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Can you really pay to become a Laird or Lady of Dunans Castle or is it a scam?
Does Dunans Castle exist?
I have read a number of articles from people claiming that buying a title at Dunans Castle is a scam and a lesser number writing that they believe that it isn't a scam. Given that people are more likely to write when they are unhappy about something, I don't believe that "Googling" Dunans Castle will give you the true picture. For a start, despite what some people say, Dunans Castle does exist although it is a ruin.
I believe that buying a title is not a scam if you understand what it is you are actually buying. A few years ago I paid the money and my wife became a Lady. She would probably claim that she has always been a lady but that is another matter. I had a friend who had become a "Lady" a few years previous and she had the certificate to prove it. I thought that it would be a bit of fun to buy a title as an additional birthday present but it was not until we visited the castle that I really understood what I had bought for my wife.
What are you buying?
To understand what I had bought, first I needed a history lesson. Being a Laird or Lady entitles you to have a tour of the grounds and to see and stand on your one square foot of land. As we were visiting Scotland in September 2021, we decided to visit "my wife's castle". Visits have to be pre-booked. Cars are to be parked in the small layby just off the road. You can not enter the grounds until the gate is opened by the guide. Some people's reviews say that they met with a cold reception from the guide. I don't know if their guide was having an off day or that he was expressing his feelings that they had broken the rules. I just know that, despite atrocious rain, our guide was very courteous, and very informative. We had obeyed the rules. Rules are important. After all, the castle is a building site and the bridge that some people had driven their cars over is part of the repairs that are being undertaken. As we walked through the grounds to my wife's land, the guide gave us a history lesson not just of the site but of the area generally and the politics of the clans that had influenced the site. I wish that I had recorded what he said. This is a very brief history of the site as far as I remember it. Any inaccuracies, I am sure, is because they are my recollections of what was said.
The first recorded dwelling on the site was about 1600. It was built by the Campbell clan and it had extensive grounds.
The Campbell Clan followed Bonnie Prince Charlie in his revolt against England. Defeat meant that the Campbell Clan lost the land. The Fletcher Clan bought the estate and lived in the castle until 1997 when it was sold.
The new owners converted the castle to a hotel but they did not implement fire regulations. This negated the insurance when, in 2001, a fire left the castle a ruin. The current owners purchased the site in 2003 and set about the restoration of the castle, bridge, and grounds. In 2007, the Scottish Lairds Project was set up to help pay for the restoration. It is through the Scottish Lairds Project that you can become a Laird of Lady.
What is a Laird?
It seems to me that part of the reason that some people see this as a scam is that they believe that a Scottish Laird is the Scottish equivalent of an English Lord. It is not. An English Lord has to do with nobility and peerage. Even after the ancestral home has long gone and they live in a small rented flat, they are still a Lord. A Scottish Laird is purely a landowner. If you buy a piece of land in Scotland then you are a Laird or Lady. If you sell the land you cease to be a landowner and therefore cease to be a Laird or Lady.
Do you really become a Laird or Lady?
The Scottish Lairds Project describes it as being a decorative title. When I "bought" the piece of land for my wife I paid Amazon £16 who passed the money on to the Scottish Lairds Project for restoration work. Normally when you buy land, contracts are drawn up and solicitors are involved. None of this happens when you buy your square foot. The way that I see this scheme is that when you pay your money, the only thing that you are really buying is that you are buying into a vision of what Dunans Castle and grounds can become. Becoming a "Laird or Lady" is just a fun way of doing it.
Should you pay to become a Laird or Lady?
I believe that the Scottish Lairds Project is a worthy one. I would like to see Dunans Castle and grounds restored and the project should be supported. I paid £16 for the title, but to be honest, I would have willingly paid the £16 for the enjoyable afternoon's tour of the grounds. I just wish the weather had been better.
How do you become a Laird or Lady?
You can buy a Laird or Lady title through Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
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