Letter writer wins HES ‘Dracula Castle’ battle
● Joe Allan, 83, has persuaded historic body to list site that inspired Stoker
A Scottish pensioner has won his ten-year battle to have Bram Stoker’s “Dracula Castle” saved for the nation.
Joe Allan, 83, has campaigned to have the imposing cliff-top Slains Castle at Cruden Bay on the Aberdeenshire coast, given listed status by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), after first seeing it as a boy and being “mesmerised” by its presence.
Stoker wrote part of the 1897 Gothic horror story while staying in nearby Crooked Lum Cottage, his favourite holiday destination for 20 years.
Last night HES announced that the castle, which was the subject of a lengthy consultation exercise, is to be awarded B-listed status.
In January The Scotsman exclusively revealed Slains Castle was set to be listed.
Dr Samuel Johnson and James Boswell also stayed in the 16th century castle on their tour of Scotland.
Mr Allan, from East Kilbride, who last year lobbied First Minister Nicola Sturgeon for support, said he intends to persuade HES to buy the property so it can join the “magnificent chain” of its castles along Scotland’s east coast.
Mr Allan said: “I think it’s absolutely marvellous, a battle won. But I’m going to fight on to save Slains and will be turning my attention to getting HES to buy it. “
Mr Allan – who does not have a computer – waged a lengthy letter-writing campaign. He also visited his local library where staff did Google searches for him.
The castle has been at the centre of controversy after developers, Slains Partnership, were given planning permission in 2007 by Aberdeenshire Council to turn the castle into luxury flats. Permission was extended until 2017, but has expired, meaning any future applications need to be examined by HES and Aberdeenshire Council.
Elizabeth Mccrone, head of designations at HES, said: “New Slains Castle is a fantastic addition to Scotland’s diverse range of listed buildings. This impressive ruin has four centuries of history to tell us about and it is remarkable, not only for its architecture, but also for its literary associations.”