Kinloch Castle Study: Final report

Round 1 survey

This research aims to reach consensus on suitable conditions of sale for Kinloch Castle.

This Round 1 survey will ask for your views on what should be considered as part of the sale of the castle, in terms of its future use and potential impacts on the community.

This survey should take around 10-15 minutes to complete. Further information about the study can be found in the Information Sheet included in your research invitation.

If you have any questions, please contact [RESAS contact email]

How is confidentiality maintained?

We will ask you to provide an email address only for the purpose of sharing the Round 1 summary report with you. We may also contact you to ask for clarification on your responses.

All responses will be strictly confidential, and your identity will be protected. Further information can be found in the Privacy Notice.

This can be accessed here: Rural and environmental science and analytical services: privacy notices and general data protection regulation

Screening questions:

1. Please enter your unique participant code:

(This can be found in your research invitation letter)

2. Are you an adult resident of Rum (aged 18 years and over)?

• Yes
• No

Section 1 – Kinloch Castle

3. To what extent do you agree that Kinloch Castle should be sold, in order to be redeveloped and brought back into operational use?

1. Strongly agree

2. Agree

3. Neutral

4. Disagree

5. Strongly disagree

4. Overall, what impact do you think the sale, redevelopment and operational use of Kinloch Castle will have on the Rum community?

1. Very positive

2. Positive

3. Neutral

4. Negative

5. Very negative

5. There are a number of options for the future use of the castle building and the surrounding land.

Please rank these in order of preference, from your most preferred (1) to least (5) preferred option:

(Use the arrows on the right, or click and drag the options into your preferred order)

1. Commercial use

2. Public use

3. Private use

4. Mixed use

5. Other

6. The next section of the survey will ask about your views on the sale of the castle. Is there anything you would like us to take into account, in terms of the future use of the castle?

Open response.

Section 2 – Sale of the castle

7. Kinloch castle and the immediate surrounding land is currently owned by NatureScot. Any sale may also include additional buildings and land. NatureScot has sought professional Estate Agency advice on the minimum land which would be acceptable to potential buyers, as shown in blue on the map below.

To what extent do you agree that the following should be included in the sale of Kinloch Castle, in addition to the main castle building?

(Answer options: 1. Strongly agree; 2. Agree; 3. Neutral; 4. Disagree; 5. Strongly disagree)

• Access road
• Walled garden
• Old Dairy
• Steading
• Gazebo
• Squash court
• Workshop / Byre and carpenters shed

8. Are there any other buildings or facilities you are aware of that could be included in the sale, and should be taken into account? [Open response]

Section 3 – Conditions of sale

Any sale of Kinloch Castle will involve some degree of redevelopment, conservation and negotiation around public access to the building and surrounding land.

The aim of this research is to reach consensus among island residents on an agreed list of suitable conditions of sale. In the Round 2 survey, we will ask you to rate a list of potential conditions of sale by importance, based on the answers we receive to this next question.

Here is a list of suggested conditions of sale:

• Redevelopment of the castle building
• Maintain use of access road
• Access rights (front of castle)
• Active community involvement
• Contribution to the sustainability of the Rum community
• Contribution to enhancing nature on Rum, promotion and encouragement of its enjoyment, and interest in the island.
• Minimising the carbon footprint and environmental impact from the use of the castle
• Adherence to the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement

The Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement can be found online here: Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

9. What conditions would you like to see attached to any sale of Kinloch Castle?

[Open response]

10. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

[Open response]

End of the survey

Thank you for taking part in the first round of this research. We will share an anonymous summary of the results with you before we send out the Round 2 survey.

We may also contact you to ask for clarification on your responses.

Please enter the email address you would like us to send this to: