A HOUSE where Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to in Skye following his failed Jacobite rising has been sold by a clan trust after they were gifted the property.
Kingsburgh House at Snizort, Skye, has reportedly been sold by the Clan Donald Lands Trust, who are also trying to controversially sell off the historic home of the MacDonalds of Sleat, which includes Armadale Castle and the 20,000-acre estate, citing that the decision is due to financial challenges.
The original Kingsburgh House is where Bonnie Prince Charlie and Flora MacDonald fled after the Jacobite leader escaped from the mainland following his defeat at the Battle of Culloden.
The property, which was rebuilt in the 19th Century, now lies in a dilapidated state and was given to the Donald Trust following the death of its owner, Amelia Colbourne, in 2021.
The trust reportedly said it had hoped to restore the historic building as a heritage asset, but due to the poor condition of the building it meant restoring it would cost around £2 million.
Kingsburgh House, which comes with 13 acres of land and overlooks Loch Snizort, went on the market for offers over £295,000 earlier this year.
Lois MacDonell, former president of the Clan Donald Society of Scotland, speaking in a personal capacity, told The Scotsman: “The trust did not communicate at all with the Clan Donald Society about the sale. It is just something else that we weren't aware of.”
Similar claims have been made about the Trust from its clan members around Armadale Castle and the 20,000-acre estate, which also went up for sale in March.
At the time, Dr Andy Williamson, chair of the Sleat Community Council, said the community had no idea that the decision was being made but added that he was not “overly surprised” by the lack of consultation.
The estate, which covers most of the island's southern Sleat peninsula, is used by tenant crofters and farmers. The future of those who work in the visitor centre or on the estate is currently uncertain.
Kingsburgh House dates to the 1700s and was the original home to Flora and her husband, MacDonald of Kingsburgh, the head of the local cadet branch under Clan Chief Macdonald of Sleat.
It was where fugitive Prince Charles Edward Stuart, disguised as Flora’s maid Betty Burke, took refuge after they landed from Benbecula on June 29, 1746.
The property has long been on the Buildings At Risk register, although the occupied wing lived in by Colbourne was not covered by the designation.
Alex Stoddart, chief executive of the Clan Donald Lands Trust, said there were no restrictions placed on the bequest and that it had been hoped to restore the property.
He added: “Subsequent structural investigations estimated renovations at over £2m. This was as a result of disrepair after decades neglect. CDLT did not have the necessary funds.
“The trustees decided unanimously to sell Kingsburgh and enable someone with better resources to take on the redevelopment project.
“As a CDLT asset, there was no legal requirement to consult anyone else on the sale. In any case, a consultation with the Clan Donald Society of Scotland, or any other interest group, would not have changed the outcome, given that there was no alternative for the charity but to sell the property.
“Savills were instructed to conduct an open market sale in March 2024. The marketing of the property was very public, featuring in the national and international press.
“After a significant amount of interest, an offer was accepted and the sale concluded this month. The proceeds of the sale will be used in the administration of the charity’s ongoing operations.”
