Latest news with #Skye
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
A crumbling castle...and how a £2.7m sell off has sparked a VERY bitter battle for the survival of Clan Donald
Tucked away in woodland on the ancestral Armadale Castle estate, there is a museum containing almost the whole sweep of Highland history within its walls. From the dawn of the Celts to the glory days of the Lordship of the Isles, from Culloden to Glencoe, its galleries speak of a time when the lands of Skye's remote Sleat peninsula enjoyed a ringside seat at the centre of the known universe, rather than at its outer fringes. Except that one final, damning chapter has yet to be written. Because although Armadale has been the seat of Clan Donald – Scotland's largest clan – for hundreds of years, a bitter feud over the very future of this great estate has now erupted which some say threatens to rival any single calamity in the clan's long and eventful past. Feelings have been running high since it was confirmed this month that the B-listed castle, its beautiful grounds and the Clan Donald heritage centre, which holds precious archives and artefacts dating back four centuries, have been put up for sale for around £2.7million. It comes just a month after the trust which runs the estate decided to put just over 20,000 acres of its land on Sleat on the market for £6.7million. The Clan Donald Lands Trust (CDLT) said it had to take the 'extremely difficult decision' to sell up after the charity ran into financial difficulties following the loss of its main benefactor, a US-based charitable foundation with links to the clan. Despite the millions of pounds poured into the estate for decades by its US donor, CDLT's chief executive officer Alex Stoddart claimed the visitor business on the Sleat was now 'non-viable'. The news has caused apoplexy in the clan's global diaspora who say they are the 'rightful beneficiaries' of the trust and insist the castle and its estate is not CDLT's to sell. In a growing war of words, clansmen and women have launched Clan Donald – Save Armadale, an international fundraising campaign to block the sale and push for new management of the trust to 'preserve this jewel in the crown of Clan Donald'. The group, which has attracted more than 400 members, believes the wider clan should have been consulted on the decision to sell, with many having financially supported the trust. The group's gofundme page states it represents 'the betrayed beneficiaries of the deed of trust of the Clan Donald Land Trust' who are 'opposing the decision of the four absentee trustees and CEO of the trust to sell off the beautiful Armadale Heritage Centre, museum, genealogy centre, library and extensive botanical gardens'. Campaign spokesman Morag McDonald condemned what she called 'the lack of community engagement and the contempt that people have been treated with'. She said the campaign's plan was to raise an initial £5,000 to seek legal advice on how best to halt the sale. It has also sparked friction locally where CDLT, a key employer in an area where crofting and tourism are the main industries, has been accused of a high-handed attitude to community relations. 'The Clan Donald estate isn't a real estate transaction, it is land families have lived on, farmed and crofted for generations, it has been an economic driver for Sleat and is integral to the identity of our community,' said Dr Andy Williamson, chair of Sleat Community Council. 'It is wrong that an absentee landlord can sell off this estate like a trophy for the wealthy with no regard for the community. This sale needs to be halted.' Their case rests in the complex legal arrangements of the trust established when clan members answered a call from Lord Godfrey Macdonald, the clan chief, who was forced to sell off a large part of the Macdonald estates to pay death duties and inherited debt after his father died in 1970. Around £200,000 was raised – roughly £2.5million at today's values – to secure Armadale Castle, the ancestral seat of the Macdonalds of Sleat, and a large part of the Sleat Peninsula, with the assets to be held in perpetuity for all clansmen. Since then, around 4,000 clan members are believed to have donated to the CDLT. Lord Macdonald said members of the Clan Donald hierarchy, chiefly in the US, had expressed 'incredulity' that such an important decision 'could have been announced in what they consider to be such an offhand and dismissive fashion, without any prior consultation'. He said that while he was 'supportive in principle' of the trust selling some assets, mainly land, he was 'devastated' at the proposed sale of the Clan Donald Centre which he regarded as 'the cornerstone around which the principal objectives of the CDLT as a charitable foundation was established in 1971'. He said: 'The overwhelming sentiment from overseas concerning the proposed sale of the Clan Centre, which I know is shared widely in the local community, is a strong feeling of betrayal.' It is telling how even the clan's most powerful voice has been diminished, however, in the face of its own trust's apparent refusal to engage. It stands in stark contrast to the remarkable call to arms on which the CDLT was founded. Morag McDonald, 57, a retired nurse, explained: 'The trust was set up by this massive appeal, which went out to Macdonalds all over the world when Lord Godfrey said, 'if we want to retain these lands, we have to set up a trust, does anyone want to contribute?' 