Samantha Kane puts Carbisdale Castle back up for sale after members’ move to dissolve Ardgay community council
Carbisdale Castle is back on the market again after its owner dramatically halted its transfer to a community interest company with a pledge to benefit local residents.
It follows a row between its owner Samantha Kane and Ardgay and District Community Council (A&DCC) of which she is a member.
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Members of the group say they are holding an extraordinary general meeting to dissolve the body after claiming Ms Kane, who styles herself Lady Carbisdale, was disruptive.
“Following six months of very difficult operating conditions in between meetings the chair and vice chair took the view that the intimidation of members of the public at the meeting on April 17 made the continuation of A&DCC, in its current form, untenable given our duty of care to the many members of the public who attend,” members said in a statement.
Now Ms Kane, who was due to sign over the castle to a community interest company on Friday, says she has decided to put the country house back up for sale.
“I have now halted that and decided to put the castle back on the market as a direct result of the discrimination I have suffered,” she said.
“Obviously the big loser is the community but the hatred and discrimination I have endured is too much.
“One option now could be to have shared ownership with a boutique hotel of 14 of the rooms involved. I was close to selling the castle last time and a hotel group were among the interested parties.”
The Category B-listed, 19-bedroom hilltop mansion was last advertised online with a guide price of £5 million in September 2024 just two years after Ms Kane had bought the property.
She added: “I am also going to launch a judicial review of the community council’s decision to hold an EGM as its sole purpose is to get rid of me, which is discriminatory in its nature, is unfair and bias and nothing to do with democracy.
“This is fundamentally an attack on my female identity and not receiving the respect of a woman of my age.
“The allegations are seriously offensive in nature and will have a direct effect on my private life.
“Allegations about my alleged behaviour are entirely untrue – totally false.
“If anything it is the other way around and I have evidence to support that.
“I am considering claiming damages from the community council or individual members for the harm they have caused me.”
London barrister Ms Kane, 65, bought the iconic castle for £1.2m in 2022.
She invested millions of pounds to renovate the dilapidated 20-bedroom estate, which had been left deserted for some years.
She recently withdrew it for sale, where it was listed at £5m, to pursue the community interest company project.
But she says transphobic abuse has made her rethink her plans again.
“I came here, really driven, with a vision of seeing the castle renovated and back to its former glory, really serving the community, and really being where it should be; one of the most iconic landmarks in Scotland,” added Ms Kane.
The community council for Ardgay and District reformed in October after seven new members were elected.
It had been dissolved by Highland Council in February last year after four of its five members had resigned.
The area’s newly elected community councillors joined existing member Ms Kane to form a community council of eight.
But at Thursday night’s monthly meeting a motion to dissolve the council at a future extraordinary general meeting was passed.
Campaigners hope they can reform the community council without Ms Kane.
The motion was proposed by vice-chairman Robert Sawyer and seconded by chairman Les Waugh with all of the councillors present except Ms Kane in favour.
Mr Waugh has denied that the council is transphobic, saying the move is about Ms Kane’s behaviour.
It is believed it has taken legal advice ahead of holding the EGM.
Mass resignations last year meant that the community council no longer had a quorum, leading to its collapse and a Highland Council decision to suspend its activities.
Then vice-chairperson Ms Kane was the only community councillor not to have resigned and as a result kept her seat on the new council.
Ms Kane said: “I have never seen so much hate directed at one person. This lynch mob have come up with every excuse to remove me from the council.
“But this is unlawful and I will challenge it.
“They have been asking me to resign for no reason whatsoever for some time. I am giving my time to serve the community, and they will lose my legal expertise if I am removed.”
