A Scottish castle once shaped by a family dispute is about to begin another chapter, this time under the ownership of an American couple with a history of bringing old attractions back to life. According to the Scottish Licensed Trade News, Suzanne and Lance Holmquist have bought Carbisdale Castle in Sutherland for just under £3.9 million, with plans to turn parts of the Grade A-listed property into a boutique hotel. For Suzanne, the purchase also has a personal connection. She grew up in Glasgow before moving to the United States, where she and Lance built a tourism business in the Florida Keys. The couple are already familiar with ambitious restoration work. They previously helped revive The African Queen, the 1912 steam launch made famous by Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. Now their attention has shifted from a historic boat to a Highland castle, with short-term stays planned first and a larger hotel intended to follow.
How a Florida couple ended up buying a Scottish castle
Suzanne Holmquist left Scotland for the United States after beginning her career as a television editor. She eventually settled in the Florida Keys, where she and her husband built a tourism business around the water.According to The Press and Journal, Lance had arrived in Key Largo in 1988, after years spent surfing and working in diving businesses, including time around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The couple have been married for two decades and have three children. Their business, Calypso Sailing, operates sailing trips, catamaran charters and private cruises around Key Largo and Key West.Scotland, however, never disappeared from Suzanne’s life. She continued travelling back and forth and retained an interest in the country’s historic buildings. The search for Carbisdale began after a different castle caught her attention, only for her to discover that it had already been sold.That disappointment appears to have turned into a much longer search. Suzanne eventually found Carbisdale, a property with enough space and history to fit what she had been looking for. She and Lance spent months working towards the purchase, alongside a 10% partner, before completing the deal.Their immediate focus is not a full restoration of the building. They want to get guests through the doors first.
The restoration project that prepared them for Carbisdale
The castle is not the first ambitious restoration project the Holmquists have taken on. Their earlier project was considerably smaller in scale, but it carried a name recognised far beyond the Florida Keys.The couple took on the restoration of The African Queen, the 1912 steam launch used by Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn in the 1951 film of the same name.The vessel had originally been built in England as the S/L Livingstone. Before becoming a piece of cinema history, it was used in East Africa to carry missionaries, goods and hunting parties along inland waterways.After its film career, the boat continued changing hands and eventually deteriorated. Reportedly, in 2012, the Holmquists entered into a long-term lease and began bringing it back into working condition.The restoration involved replacing parts of the hull and installing a new boiler, while retaining the character associated with the vessel seen on screen. Once the work was completed, The African Queen returned to service in Key Largo, where it is now used for cruises and private charters.The couple also became involved in the Humphrey Bogart Film Festival, extending their interest in the film beyond the boat itself.Carbisdale is a considerably different proposition. This time, they have a large historic building rather than a 1912 launch to bring back into active use.
The ‘Castle of Spite’ has changed roles many times
Carbisdale Castle was constructed in the early 20th century for the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland. Building work took place between 1905 and 1917, although sources give slightly different dates within that period, as reported by The Scottish Licensed Trade News.Its unusual local nickname, the ‘Castle of Spite’, comes from the family tensions surrounding its construction. The building was intended as a home for the Duchess following a dispute within the Sutherland family, giving the castle a backstory that is almost as well known locally as its architecture.The property was used as a private residence before becoming associated with the Second World War and later spending more than 60 years as a youth hostel. It eventually returned to private ownership.Lady Carbisdale, its previous owner, carried out substantial restoration work and spent millions of pounds on the property. Her decision to sell came with the recognition that the next stage would require someone prepared to take the building into a more commercial future.
PC: The Press and Journal
The couple’s plans go beyond rooms to create a Scottish experience
The couple’s plan is to move gradually rather than attempt to complete every part of the property at once.Their first target is short-term accommodation for up to 19 guests. They hope to have that operating within a month of the purchase. Within roughly a year, the intention is to have a boutique hotel with as many as 14 rooms.There is more space available beyond that initial phase. A further 20 rooms in an unrenovated wing have been identified for possible future development, although those plans are further down the line.Suzanne has spoken of creating a high-tea operation inside the castle, using an upstairs dining room as a tribute to the Duchess who commissioned the building. She is also considering a house whisky, with ‘Skull Scotch’ among the names being explored, a reference to Lance’s seafaring background.“There’s an upstairs dining room which I’m going to create as a homage to the Duchess who built this castle.”
PC: The Press and Journal
The Holmquists are turning Carbisdale into a family affair
The Holmquists are treating Carbisdale as a family business rather than a project that will sit separately from their lives in Florida.Their two daughters are at university in Florida and are expected to contribute to marketing and social media. Their 11-year-old son will attend a local school in Scotland.Lance is also expected to keep running the couple’s boating business in Florida, although they are reducing its scale as the family takes on the castle. That arrangement leaves the couple with businesses on opposite sides of the Atlantic, at least for the time being.Suzanne has also made clear that the family wants to establish links with people living around Carbisdale rather than operate as an isolated private venture. Jobs created through the hotel are expected to form part of the local economic contribution, while the property itself will become more accessible to visitors.
A new commercial future is taking shape at Carbisdale Castle
The purchase gives Carbisdale Castle a commercial future after years in which its use has shifted from family home to wartime refuge, hostel and private estate.The Holmquists are bringing experience from a very different tourism market, but the African Queen restoration gives some indication of how they approach historic properties. Their Florida business has also given them experience in hospitality and attracting visitors.The castle will require considerably more work before the full hotel vision is realised. For the moment, the first stage is straightforward: prepare part of the building for guests, begin operating short-term stays and work towards the larger hotel.Suzanne’s connection to Scotland adds another dimension to the purchase. She left Glasgow years ago, but the decision to buy a Highland castle means that part of her working life has now come back to the country where it began.