'When you study and read the deeds of trust, it is Clan Macdonald who are the beneficiaries of the Clan Donald Land Trust. Essentially, all of what they are selling is the property of the Clan Macdonald. 'We are the beneficiaries but it was decided by three trustees and the CEO that they are putting everything on the market. So thousands of people own it, but they haven't asked one person.' Dr Williamson said: 'There's a lot of sadness, because Clan Donald is at the heart of Sleat, our history and heritage.' He called Armadale Castle and gardens an 'anchor for tourism' given Sleat's position off the beaten track and far from the heavy tourism concentrated in the north of the island. 'If this goes, we lose a major attraction and all the other businesses, and their staff will suffer too.' While the thoughts of some have turned to the prospect of a community buyout, Dr Williamson cautioned any bid would need to factor in both purchase costs and sizeable ongoing repair expenses. He said: 'There seem few locally who would oppose the CDLT's sale of the 22,000-acre South Sleat Estate. There are around 200 crofters there, but their rights are well enshrined in law, so it makes very little difference to them who the landlord is. 'But although many want to preserve Armadale Castle and grounds and the rest of the businesses, there is not a single building on that estate that doesn't need work. We've heard the suggestion about £4million worth of investment is needed to bring the grounds up to standard.' The ruined B-listed castle is currently off-limits to the public until remedial works can make it safe. 'We feel part of the problem is the trust is run by absentee trustees – at the moment, the closest one lives in Yorkshire,' said Dr Williamson. 'They've got no sense of this place, no idea of the community. They have no clue what's happening on a day-to-day basis.' His 'worst nightmare' would be a buyer trying to turn it into a private house: 'The risk is it gets split up or bought as a trophy by someone who doesn't really know and care about its significance. Perhaps they look to knock down the castle and build a big house.' Dr Williamson said it had been very hard to find out any information about the CDLT's intentions as its relationship with the community was 'effectively non-existent'. He said the community council had been barred from any local conversations around the future of the estate. Eyebrows have been raised at the failure of the CDLT to make a go of things given the largesse of its chief backer, the Glencoe Foundation, down the years. It has lavished CDLT with grants totalling more than £2million in the past five years alone, with almost £1million paid out in 2021, when the impact of the Covid pandemic was at its height. CDLT claimed the pandemic hammered income and was catastrophic for the estate. But Dr Williamson said: 'The pandemic was a problem for the tourism industry in Skye, but it bounced back. Equivalent attractions in the area are now thriving.' The current board of trustees, chaired by restaurateur, Ranald Macdonald of Boisdale and Younger of Clanranald, who operates the successful Boisdale group of restaurants in London, evidently disagrees. It wants to use the proceeds from both sales – roughly £9million – to reinvent the charity as a purely grant-giving body which, it says, will enable investment in the clan's heritage and culture long into the future. In an earlier statement, it said: 'The CDLT visitor business has incurred losses every year since the centre opened. Sadly, this funding is no longer available.' In a further statement to the Daily Mail, it added: 'Whilst we have empathy with the emotional response from a minority of individuals, we reiterate the fact that the trustees in all their actions have acted in the legally correct interests of the trust.' The trust said it aims to retain the archive and library and create a 'world-class immersive, interactive digital platform' to display its collection. But battle lines have been drawn. This clan feud has only just begun.
