Kinloch Castle Study: Final report

Background statement: Kinloch Castle

Why does the castle need to be sold?

Kinloch castle and its grounds is a Category A listed building in need of major restoration. The castle is currently owned by NatureScot, and has been under public ownership for an extended period. It is not currently open to visitors.

The castle has variable maintenance costs year on year ranging between £50,000 to £160,000 (with an average of £64,000), and has outstanding property maintenance requirements estimated in the tens of millions of pounds.

What options have been considered?

A number of studies have previously been commissioned to explore options for the building, and restoration proposals have been developed, but the significant funding required to take them forward has not been available.

Private sale and transfer to the community has been considered by NatureScot, however neither has been achieved to date. As legal custodians of the Castle, NatureScot have taken the operational decision that they have no use for it as part of their estate. Sale of the castle, or private sector investment, is now understood to be the only viable option, with other contributing factors including current pressures on public finances.

The map below has been provided by NatureScot, and shows the minimum land to be included with a sale, including: Kinloch Castle, the old dairy, walled garden, gazebo, squash court and workshop. NatureScot has sought professional Estate Agency advice on the minimum land which would be acceptable to potential buyers and this is shown in blue on the map below.

Information sheet: Kinloch Castle Delphi study

Why are we doing this research?

We would like to invite you to take part in a Delphi study. The aim of this study is to develop an understanding of the views of island residents, and to reach consensus on an agreed list of suitable conditions of sale for Kinloch Castle. We have been asked to carry out this research by Scottish Ministers, to support progress on the future of the castle, as part of further ongoing work to support the long-term resilience and growth of this island community.

What is the Delphi method?

The Delphi method is a way of obtaining a collective view from individuals about issues where there is no or little definite evidence and where opinion is important. The Delphi method is a structured communication technique, often used with a panel of experts to help reach consensus and develop guidelines in health-related fields. Researchers collect and analyse expert opinions, in this research the islanders are the experts, through a series of questionnaires (known as “rounds”). Participants in consecutive rounds see an anonymised summary of the responses to the previous rounds, and are asked to consider their own responses in light of this. Often this leads to convergence of opinion. In this study, the expert panel will include all adult residents who agree to take part.

What will taking part involve?

This study will include 3 rounds. During each round, you will be asked to complete an online questionnaire. At the start of rounds 2 and 3, you will receive an anonymous summary of the previous results, and a reminder of your own answers. We hope this will help you to understand the views of other residents, reflect on and change your response if you would like to.

The first survey will take longer to complete, depending on your answers, and the following surveys will be shorter, and should take less than 10 minutes to complete. During the study, we hope that participants will move toward a shared view or ‘consensus’ on the most important conditions. The study will include 3 main stages:

• Round 1 – online survey
• Summary report on Round 1 responses
• Round 2 – online survey
• Summary report on Round 1 responses
• Round 3 – online survey
• Final report

The online surveys will be done on Microsoft Forms. Please let us know if you require any additional support in order to take part, for example printed copies.

During round 3, we plan to organise an in-person workshop to enable participants to share their views and discuss any specific issues in more detail. We will hold this event on Rum, at a date and time suitable for as many participants as possible.

Is participation voluntary?

Participation in this research is voluntary. You do not have to participate and have the option to leave the study at any point, or to not answer any survey question. If you complete any of the surveys, your views will still be taken into account, even if you are not able to, or would prefer not to, attend the in-person workshop.

We appreciate that islanders lead busy lives, but we hope that you will agree to participate in this study because of the important input you can bring to the project. We will invite all adult residents to take part individually, including all adults sharing a house. We will also be putting together a Research Advisory Group of external stakeholders and experts to consult during the study.

What will we do with the results?

During the study, we will keep you updated on the results of each round. We will also share these updates with policy officials, NatureScot and Scottish Ministers.

The study will produce a recommended, agreed set of conditions to be attached to any potential sale or transfer of the Castle, based on the views of Rum residents. This will allow the Scottish Government and NatureScot to pursue avenues of sale to progress the future of the castle.

Will the results be anonymous?

All responses received in the study will be strictly confidential, and your identity will be protected. We will not report any identifying information (e.g. name, job title), and any direct quotes used in the report will be anonymised. The final report will be shared with study participants and peer reviewed before it is published on the Scottish Government website. Please note that it is not possible to guarantee complete anonymity because of the relatively small sample size.

