MacLeod 'gifts' Cuillin to public

Published on Thursday 10 July 2003 01:00

A CLAN chief who tried to sell one of Scotland’s most famous mountain ranges now plans to gift it to the nation, if his historic castle is renovated by a charitable trust.

John MacLeod of MacLeod caused outrage three years ago when he put the Black Cuillin range in Skye on the market for 10 million to pay for repairs to Dunvegan Castle, his clan’s seat for more than 800 years.

Despite continuing claims that a wealthy American was to buy the mountains, a sale was never completed. Now a deal being brokered by public agencies and conservation bodies could see Mr MacLeod hand over ownership of the castle to a trust, which would pay about 10 million for the repairs.

In turn, Mr MacLeod, whose family would continue to live in part of the castle, would hand over the Cuillin to be managed by community and conservation interests. Such a move would put the entire Cuillin mountain range in public or charitable hands. The John Muir Trust already owns parts of the Cuillin, while other neighbouring land belongs to the Scottish Executive’s agricultural department and Forest Enterprise.

The gift of the central part of the range would create an area similar to a national park, although different from British-style parks – which remain in a variety of private ownerships – and more like those in the United States and Canada, which belong to the nation.

The move was welcomed by Jack McConnell, the First Minister, who said: “The Cuillin and Dunvegan Castle are internationally recognisable parts of Scotland’s heritage. If the future of both the mountains and the castle can be secured in the way proposed, this will be good for Scotland”.

Ramblers Scotland, which opposed the sale, also praised the initiative, while still questioning Mr MacLeod’s ownership of the Cuillin. Dave Morris, the association’s director, said: “It’s a pity he didn’t do this three years ago. But in principle this is excellent – although we already regard it as being in public ownership, as we have seen no evidence that MacLeod owns valid title to a considerable part of the mountain range.”

Mr MacLeod, 67, the 29th chief of Clan MacLeod, is involved in talks with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Highland Council and the John Muir Trust. He said: “If the Cuillin and the castle can be transformed into national assets, I shall be delighted.

“I should be giving up properties which have been associated with my family for many centuries, and that is not easy. But the possibilities I am now discussing with HIE and with Highland Council seem to me to hold an excellent prospect of securing the long-term future of the Cuillin, and of Dunvegan Castle, in a manner that could bring enduring benefits to Skye and to Scotland.”

The mountains were taken off the market onTuesday. Mr MacLeod said while interest from the potential US buyer remained “alive and active”, the possibility of a sale had receded.

“A sale has not happened and I have had to rethink,” he added. Dr Jim Hunter, HIE’s chairman, said: “We have some way to go before we’ll be certain what it will cost to refurbish Dunvegan Castle, and we have still further to go before we’ll be clear as to the sources of the necessary finance. But we are committed to taking this initiative forward. Dunvegan Castle is of importance historically and, as a visitor attraction, economically to the Dunvegan community, indeed to Skye as a whole.”

HIE and MacLeod Estates are working out the cost of refurbishing the castle, and a range of heritage bodies will be targeted for help.

Drew Millar, the convener of Highland Council’s Skye and Lochalsh area committee, added: “The Cuillin represent the heart of Skye and the mountains have been an inspiration to climbers, poets and authors for centuries.

“It is fitting that the Cuillin, which gives the island so much of its character, should be brought into public ownership.”

Mr MacLeod was met with widespread contempt when he put the mountain range on the market in March 2000 – a decision that he said was the most difficult he had ever made. As well as repairing the castle, he planned to se the money to develop the gardens and create a quality 60-80-bedroom hotel and leisure complex for the 145,000 visitors to Dunvegan each year.

It was questioned whether the clan chief actually owned the mountains to sell. An independent historical consultant claimed the Dunvegan Charter of 1611, which returned land ownership from the Crown to clan chiefs, did not include the Cuillin, although this was rejected by the Crown Estate.

Yesterday, Mr MacLeod said losing ownership of the castle was “a price worth paying” for having it saved. “I believe the castle is more important than me but our relationship with it is important. It has been the home of my family since recorded time.”