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Duntarvie Castle is an ancient castle in West Lothian on the A8020 next to the M9 between Kirkliston and Linlithgow . It is owned by an Edinburgh businessman and it is undergoing a program of renovation . He has now decided to sell the castle for possible use as a hotel or business headquarters. Castles for sale Update April 2004 nearly 400 years it has stood proudly on the edge of the West Lothian village of Winchburgh. But now a blunder by the Scottish Executive has "moved" historic Duntarvie Castle more than 15 miles into neighbouring Midlothian. Officials at the Executive’s Inquiry Reporters Unit have got the address wrong in court papers calling in plans to redevelop the historic home of Scotland’s royal tailors. They also attributed the development plan to the wrong company. The castle’s owner, Edinburgh-based kiltmaker Geoffrey Nicholsby, 57, said he was now seeking a judicial review of the whole process in the Court of Session. A planned public inquiry into his plans to convert Duntarvie into an exclusive shopping hideaway for celebrities has been cancelled pending the review. Mr Nicholsby had been given the go-ahead by council chiefs in West Lothian last year to transform Duntarvie Castle, near Winchburgh, into an upmarket getaway complete with helipad, where famous customers can have kilts fitted in the lap of luxury. But ministers called in the plans after Historic Scotland voiced concern about the effect they would have on the castle and its sensitive archaeological surroundings. West Lothian councillors backed Mr Nicholsby’s idea, despite warnings from planning chiefs that they were "so fundamentally different from approved uses as to make them unacceptable". But Mr Nicholsby, who owns Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers on the Royal Mile, today said "ridiculous" complaints had cost him time and money and that the proposed inquiry was a waste of public cash. He said: "I am really annoyed that this went to a public inquiry in the first place, it’s ridiculous. "The Scottish Executive wrongly served us with a notification that they were calling the application in. They didn’t know where Duntarvie Castle was and they also got the name of the company wrong and got mixed up with their dates. "The only objector was Historic Scotland, but they’ve already given us permission to develop the castle as a hotel and conference centre." The Scottish Executive mistakenly referred to the firm as Geoffrey (Tailor) Highland Crafts Ltd - as opposed to the shop’s registered name of Geoffrey (Tailor) Highland Outfits Ltd. But in fact, it was another company owned by Mr Nicholsby - G&L Enterprises - which proposed the castle project. A Scottish Executive spokesman confirmed that papers lodged for the public inquiry into Duntarvie Castle had featured spelling mistakes and had wrongly given the address as Midlothian. The spokesman said: "We are aware the applicant has asked for a judicial review and we await further information." And a spokeswoman for Historic Scotland said they were now in the process of trying to find a "compromise" with Mr Nicholsby over their objections. Mr Nicholsby plans to have around eight suites available for those who wish to stay in the castle along with directors’ offices for his corporate headquarters, retail premises and manufacturing facilities. Past customers of Mr Nicholsby include Robbie Williams, Sir Sean Connery, Mel Gibson, Joan Collins and Bo Derek. Duntarvie, in the Hopetoun estate , was given a Royal Charter by Mary Queen of Scots to become the base of royal tailors copyright The Scotsman |
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