'Hundreds' of families linked to Highland clan face losing memorials to loved ones in estate sale

Daily Record

16-07-2025

Cash-strapped Clan Donald Lands Trust (CDLT) is selling its estate on Skye, which includes a castle and historic lands of the Clan Donald.
Hundreds of families with ties to an ancient Scots clan face losing loved ones' memorials after their remaining lands were put up for sale.
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Cash-strapped Clan Donald Lands Trust (CDLT) is selling its South Sleat Estate on Skye, which includes a castle and historic lands of the Clan Donald.
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The estate, which covers much of the southern Sleat peninsula, has a guide price of almost £6.8million.
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The 40-acre Armadale Castle and surrounding gardens are being offered at a separate guide price of over £995,000.
But more than 100 families have paid for memorials in the gardens, ranging from the low hundreds to £7000.
At least 450 trees are said to have been planted in honour of lost relatives, as well as benches and wall plaques.
Morag McDonald, who has a bench in the gardens for her late Uncle George, said: "I feel a whole across the mixture of emotions for my from grief and sadness to anger.
"The lack of communication is just awful. There is a lack of integrity among the people running the Trust.
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"Apart from the fact there's a very emotive issue with the 450 memorial trees, the whole gardens are actually of global ecological interest because there are rare and protected species here.
"Now we've absolutely no idea what's going to happen to the trees.
"What is going to happen to the memorial plaques? Some of these cost thousands of pounds.
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"Then there's the benches. I presume the benches are just going to end up in a skip.
"It's the absolute abject disrespect that people are being treated with."
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Local man Rob Ware, who has planted four memorial trees for his late mum and dad, a granny and an uncle, accused the charity of 'a complete breach of trust'.
He told the Sunday Mail: "For me, it has always been a place of pilgrimage and a place of reflection of tranquility.
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"Because I don't have graveyards for my parents who were cremated, I've visited that place many times over the years, particularly when the gardens were open during winter.
"I liked to go up on Christmas morning and say a few words, and maybe in my mum's case, pour a wee dram across the tree.
"People bought these memorials in good faith and since the sale was announced, there has been absolutely no communication, as far as I'm aware, with anybody.
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"The question now is the uncertainty of that. Will some rich sheikh come along with £2.5million and buy the whole lot?'
As of last week, the Trust still had a live JustGiving crowdfunding page to help with the upkeep of the castle, gardens and Clan Centre museum within the grounds - despite all now being on the open market.
Estate agent Strutt and Parker listed seven lots for sale individually. The castle estate has a guide price of £2.76million.
The CLDT was set up in the early 1970s to take over what remained of the 800-year-old Clan's lands, once among the most powerful families in Scotland.
It announced in late March the sale of all its lands and properties due to financial challenges but has faced fierce opposition over claims Clan members and the local community in Sleat, Skye, weren't properly consulted.
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The Clan's High Chief Lord Godfrey Macdonald has said the loss of the Clan Centre in particular would be a 'tragedy' and a 'betrayal'.
CLDT CEO Alex Stoddart said: "The CDLT will ensure that the best possible solution will be found for any memorials that exist. The trees at Armadale are loved and cared for."
On the JustGiving page, he added: "It is entirely appropriate for a charity to look to raise funds for its charitable works which will be continuing. The donations page has been in operation for many years."