A Florida sea captain spent 3 years searching for a Scottish castle; he bought one built after a family feud and said to be haunted

A Florida sea captain has bought one of Scotland's unusual castles after a three-year search for the right property. Lance Holmquist and his wife, Suzanne, purchased Carbisdale Castle in Sutherland for just under £3.9 million, describing their first visit to the Highland landmark as love at first sight, according to the BBC. The castle is known as the “Castle of Spite” because of the family dispute surrounding its construction, and it is also said to be haunted by a ghost called Betty. Lance has spent 44 years in the maritime industry, including more than 30 as a captain based in Key Largo, Florida, while Suzanne, who was born in London and grew up in Glasgow, runs a boat charter business with him and previously worked as a TV editor before moving to the United States about 25 years ago.How Lance and Suzanne Holmquist found Carbisdale Castle after 3 years searching Ireland and ScotlandThe couple had been looking to buy a castle in Ireland or Scotland for about three years before discovering Carbisdale. Suzanne said Lance loved the countryside in Ireland, so she suggested he visit the Scottish Highlands as well. They looked at several properties but repeatedly found they were too late to act on places they liked. Then they saw Carbisdale. Suzanne said they fell in love with the castle on their first day there, after they returned for a viewing a few months after discovering it. Lance, a self-confessed fan of castles and old pirate stories, had long wanted to own one. The couple plan to begin by offering the castle for short-term stays before developing it into a boutique hotel. Law firm Thorntons' Inverness team advised on the acquisition, while their friend David Walton became a 10% investment partner.The Castle of Spite: how a family feud shaped Carbisdale Castle and its 3-faced clock towerCarbisdale Castle was built in the early 20th century for Mary Caroline, the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland, following a dispute over her late husband's estate. The Highland Historic Environment Record dates the building to 1907. The settlement following the dispute allowed the Duchess to have a residence built outside the Sutherland family's estate. Carbisdale was constructed on a hillside in a position from which it could be seen from Sutherland. The location later became associated with the nickname “Castle of Spite”, reflecting the long-standing story that the Duchess chose the site to spite her husband's family. The castle's clock tower has clock faces on three sides, with the side facing Sutherland left blank. It has traditionally been said that this was a snub to her former in-laws, with the blank side linked to the story that she did not want to give them the time of day. That explanation is part of the castle's long-running folklore rather than a documented statement of the Duchess's motive. Carbisdale is a Category B-listed building. It later passed to the Norwegian Salvesen family and was used as a refuge for members of the Norwegian royal family during the Second World War. In 1945, it was given to the Scottish Youth Hostels Association and operated as a youth hostel until 2011, when it closed amid the need for repairs.What comes next for Carbisdale Castle, from short-term lets to a boutique hotelThe Holmquists plan to begin by offering the castle for short-term stays before developing it into a boutique hotel. The couple have said they want the venture to preserve the history of the property and its surroundings. Suzanne said each of the castle's windows has its own story. The couple have also received messages of welcome from the local community, while Lance plans to continue running his charter business in Florida. Lance joked that after decades of Florida sunshine, Scottish weather could mean finally wearing a jumper. He also said he was looking forward to seeing his first deer in the Highlands and joked that his love of boats could lead him to take a small rowing boat onto a nearby loch. In Florida, he is used to encounters with manatees, which are also known as sea cows.You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.