Dunvegan Castle Refurbishment

Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is to explore alternative options for assisting Dunvegan Castle's refurbishment and enhancement as a visitor attraction after a study estimated the optimum cost of the project at £19million.

HIE is supportive in principle of proposals to repair the 800-year-old residence of the chiefs of the clan MacLeod on Skye and continue its development as one of the island's major tourist destinations.

However, the very high estimated cost is likely to be beyond the means of the agency and other public funding bodies without significant private sector contributions.

HIE, in association with the MacLeod Estate and The Highland Council, has, over the past year, been investigating the practicalities of a proposal, which could result in clan chief John MacLeod of MacLeod transferring ownership of the castle to a charitable trust and gifting the Cuillin mountain range to the Scottish people.

Under that proposal the trust would be responsible for raising the funds needed to repair and refurbish the castle, which is Scotland's oldest continually inhabited home.

Edinburgh-based architects Simpson and Brown, who specialise in conservation, were commissioned by HIE to carry out feasibility study into the refurbishment of the castle and redevelopment of its visitor facilities.

Having found the castle to be in a very poor structural condition and the visitor amenities in need of upgrading, the consultants concluded that the "best option" for repair and refurbishment would cost £19million.

A range of key options was identified by the architects, including:

* Significant renovation and architectural upgrading of the castle
* Opening more of the castle to the public
* Making the castle fully accessible to disabled visitors in line with legislation
* Developing a new innovative interpretive visitor facility
* Providing accommodation in the castle for the clan chief

Andrew Anderson, of HIE's strengthening communities group, said: "The report has considered options for the restoration and redevelopment of the castle and its visitor facilities.

"The 'best option' has been costed and is probably beyond the ability of funding agencies to achieve. However, HIE is still very supportive of the aim to restore the castle and transfer the Cuillin to public ownership and will continue to investigate how restoration of the castle as a visitor attraction can be carried out."