Community / ‘Encouraging response’ to Brough Lodge sale
THE CHARITY behind the sale of an A-listed former laird’s home on a remote Shetland island says it has had several encouraging enquiries from potential investors since the property went on the market at the end of last year.
Brough Lodge, on the island of Fetlar, has an asking price in excess of £30,000 but needs investment of around £12 million to turn it into a “high quality retreat”.
Brough Lodge Trust has the ambition to see the 200-year-old building converted into an asset aimed at the admirers of Shetland’s textile heritage.
Meanwhile, some sections of the national and international media went into overdrive on Wednesday in reporting the sale – with some calling the lodge a “majestic castle”.
Some media even wrongly used a photo of Muness Castle on the neighbouring island of Unst to illustrate their coverage.
Trustee and spokesperson for the project, former councillor Drew Ratter, said: “Since the property was advertised towards the end of last year, we’ve had an encouraging response.
“Several potential investors have been in touch with our selling agents, Harper Macleod, some of them travelling to Fetlar to view the lodge and talk over the possibilities with trustees.
“One potential buyer has put forward a detailed proposal and we are exploring it with them, but we would nevertheless still be interested to hear from other philanthropic entrepreneurs, as we would wish to achieve the best possible outcome for both the building and the community in Fetlar.”
Made wind and watertight in 2014, Edinburgh-based Groves Raines Architects Studio came up with ambitious plans convert the building into a wellness retreat incorporating 24 bedrooms, meeting spaces and an elevated restaurant.
During 2022, the trust concluded that the best way forward was to sell the site and buildings to a philanthropic investor who shares its vision.
Fetlar has a resident population of about 60 and is two ferry journeys away from the Shetland mainland.
The property is advertised on the Harper Macleod website here.
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