Clan surpise as Bonnie Prince Charlie's 'hideout house'' is sold off

A house linked to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s long escape from Scotland following his failed Jacobite rising has been sold off by a clan charity which was bequeathed the historic property.

Kingsburgh House at Snizort, Skye, has been sold by the Clan Donald Lands Trust as it tackles financial challenges.

The original house was where Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald hid out during the Jacobite leader’s escape from Scotland following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.

Now in a highly dilapidated state, the property, which was rebuilt in the 19th Century, was gifted to CDLT following the death of its owner, Amelia Colbourne, in 2021. The trust had hoped to restore it as a heritage asset, but the poor state of the building meant that the work would cost around £2m.

Kingsburgh House in Snizort, Skye has long been in a dilapidated state with its last owner living in one small part of the property. PIC: CDLT. | CDLT

The sale follows the announcement last month that the trust was selling off Armadale Castle, the traditional seat of a branch of the largest clan in the world, around 22,000 acres of the Sleat Peninsula and the Clan Donald Centre building, the home of the highly regarded clan museum and archive. The sudden move stunned both the Sleat community and the clan faithful around the world.

Kingsburgh House, which comes with 13 acres and overlooks Loch Snizort, attracted significant interest after it went on the market for offers over £295,000.

Lois MacDonell, former president of the Clan Donald Society of Scotland, speaking in a personal capacity, said: “The trust did not communicate at all with the Clan Donald Society about the sale. It is just something else that we weren't aware of."

The original Kingsburgh House was the home to Flora and her husband, MacDonald of Kingsburgh, the head of the local cadet branch under Clan Chief Macdonald of Sleat.

Flora MacDonald (left) and Prince Charles Edward Stuart took refuge at Kingsburgh House in June 1746 during his long escape from Scotland following the Jacobite defeat at the Battle of Culloden. PIC : CC. | CC

It was here that the fugitive Prince Charles Edward Stuard, disguised as Flora’s maid Betty Burke, took refuge after they landed from Benbecula on June 29, 1746. At first, the pair travelled to Monkstadt House, but they were rescued by Flora’s husband after it emerged the property was occupied by Redcoats.

Kingsburgh also played host to a number of other prominent guests including Dr Johnson and Boswell, who recorded their stay in 1773.

READ MORE: The Jacobites who fought on after Culloden

The property has long been on the Buildings At Risk register, although the occupied wing lived in by Ms Colbourne was not covered by the designation.

Alex Stoddart, chief executive of the Clan Donald Lands Trust, said there were no restrictions placed on the bequest and that it had been hoped to restore the property.

He added: “Subsequent structural investigations estimated renovations at over £2m. This was as a result of disrepair after decades neglect. CDLT did not have the necessary funds.

“The trustees decided unanimously to sell Kingsburgh and enable someone with better resources to take on the redevelopment project.

“As a CDLT asset, there was no legal requirement to consult anyone else on the sale. In any case, a consultation with the Clan Donald Society of Scotland, or any other interest group, would not have changed the outcome, given that there was no alternative for the charity but to sell the property.

“Savills were instructed to conduct an open market sale in March 2024. The marketing of the property was very public, featuring in the national and international press.

“After a significant amount of interest, an offer was accepted and the sale concluded this month. The proceeds of the sale will be used in the administration of the charity’s ongoing operations.”