Discover Dunans Castle: A tale about preservation in the Scottish Highlands

Dunans Castle, the ancestral seat of the Fletcher clan set in the stunning Scottish Highlands, was ravaged by a fire in 2001, causing much damage to the 18th- and 19th-century structure. But in 2002, Charles Dixon-Spain and his wife, Sadie, happened to drive down the country lane and discovered the castle. Seeing beauty in the ruins, they determined to acquire it and have since set upon a course of preservation and restoration.

Charles will be joining us from the castle in Scotland, where he now lives with his family. He will regale us with tales from his restoration adventure, which has been filled with surprises, disappointment, hurdles, and celebrations as he, along with volunteers from the non-profit, Adventures in Preservation, bring Dunans Castle back to its glory!

Charles Dixon-Spain lives with his wife, Sadie, and two teenage offspring in Dunans house, which is attached to Dunans Castle which in turn is found on the Cowal Peninsula on the West Coast of Scotland. Since 2003 the couple have worked to restore the building and its A-listed, Thomas-Telford-designed bridge. Charles holds an MA in New Literatures in English from Hull University, spent a decade in publishing, graphic design and web development before moving to Scotland where he ran a marketing and new media consultancy until the ScottishLaird project took over. During the last decade and a half Charles has worked exclusively on the renovation project and the associated business which now also incorporates forestry, online retail and sustainable tourism.