A multi-millionaire has pulled out of the purchase of a crumbling Scots island castle after blasting the Scottish Greens for making it "horrible".
Kinloch Castle on the Isle Rum, Inner Hebrides, has been owned by heritage body Nature Scot since 1957. Businessman Jeremy Hosking, 64, was in negotiations the buy the 19th century castle - which was used as a youth hostel until 2015 - in the hope to run it as a hotel.
It is thought that repairs of up to £10million are needed to save the building from further ruin and NatureScot said the proposed sale to Mr Hosking - whose fortune is valued at £385million - signalled a sustainable future for the castle free from the public purse. Jeremy Hosking, a city financier and former Conservative Party donor, was in late-stage negotiations to buy the 19th-century pile and turn it into a hotel.
But he has now pulled out following intervention by Green MSP Lorna Slater, minister for biodiversity, who paused the sale in November after a number of concerns were made by islanders, including access to land surrounding the castle. A new owner has been sought for the castle for at least 20 years.
Mr Hosking said he no longer wanted to participate in the sale process because it was "so horrible". He said: "I understand it is the minister that decides and it's her prerogative, but her actions have consequences.
"I'm not prepared to be pushed around any more. They have to find another buyer. I have tried to speak to Miss Slater but got no reply. Enough is enough.
"Of course, I am handing the anarchy head this great victory because we are now back to where we were five years ago, and the castle is five years older. And it's the Greens who have completely crushed a conservation project. It's unbelievable."
Previously run as a hostel, the deteriorating castle has been closed to the public since 2015, with the building now requiring repairs of between £5 million and £10m to save it from further ruin. A statement from the Isle of Rum Development Trust (IRCT) said Mr Hosking's decision was "disappointing".
The trust added: "Over the last eight months, we have made a number of, we feel, reasonable requests to the proposed buyer (and the seller) relating to the possible positive and negative impacts on Rum of these proposals. None of these have been substantially answered. This has been unfortunate."
Since the sale was paused, IRCT has been working with the Scottish Land Commission and NatureScot on the future governance of Kinloch Castle.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The minister intends to meet with them to discuss this work when it is complete.
"She is also happy to meet with any potential buyers at the right point in the process."
Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