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
F1 'ripe for change' as Blyton track hosts girls' race training
Young female drivers claim "boys don't respect us" when competing to become future F1 stars. Blyton Park in Lincolnshire hosted the More Than Equal training camp where an elite cohort of female drivers tested Ginetta G40 14, has been racing since she was six, she said: "If you can't handle a girl being in front of you, this isn't the sport for you. Go play football or something." Tom Stanton boss of More Than Equal said: "We've been searching the globe for the drivers that have the right things, and we think we've got those things in the women here, so watch this space." More Than Equal finds young drivers with high potential and enrols them in a fully funded driver development programme designed for female drivers founded by former F1 world champion David Coulthard. A woman has not scored points in the F1 World Championship since Lella Lombardi in 1975 but More Than Equal are "committed to changing this". Ivonn, who lives in Austria, comes from a background in racing and said her dad encouraged her when she was young to pursue it as a said: "It's a difficult industry as often boys don't respect you and you have to earn their respect." Her advice for girls looking to start is "to just do it" she added, "there's nothing stopping you and if boys give you a hard time, just give them a harder time next time." Skye wants to be the first female F1 champion and her mum Emma said the family are "fully supportive of Skye's lifestyle choice." Due to the industry being male dominated she believes: "People don't like girls being fast, it's getting better but things still happens a lot." She said: "Boys will still put her in the barrier rather than finishing behind her."They would rather they didn't finish and the girl didn't finish then finish behind the girl and get told they've just been beaten by a girl." Katrina, 15, from Hong Kong, currently races in the Ginetta Junior series and has won the Asian karting championships, she has recently recovered from a broken shoulder. She explained: "I was really proud of myself as it made me realise I can beat the boys and nothing is impossible even if you are in a male dominated sport." "I remember there was a time when two or three drivers ganged up on me just to purposely push me off and their teams would gather, plan and talk about it."Katrina said she had to tell herself not to let it knock her confidence or be afraid to push them back. Tom Stanton believes women have struggled to reach F1 because they face funding challenges when "massively outnumbered by talented males".He said: "Our programme is unapologetically female focused, it's age and stage appropriate and we're trying to unmask the challenges we see, as for female drivers we have to do things differently." "There's no reason why we wouldn't have future champions here today, the sport is absolutely ripe for this change and we want to bring it." Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.
The Age
4 days ago
- The Age
Australia's newest four-day hike traces an ancient, stunning route
One of the best things about this walk is we're doing it pack-free, carrying only day packs and arriving at camp each afternoon to find everything set up for us: our roomy tents (each large enough to stand up in and containing two comfy camp beds, sleeping bags and real pillows), a shower tent, the camp kitchen and an undercover dining area full of snacks, treats and gourmet meals. Vision Walks' CEO Wendy Bithell is passionate about supporting local suppliers, so almost everything we eat and drink comes from the Northern Rivers, including Brookfarm muesli, Stone & Wood beers, Jilly wines, Nimbin Valley cheeses and chocolates from Love Byron Bay, all lovingly prepared by local caterer the Bloody Good Food Co. That night, rain drums on the roof above our table as we dine in a bubble of light from solar lanterns, feeling like the only people on Earth. There's no mobile reception, no Wi-Fi, no one else around; in four days we see only one young couple and an older group of three, all carrying big packs. Each day we walk for five or six hours – except on day two, which is an eight-hour, 18-kilometre epic. After climbing what feels like a thousand stone steps that morning, we reach the rim of the caldera, 800 metres above sea level. The rain is relentless, ditto the mud and the leeches (though they're mercifully small). At the five lookouts we pass, mist teases us with fragments of views – Wollumbin! The sea! I love the unexpected adventure of it all. I also love the hour of silent walking we do each morning, each of us falling into single file behind Skye, tuning in to bird calls, small details beside the track – like a tiny forest of mushrooms on a mossy log – and the simple, timeless act of moving through this landscape on foot. At other times, Skye points out how the Minjungbal people (and the Widjabul Wia-bal, when we enter their Country) use particular plants, the rainforest their pantry, medicine cabinet and shed all in one. (On future trips, a Bundjalung guide will meet the group one afternoon to offer an Indigenous perspective on the walk.) After a gentle descent on day three, we arrive at a spectacular lookout and the sun makes a guest appearance, spotlighting three gushing waterfalls on the far side of Wanganui Gorge. A few minutes later we arrive at our final campsite, where our dining table has the same view and our tents are dwarfed by tall eucalypts – blackbutt, bloodwoods and stringybarks. We hear the official end-point of the Gidjuum Gulganyi before we see it. Living in northern NSW, I know Minyon Falls well, but arriving on foot really dials up the glory. For most walkers, the viewing deck at the top is their finish line, but Vision Walks adds an extra six kilometres to include the trek to the base of the falls. It's the most difficult section of the entire walk, with a tricky creek crossing and a scramble over slippery boulders, but standing at the base of the thundering falls drenched in spray is exhilarating – and gives us a visceral sense of this landscape and all the water running through it. On our way back to Byron Bay in the shuttle, I ask Skye Weatherstone for her thoughts on the walk, since it was her first time doing it too. 