Isle of Skye castle, cottages, museum and holiday cabins on market for £2.75m in controversial sale

But for millions of people around the world who cherish a historic link to the grand property, its value will forever remain priceless.

Armadale Castle on the Isle of Skye has finally gone on the market, amid protests and acrimony over the future of the centuries-old bolthole irrevocably linked to the largest clan in the world.

The ruins of the 18th-century property, the historic home of the MacDonalds of Sleat, has gone on sale as part of a package of lots, with an overall guide price of £2,760,000.

The castle itself, which remains an important part of the heritage of Clan Donald, is on sale for offers over £995,000. For that price, prospective buyers will also receive a landholding of around 55 acres, spanning ornamental gardens, mature woods and an arboretum.

Estate agents Strutt and Parker described it as a “unique opportunity to acquire the centrepiece of a historic estate”, which has the potential to be restored as a private home, or developed into a “world-class tourism and hospitality destination”.

The sale also includes the building, which houses the Clan Donald centre, a unique collection spanning 1,500 years of history in an area once known as the Kingdom of the Isles.

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The Clan Donald Lands Trust, the charity that has owned the castle and estate since 1971 following the death of Alexander Godfrey Macdonald, 7th Lord Macdonald and High Chief of Clan Donald, said the decision to sell its prized assets was “heart-breaking” in the face of challenging economic conditions that meant the property was no longer sustainable.

But the sale of the estate, located on the eastern shoreline of the Sleat peninsula on Skye, has been met with resistance from Clan Donald members around the globe. One group has called for the sale to be halted and the charity’s trustees to be replaced, so as to safeguard Armadale’s rich history.

Morag McDonald, a spokeswoman for the group, Clan Donald - Save Armadale, said the decision to place the castle on the market had been taken without any consultation of clan members who had financially supported the trust for decades.

She said: “We completely oppose the sale of Armadale Castle, the grounds and the heritage centre - the lack of community engagement and the contempt that people have been treated with.”

A fundraising campaign set up two days ago by Ms McDonald to bankroll the group’s running costs and legal fees has already raised more than £1,200.

The castle is one of seven lots being marketed by Strutt and Parker. They include Armadale House, a traditional five-bedroom property with a spacious garden, which is on sale for offers over £385,000. A group of six timber Scandinavian-style holiday cabins, plus a service cabin, is on the market for offers over £400,000.

The estate is available for sale as a whole or in separate lots. Viewings of the castle can be arranged by prior arrangement and will be accompanied by representatives of the owners.