Top award for Castle Varrich

THE Castle Varrich restoration project (near Tongue) is one of only nine national and international winners of the AABC Conservation Award which will be presented at the 2019 Civic Trust Awards in Manchester in March.

The recognition comes for the sensitive restoration work carried out by Wildland Ltd to repair and preserve the historical Scottish monument, whose history, though little known, is thought to date as far back as the 11th century.

The castle is believed to have been the seat of the Clan MacKay of Sutherland.

Sitting on a high promontory overlooking the Kyle of Tongue, the castle is near the North Coast 500 route. Since its abandonment more than 200 years ago the castle has lain in a poor state of repair, exacerbated by exposure to wind and rain and its condition further deteriorated after a storm in 2015 took down its east wall.

In 2017, Wildland Ltd, with the support of Historic Environment Scotland, commissioned Edinburgh-based conservation architects Groves-Raines and Glasgow-based engineers David Narro Associates to assess the structure and propose repairs which would preserve this unique structure.

As well as repairing stone work, a free-standing steel staircase was added, which now allows visitors to enjoy previously inaccessible views from the upper level of the castle towards the beautiful surrounding landscape. During the restoration work the architectural history of the castle was able to be uncovered.

Leading conservation architect Nick Groves-Raines notes: "The building definitely had two floors; possibly a timber ground floor over the sloping bedrock (perhaps with a hatch to a store underneath) and an upper floor on a barrel vaulted arch. Given the thickness of the walls and the evidence of the timber roof structure, it is likely that the building used to have a parapet wall-walk."

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