Amhuinnsuidhe Castle

Amhuinnsuidhe Castle is a remote baronial mansion on the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles. The Mansion was originally called Fincastle, and was a new foundation in 1867 erected for Charles Murray, the 7th Earl of Dunmore, to a design by David Bryce. It was built upon land purchased by the 5th earl in 1834, and is sited on a narrow strip of land between coastal rocks and the shore – and the public road runs across the front of it. The building was built in several phases, starting at the north-western end with a faux square tower-keep of four storeys with a rectangular three-storey block offset and to the north. A second three-storey wing on the eastern side made the main building roughly L-shaped, perhaps with lower buildings to the rear. The whole of this building was provided with crow-stepped gables and crenellation, together with open round bartizans. Soon afterwards this was extended further to the east with a T-shaped wing of two storeys and an attic.

Oddly, the castle was sold in 1868 to the banker Sir Edward Scott, and was inherited by his son Sir Samuel. Subsequently the castle changed hands several times, remaining in private hands until 2003. The Guardian reported the following – “With a handshake and a whisky toast, residents on the Hebridean island of Harris secured their future yesterday, buying the land they live on from its millionaire owner. The 800-strong community paid more than £2m for 9,000 hectares (22,000 acres) of the Amhuinnsuidhe estate, which was put on the market last year by the cider heir Jonathan Bulmer.” Although the estate passed into community ownership, the castle and fishing rights were purchased by the Amhuinnsuidhe Castle Estate. Today the castle is run as a luxury hotel and venue. I have contacted the estate to ask permission to use the image from their website, but have had no response.

Amhuinnsuidhe Castle Estate website

HES Canmore database entry