The castle needed a lot of work. None of the bathrooms worked. Several ceilings had fallen in. The Dobsons had to spend a lot of money. They also spent much of their time on repairs. This was a big burden. Living in a broken-down building through winter was hard. This caused more and more arguments among the family.
They decided to tell their story to a TV company. The company filmed the family's life for their first year. They made a five-part reality television series. It was called The Dobsons of Duncraig. It was shown on BBC1 starting in December 2004. The stress and money problems from fixing the castle were tough. By 2008, only Sam and Perlin's family were still living there. The other siblings had left. Sam's parents were asked to leave by a court order. In 2009, the Dobsons decided to sell the castle and move on.
Recent Years
Suzanne Hazeldine bought the castle from the Dobson family. She started running a bed and breakfast (B&B) there. She ran the B&B for two years. Then, in 2010, she closed the castle. She wanted to renovate it. Her plan was to turn it into fancy accommodation. The work was still going on in 2016. Hazeldine told The Press and Journal newspaper that she had done a "complete overhaul." She planned to reopen in spring 2017. However, as of 2020, it has still not reopened. Its website says it is due to open in spring 2020.
