'Haunted' Highland Carbisdale Castle with 20 bedrooms and private loch finds new owner

A ‘haunted’ castle in the Highlands has found a new owner.

Carbisdale Castle in Ardgay, Sutherland, which has 20 bedrooms, views of its own private loch, has been purchased by barrister Samantha Kane.

Constructed in the early 1900s, Carbisdale is the last castle to be built in Scotland and was on the market for offers over £1.2m.

It served as residence for the widowed Duchess of Sutherland and was a place of refuge for Norwegian king and crown prince during the Nazi occupation of the country.

For around 60 years the castle was run by the Scottish Youth Hostels Association and began to build a reputation for ghostly activity.

The top-floor bedroom was even dubbed the “spook room” due to claims it was haunted.

Guests also reported sightings of a ghost called Betty who was said to appear in various parts of the property dressed in white.

Ms Kane has pledged to invest £10m in the local economy following the sale. She has vowed to restore the property, which is listed Grade-B by Historic Environment Scotland, to its former glory.

The interiors of Carbisdale Castle which was run as a youth hostel since 1945. Strutt and Parker

Ms Kane, whose career spans cross-border litigation, high-net worth divorce cases and football management, says she has extensive plans for refurbishment for both the castle and the surrounding estate.

The renovation process will involve Highland-based contractors and Ms Kane says the development will involve support for local organic farmers and wildlife conservation.

She has pledged commitment to preserving the extensive forested estate surrounding the castle with the help of local charities.

Ms Kane said: “I was drawn to the castle’s splendour, as well as its impressive historical background, and I felt a sense of kinship with its original occupant the Duchess of Sutherland, whose story I find fascinating.

“My vision is to breathe new life into Carbisdale and ensure that its incredible historical value can coexist alongside new contributions to the prosperity of the local area.”

International barrister Samantha Kane is the new owner of Carbisdale Castle. Muckle Media

The castle was built between 1905 and 1917 for Mary Caroline, Duchess of Sutherland, the second wife of George Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, 3rd Duke of Sutherland.

The couple married in 1889 to the bitter dislike of the Sutherland family.

When the Duke died in 1892 his will, which favoured the Duchess, was contested by his son.

The Duchess was later found guilty of destroying documents in attempt of securing the inheritance and was imprisoned for six weeks in Holloway Prison, London.

She later reached a financial settlement with the family who agreed to build her the castle outside the Sutherland Estate.

However, the hill-side location of the castle which towers over a large part of Sutherland, is considered to be a deliberate choice by the Duchess to spite her husband’s family.