The Scotts - Successors of the Castle - Very Generous
Sir Edward and Lady Emily Scott and other Scotts were successors of the castle and indeed throughout their time they seem to have made quite a success of the catle. House guest were non paying and as the Scotts were very generous, any game or fish left over from their sporting activities were given out to the locals.

1869 - Delivery Of Officisal Government Mail
The Post Office records in Stornoway show that whenever Lord de Grey ( A member of the Cabinet at that time ) was staying at Fincastle, a messenger would be sent on horseback from Stornoway twice a week to deliver official government mail down to the Castle. The postman was paid ten shillings a week and if he stayed overnight, he was entitled to a further one shilling and sixpence.

Lord Leverhulme Purchased The Castle - 1919
Sir Edward Scott had a son, Sir Samuel Scott - his wife was Lady Sophie. During their time at the Castle Lord Leverhulme purchased South Harris in May 1919. One month later he purchased the North Harris Estate, including the Castle, for the sum of £20,000. Sir Samuel retained a 15-year lease of the Castle at a nominal rent of £l a year. Lord Leverhulme was then the biggest private landowner in the kingdom.

Amhuinsuidhe Castle Auctioned Upon Lord Leverhulmes Death - 1925

When Lord Leverhulme died in 1925, his lands and property were auctioned, The Castle at Amhuimsuidhe, together with Ardvouilie Castle, the Harris Hotel and 6000 acres of land, fetched only £2000.

The Scotts Cairn - 1938
Sir Samuel Scott was then able to purchase back the Castle, and the North Harris Estate for around £1,500. Lady Sophie died in 1937 at only 57 years old. Sir Samuel owned the Castle until he died in 1944 - he was 64 when he died. Sir Samuel and Lady Sophie were buried in a a cairn on a hill behind the Castle. This cairn was built in 1938 by Alex Morrison of Tarbert and Alexander Mackay of Amhuinnsuidhe. It was built with four burial chambers, but only two of these were used.

1944 - Sir Tommy Sopwith Owns the Castle
In 1944 Sir Tommy Sopwith and his wife, Lady Phyllis bought the castle and the estate for around £40,000. Sir Tommy was an aeronautical tycoon. By now there was a reasonable road past the Castle, and most supplies were brought in by road rather than by boat. Sir Tommy sold the Estate in 1961. At the great age of 100 he decided to visit the esate and castle to pay his respects and he died a year later - no doubt a happy man for having seen it all again

1961 Major Potter Milller-Mundy - Captain Lowndy buys the Castle and the Estate
This time the North Harris Estate was bought for £80,000 and this was the first time that the castle and estate were used for commercial purposes, guests paying to stay at the castle and hunt and fish

1968 Sir Hereward and Ladwake purchase the Castle

In 1968, the Estate was bought by Sir Hereward and Ladwake for £120,000. They also ran it as a commercial enterprise, letting the Castle, the fishing and the shooting. Thet tried to have the main road re-routed behind the Castle. The West Highland Free Press forced this scheme to be abandoned and the road was left where you still say it today. It really is quite unusual that vehicles have to actually drive through the grounds in order to proceed on their journey either to or from Huisinis

1976 Gerald Panchaud buys the Estate

Gerald Panchaud a businessman from Switzerland and his wife purchased the estate next in 1976. . After his death, his wife ran the estate for a while but then sold it two years later. When she sold

the estate, she kept ownership of an area of land, together with the mineral rights, on the shores of Loch Seaforth.

Click Images for Larger Pictures
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle - huisinis road Isle of Harris		Amhuinnsuidhe Castle
Amhuinnsuidhe Castle - huisinis road Isle of Harris		Amhuinnsuidhe Castle Scenery Nearby

1994 Sir John Bulmer Purchases the Castle and Estate

In 1994, the North Harris Estate was purchased by Jonathon Bulmer and his wife. Mr Bulmer was a major shareholder in the family cider company Lady Marcia who was the countess and late Earl Granville from North Uist - and a cousin of the queen. Her father owned much of the land in North Uist. The two biggest landowners for miles were suddenly one big, very powerful family

This lady was infact the lady who is said to have broken Prince Andrews heart. HOwever Prince Andrew went on to marry Satah Ferguson in the same year as the Lady Marcia married John Bulmer.

1997 - Hello Magazine did a photoshoot
Hello! magazine turned up for the photoshoot in 1997 and the Bulmers now had children and a pretty "family" picture was portayed

The Castle was still rented to sporting parties but they also made one wing of the Castle into a family home for themselves and their children, who attended the local school.

Lady Marcia it has been said had grown close to a 25-year-old trainee doctor Charles Cossart, who had worked at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle before transferring to the North Uist estate now owned by her brother Fergus, the new Earl Granville. In February 1997 Charles was found dead with a shotgun by his side. Persistent speculation on North Uist suggested he was driven to suicide by his love for Lady Marcia although Charles' father always maintained that although there was indeed a great friendshop between the families - there was never anything else going on.

1998 Lady Marcia Moves Out of the Castle

It is said that Lady Marcia was really distraught iver Charles death and at any event in 1998 she moved out of Amhuinnsuide castle and took her four children to live in an old schollhouse on North Uist which her brother had bought for her. (Another sad demise for the castle)

Bulmer was so unhappy and filled with grief and when he could convince her to return he unfortunately sank into alcohol and depression for a period although he did manage to come out of this depression eventually

Castle Cook - TV Programme and Book - Rosemaet Shrager During the Bulmers stay at the Castle, they would hold musical evenings, with musicians being brought in from many parts of the country. They invited local people to enjoy these musical evenings. Cookery classes were offered for paying guests and later the castle cook. Rosemary Shrager went on to host a popular television series called 'Castle Cook'. She was Head Chef at the castle from 1998 till 2002 and enjoyed the Cookery TV programmes. In 2000, TV production company Wall to Wall filmed six students taking part in one of Rosemary's cookery courses. The six part series, Rosemary - Castle Cook was broadcast on Channel 5 in January 2001. She published her first book, Rosemary - Castle Cook in 2001 and enjoyed well earned fame.

2003 Residents of North Harris along with Ian Scarr-Hall Purchase the Estate
The castle, overlooking the Castaway island of Taransay, attracted foreign interest, and prompted politicians in the Scottish Parliament to suggest a community buy-out

The 55,000 acre North Harris Estate was purchased for the sum of £4.5 million in a joint bid by the residents of North Harris and a businessman, Ian Scarr-Hall. As well as the land, the residents bought the mineral and shooting rights. The shooting rights were then leased back to Mr Scarr-Hall. He paid an

estimated £2 million for the castle and the attendant fishing rights. Mr Scarr-Hall works with the community and also runs the Castle as a residential sporting and corporate business estate. This deal was acknowledged as Scotland's biggest friendly buy-out