'I thought about the old people a lot,' she says, 'how so many of the local elders are too old or unwell now to come up here any more and that the forest would have reclaimed these trails without the Gidjuum Gulganyi. It's bringing these trails back to life, and the forest gets to have humans in it again, people who can appreciate its beauty and hopefully act as caretakers into the future.' The details Loading Where The Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk starts at Unicorn Falls in Mount Jerusalem National Park near Uki in northern NSW and ends at Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park, 45 minutes' drive from Byron Bay. Walk Vision Walks' guided pack-free glamping experience includes chef-prepared meals and drinks, bento-box lunches, snacks, transfers, camping gear and expert local guides, from $3200 a person. See Connect Adventures is the other operator licensed to run guided walks on this track and offers pack-free walks from $2165 a person and full-pack walks from $1855 a person. See The self-guided option, carrying your own food and camping gear, costs $173 for one or two people, for the three nights. Each public campsite has five hardwood tent platforms, a sheltered table, rainwater tanks and a composting toilet. See Drive All hikers must walk from north to south so you'll need to arrange transport at either end. Transfers are included in guided walks; Vision Walks also provides transfers for self-guided hikers for $38 from Mullumbimby, $61 from Byron Bay, $121 from Ballina Airport and $138 from Gold Coast Airport. See
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Australia's newest four-day hike traces an ancient, stunning route
One of the best things about this walk is we're doing it pack-free, carrying only day packs and arriving at camp each afternoon to find everything set up for us: our roomy tents (each large enough to stand up in and containing two comfy camp beds, sleeping bags and real pillows), a shower tent, the camp kitchen and an undercover dining area full of snacks, treats and gourmet meals. Vision Walks' CEO Wendy Bithell is passionate about supporting local suppliers, so almost everything we eat and drink comes from the Northern Rivers, including Brookfarm muesli, Stone & Wood beers, Jilly wines, Nimbin Valley cheeses and chocolates from Love Byron Bay, all lovingly prepared by local caterer the Bloody Good Food Co. That night, rain drums on the roof above our table as we dine in a bubble of light from solar lanterns, feeling like the only people on Earth. There's no mobile reception, no Wi-Fi, no one else around; in four days we see only one young couple and an older group of three, all carrying big packs. Each day we walk for five or six hours – except on day two, which is an eight-hour, 18-kilometre epic. After climbing what feels like a thousand stone steps that morning, we reach the rim of the caldera, 800 metres above sea level. The rain is relentless, ditto the mud and the leeches (though they're mercifully small). At the five lookouts we pass, mist teases us with fragments of views – Wollumbin! The sea! I love the unexpected adventure of it all. I also love the hour of silent walking we do each morning, each of us falling into single file behind Skye, tuning in to bird calls, small details beside the track – like a tiny forest of mushrooms on a mossy log – and the simple, timeless act of moving through this landscape on foot. At other times, Skye points out how the Minjungbal people (and the Widjabul Wia-bal, when we enter their Country) use particular plants, the rainforest their pantry, medicine cabinet and shed all in one. (On future trips, a Bundjalung guide will meet the group one afternoon to offer an Indigenous perspective on the walk.) After a gentle descent on day three, we arrive at a spectacular lookout and the sun makes a guest appearance, spotlighting three gushing waterfalls on the far side of Wanganui Gorge. A few minutes later we arrive at our final campsite, where our dining table has the same view and our tents are dwarfed by tall eucalypts – blackbutt, bloodwoods and stringybarks. We hear the official end-point of the Gidjuum Gulganyi before we see it. Living in northern NSW, I know Minyon Falls well, but arriving on foot really dials up the glory. For most walkers, the viewing deck at the top is their finish line, but Vision Walks adds an extra six kilometres to include the trek to the base of the falls. It's the most difficult section of the entire walk, with a tricky creek crossing and a scramble over slippery boulders, but standing at the base of the thundering falls drenched in spray is exhilarating – and gives us a visceral sense of this landscape and all the water running through it. On our way back to Byron Bay in the shuttle, I ask Skye Weatherstone for her thoughts on the walk, since it was her first time doing it too. 