A care home left empty since it closed 17 years ago could have a new lease of life as castle owners plan to turn it into a new holiday destination.
Hempriggs House is a 20-bedroom house two miles south of Wick just off the A99.
The 17th century building has been empty since the private care home was closed back in 2007, and its remaining residents sent elsewhere.
A new holiday destination?
The application was submitted by Laura Riley, 61, and Hempriggs landowner Martyn Riley, 61, who live at Fordyce Castle between Cullen and Portsoy.
In the planning documents, the applicants say the plan will “return the house to original historic use”.
They have turned a portion of their current castle property into five-star self-catered holiday accommodation.
Whether Hempriggs House could ultimately become a new accommodation option for travellers and tourists along the A99 remains to be seen, however.
What is the history of Hempriggs House?
Originally known as Tolstone house, it was built in 1692 by William Dunbar.
It remained under Dunbar family ownership until 1982.
The site was renamed Hempriggs House after the Dunbar family’s connections to a now removed Hempriggs Castle on the Moray coast.
The property was latterly known as Hempriggs Residential Home.
It received numerous threats of closure until it finally closed its doors in 2007, laying empty ever since.
What are the plans?
Plans have been submitted to Highland Council, with applicants asking to turn it back into a house.
According to the planning documents, there will be no changes to the layout of the property itself.
The current layout features seven bedrooms on the ground floor and thirteen on the first floor.
External buildings on the site include a gardener’s cottage and outbuildings which were authorised to be turned into holiday accommodation already back in 2005.
A public consultation date for the planning application has been set for the 23rd of August.
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