The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay visit Dunvegan Castle & Gardens
Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod, 30th Chief of Clan MacLeod, hosted a Royal visit to his ancestral home on the 16th September 2021. TRH The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay came to view the results of thirteen years of major investment in numerous restoration projects and improvements to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens.
The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay began their tour in the Walled Garden, where they were greeted by Hugh MacLeod, who presented his partner, Miss Lucy Howard-Taylor, and members of the castle gardening team. Their Royal Highnesses were invited to view the ‘Dunvegan Pebble’ sculpture by David Worthington, a 2.7-ton rotating carved piece of Carrara marble.
Ingrid Galbraith, Head Gardener, and former retired Head Gardener, David MacLean, accompanied Their Royal Highnesses around the three formal areas of the castle gardens, explaining the design rationale behind the new landscaping works and improvements which have been implemented since 2008, when Hugh MacLeod assumed management of the MacLeod Estate.
In the castle, Their Royal Highnesses viewed the extensive interior restoration programme that has been undertaken in all the public areas of Dunvegan Castle since 2008, largely completed inhouse by Hugh MacLeod and his team. They were presented to members of the castle guiding staff who recounted some of the unique legends of the Clan MacLeod including the famous mystical origins of the ‘Fairy Flag of Dunvegan’ and some other highlights of Dunvegan Castle’s extensive collection which spans 800 years of Highland history. Musicians from the Gaelic College entertained HRH The Duke of Rothesay with a short recital in the castle’s dining room.
The Royal tour ended on the castle’s Gun Court, where Hugh MacLeod and The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay spent some time discussing the challenging conservation issues facing historic buildings, and in Hugh’s case, the perpetual task of rendering Dunvegan Castle “Skye-proof” in Skye’s unforgiving climate. HRH The Duke of Rothesay presented an MBE to Mrs Pat Walsh who was accompanied by her family and friends.
Hugh MacLeod and his partner, Lucy Howard-Taylor, presented Their Royal Highnesses with gifts and they kindly signed the visitor’s book before thanking their hosts for an enjoyable visit.
Hugh MacLeod said, “It was a great pleasure to welcome Their Royal Highnesses, the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, to Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, and to have an opportunity to show them the fruits of all the hard work the estate staff and our dedicated team of external contractors have put in over the last thirteen years. Thanks to this Herculean investment and collective effort, Dunvegan Castle is now an award-winning heritage attraction with a mission to preserve, develop and share this iconic place with our visitors. Since Dunvegan Castle was first opened to the public by Sir Reginald MacLeod (27th Chief) in 1933, we have extended our trademark warm Highland welcome to millions of visitors, and this has had the beneficial ripple effect of supporting many other businesses in our remote island community.”
Pictured at Dunvegan Castle & Gardens, TRH The Duke and Duchess of Rothesay with Hugh MacLeod of MacLeod, 30th Chief of Clan MacLeod and Estate Director, his partner Miss Lucy Howard-Taylor, members of the MacLeod Estate team, Mrs Joanie Whiteford, Lord-Lieutenant, musicians from the Gaelic College and Mrs Pat Walsh who received an MBE from HRH The Duke of Rothesay at Dunvegan. Photographs by Rosie Woodhouse.
Note to Editors
Dunvegan Castle & Gardens is at the heart of the 41,000-acre MacLeod Estate on the Isle of Skye. As the ancestral home of the Chief of clan MacLeod for 800 years, it is a major heritage attraction and key driver of economic growth on the Isle of Skye, acting as a magnet for an average 170,000 visitors each year. With a strong historic track record of investing in this fragile economic area, Dunvegan Castle underpins both the community and local economy of the Isle of Skye and is well known throughout the world.
Before the pandemic hit, the MacLeod Estate contributed an average of £900,000 annually through a combination of employment and purchase of local goods and services, and since 2008 alone, it has contributed £8.3m to the Skye economy and over £12m to the Scottish economy. It is also one of the island’s largest private sector employers with around 40 employees, 14 of whom are permanent. Award winning 5* Dunvegan Castle & Gardens came 18 out of the Top 20 Paid Admission Attractions in Scotland according to figures released by the Moffat Centre, and most recently, won the 2019 Historic Houses Restoration Award.