'I thought about the old people a lot,' she says, 'how so many of the local elders are too old or unwell now to come up here any more and that the forest would have reclaimed these trails without the Gidjuum Gulganyi. It's bringing these trails back to life, and the forest gets to have humans in it again, people who can appreciate its beauty and hopefully act as caretakers into the future.' The details Loading Where The Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk starts at Unicorn Falls in Mount Jerusalem National Park near Uki in northern NSW and ends at Minyon Falls in Nightcap National Park, 45 minutes' drive from Byron Bay. Walk Vision Walks' guided pack-free glamping experience includes chef-prepared meals and drinks, bento-box lunches, snacks, transfers, camping gear and expert local guides, from $3200 a person. See Connect Adventures is the other operator licensed to run guided walks on this track and offers pack-free walks from $2165 a person and full-pack walks from $1855 a person. See The self-guided option, carrying your own food and camping gear, costs $173 for one or two people, for the three nights. Each public campsite has five hardwood tent platforms, a sheltered table, rainwater tanks and a composting toilet. See Drive All hikers must walk from north to south so you'll need to arrange transport at either end. Transfers are included in guided walks; Vision Walks also provides transfers for self-guided hikers for $38 from Mullumbimby, $61 from Byron Bay, $121 from Ballina Airport and $138 from Gold Coast Airport. See
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Historic island castle is on the market but furious clan members are plotting to block the sale
FOR hundreds of years it was a seat for Scotland's largest clan. But now an island castle has gone on the market – angering opponents who have branded the move a 'betrayal'. Armadale Castle on Skye is one of several assets being sold off by Clan Donald Lands Trust (CDLT) after it announced the 'unavoidable and unanimous' decision earlier this year following 'long standing economic difficulties'. CEO Alex Stoddart said the Armadale visitor business, which includes the 17th century castle, its heritage centre and gardens on the island's Sleat peninsula, was 'non-viable' in its current form. But the move has outraged clansmen and women from around the world who claim they are the 'rightful beneficiaries' of the trust and insist the actions of CDLT 'defy the purpose of the trust deeds'. Save Armadale - Clan Donald is now fundraising for a planned legal challenge to block the sale and push for new management of the trust to 'preserve this jewel in the Crown of Clan Donald'. The group, which has more than 400 members, believe clansmen and women should have been consulted on the decision to sell, with many having financially supported the trust since its formation in the 1970s. The group's gofundme page states it represents 'the betrayed beneficiaries of the deed of trust of the Clan Donald Land Trust' who are 'opposing the decision of the 4 absentee trustees and CEO of the Clan Donald Lands Trust to sell off the beautiful Armadale Heritage Centre, museum, genealogy centre, library and extensive botanical gardens and trails'. It adds: 'We require to appoint a lawyer to challenge them and their decision on the basis that their current actions are not in the best interests of the beneficiaries of the trust, defy the purpose of the trust deeds, and betray the local community in Sleat.' If they are successful they say any surplus funds raised will 'go towards any future endeavours to support a newly invigorated heritage centre' and, if not, they will be handed to 'a similar cultural heritage project in Scotland'. They claim the castle is 'of national cultural and historical importance and its closure will have a huge, economic and detrimental affect in the Sound of Sleat in the South end of Skye'. The castle, heritage centre and gardens are being sold for offers over £995,000, or along with ancillary buildings and other land for £2.7million, and comes just a month after CDLT put just over 20,000 acres of its land on the Sleat Peninsula on the market for £6.7million. Campaign spokesman Morag McDonald said the group's aim was to 'put pressure' on CLDT to 'immediately halt the sale of our heritage centre, and demand they come to the table immediately to answer our questions and allow us time to seek a viable future for the Clan Donald Heritage Centre in Armadale under new, competent management and with our money handed over from phase 1 of the sale'. The deed states the charitable purposes of the trust include 'providing funds to assist in the education of Clansmen, to provide scholarships at schools and universities for the sons and daughters of Clansmen'. The CDLT Board announced the sale stating: 'The idea of selling the wider estate and using the proceeds to bolster Armadale was the initially preferred conclusion. 'However, the estate sale proceeds are unlikely to be sufficient for the capital requirements of Armadale going forward. 'The Trustees could not see any realistic way to retain Armadale whilst fulfilling their legal and moral obligations to the charity and the Clan, being mindful of their duty to act in the best interests of the charity including minimising exposure to risk. It adds: 'The Trustees' objective is to find suitable buyers who will bring serious investment, prosperity, training, and employment to the community for the long term.'
