Achi news desk-
Fort William and Ardnamurchan Upland Councilor Angus MacDonald said he introduced Mr Hosking to the project and terms were agreed with owners Nature Scot to fund £10million of repairs and set up a charity to manage the building.
He said the agreement was “almost complete” when the Highland Member of Parliament, Kate Forbes, went on maternity leave and handed over the project to the minister for biodiversity.
He claims that Ms Slater was of the opinion that islanders did not want a private buyer but following a trip to Rum she changed her opinion after speaking to islanders.
Mr Hosking later pulled out of the deal accusing Scottish Green of “crushing a conservation project” and described the proposed sale as a “horrendous process”.
The Herald revealed earlier this week that the biodiversity minister claimed in a letter to Highland MP Kate Forbes that she had “very little involvement in the sale, whether positive or negative”.
This prompted an angry response from Councilor MacDonald, the Liberal Democrat councilor and businessman, who owns Highland Cinema in Fort William and a bookshop.
“Ms Slater is fully responsible,” he said.
“I introduced Mr Hoskyn to the project, he agreed Headings of Terms with Nature Scot through Savills to inject £10m and the transaction was almost complete when Kate Forbes went on maternity leave and passed the baton to Green MSP Lorna Slater.
“At that time nothing happened for about 18 months, with Ms Slater claiming that the islanders were against a private buyer.
“He finally went to visit the island, (using a very expensive private charter rather than Calmac) and learned that the majority of residents were actually in favor of selling to a private buyer.
The Scottish Government has now commissioned a Delphi study to gather the views of islanders and a conservation group.
“I shudder to think how much this will cost,” said Councilor MacDonald. “Everyone knows that in one day a respected neutral individual would have been able to interview the 22 adults on the island.
“This grade A property has just suffered another winter of neglect when everyone knows there is a great urgency to save it.
“Lorna Slater, you should hang your head in shame.”
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A Scottish Government spokesman said: “The Scottish Government and NatureScot remain focused on securing a sustainable future for Kinloch Castle.
“In response to Mr Hoskins’ proposals, the Isle of Rum Community Trust (IRCT) expressed strong concerns, at which point Ms Slater visited Rum to meet all available residents.
” It was agreed that there is a need to engage with the community further in order to reach a consensus on the best way forward.
“The first phase of the Delphi study aimed at bringing the Rum community to a consensus regarding the terms of sale of Kinloch Castle has now begun.
“It is hosted in-house by the Scottish Government’s Rural and Environmental Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) division and is the most cost-effective option.
“A final report is expected to be published this autumn.”
The turreted, two-storey castle was built as the private home of Sir George Bullough, a Lancashire textile tycoon whose father bought Rùm as his summer home and shooting estate.
It was designed to satisfy the whims of an extravagant and luxurious Victorian lifestyle and houses a German orchestral organ said to have been made for Queen Victoria, designed to reproduce the sound of a full orchestra.