All data will be treated with full confidentiality and stored securely in a folder restricted to the project team. It will be deleted within 6 months of the final report being published. Your contact information will be stored securely and deleted once the research is finished. Please see the Privacy Notice for further information. We have also completed a Data Protection Impact Assessment which explains how project data is handled. This is available on request.

An Ethics Checklist has been completed for this project, which has met the ethical requirements of research projects within the Scottish Government.

How to take part

Thank you for taking the time to read this information sheet and for considering taking part in this research. The link to the Round 1 survey can be found in your invitation letter.

Contact information

If you have any questions or concerns about this research, please contact the project lead:

[Name], Rural Communities Research team

Rural and Environment Science & Analytical Services Division

Email: [Email address]

Mobile phone: [Phone number]

Privacy notice: Kinloch Castle Delphi study

About this privacy notice

This privacy notice explains how your personal data (e.g. any information that could identify you such as name and email address) collected for the purposes of this research will be used and handled. The Scottish Government is the “data controller” for this study, as Scottish Government researchers will be responsible for securely storing the data you provide and analysing it. You are being contacted about this study as we have identified you as an adult resident of Rum, or as a wider stakeholder with a relevant interest. A completed Data Protection Impact Assessment for this project is available on request.

Who are we?

Rural and Environment Science & Analytical Services Division (RESAS) is a Scottish Government department that is responsible for statistics and scientific, economic and social research on agriculture, food, environment and rural issues.

We have been asked to carry out this research by Scottish Ministers, to reach consensus amongst Rum residents on an agreed list of conditions of sale for Kinloch Castle.

What information do we collect about you?

If you agree to take part in the research, we will collect and process the following data about you:

• Contact details, including your name, address, email and telephone number;
• Demographic information including your job role and place of residence;
• Information you give in answering the surveys during rounds 1-3, relating to your views and opinions about potential conditions of sale for Kinloch Castle and its future.

What is our lawful basis for collecting and using your personal information?

Participation in this research is voluntary, and you can withdraw at any time. The legal basis for processing personal data is the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.

We are collecting this data in the performance of a public task, under Article 6(1)(e) of the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018), and in accordance with Section 4 of the Small Landholders (Scotland) Act 1911.

How will we use your information?

The information you provide in completing the survey will be analysed by Scottish Government researchers, and anonymously summarised in a written update following each round and in a final report. If you provide an email address, we will use this to send you the update on the previous round, and a copy of your survey answers, or to ask you for clarification if necessary.

Your personal information will be anonymised. This means any information that can directly identify you, such as your name or contact details, will not be included in any reports. We will share the summary and final reports with policy, NatureScot and other stakeholders including Scottish Ministers to update them on research progress. We will not share not any of your personal data with these groups. Any quotes used will be anonymous. This information will be used for research purposes only and dealt with in accordance with data protection legislation.

Who will we share your information with?

We will not share your personal information with any other groups. We share the final report with all participants, a Research Advisory Group including policy and NatureScot officials, and an external academic who will peer review the research. It will then be published on the Scottish Government website. The research data and any quotes will be anonymised in this report.

Will we send your information outside the UK?

No, we do not transfer your information outside the UK.

How long will we store your information?

We will administer 2-3 surveys online, using Microsoft Forms. The survey data will be stored electronically on the Scottish Government’s electronic Record and Document Management system (eRDM) with access restricted to the internal project team.

If we hold an in-person event, this will be recorded using a digital audio recorder and written notes will be taken during the session. These audio recordings will be also be stored securely on eRDM. They will be transcribed by an external transcription service and deleted once analysis is complete. We will retain your contact details, the survey data and any other information we collect until the project is complete. It will then be deleted within 6 months of the final report publication. The information will be stored on a secure server and in line with data protection legislation.

What are my rights in relation to the information held about me?

You have the right to request a copy of the personal data that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal data, you can find more information on how you can do this by visiting https://www.gov.scot/publications/subject-access-request-form/

We want to make sure that your personal data is accurate and up to date. You may ask us to correct or remove personal data you think is inaccurate.

Do I have a right to complain about the way information has been used?

If you have any questions about the research or a complaint about how we have handled your personal information, please get in touch with [RESAS contact email].

If this does not resolve your complaint, you can contact our Data Protection Officer by email at dataprotectionofficer@gov.scot.

However, you also have the right to lodge a complaint about data protection matters with the Information Commissioner's Office, who can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.

Or by phone on 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745. Visit their website for more information at: https://ico.org.uk/