Millionairess Ann Gloag pleads for public money for estate's upkeep;

Ann Gloag, the co-founder of the Stagecoach bus empire and one of the richest women in Scotland, has applied for thousands of pounds of public money to spend on the upkeep of her Highland estate, the Sunday Herald has learned.

Gloag, who last week won a legal dispute with tenants on her Beaufort Castle estate, near Beauly, had her application for up to (pounds) 10,000 turned down by Highland Council last month. The money was to have been used to improve the condition of houses on her 19,500-acre estate.

It is understood that this is not the first time Gloag has applied for a housing improvement grant through the council, although she has not to date been successful.

Garry Coutts, councillor for Beauly and Strathglass, which includes part of Gloag's estate, confirmed: "Certainly during the time I have been a councillor, over the past six or seven years, I am aware that there have been several applications for improvement grant funding for properties owned by Mrs Gloag.

"She is free to do that in exactly the same way as everyone else is and the applications are dealt with entirely on the merit of the application made. My understanding is that none have been granted."

He added: "It's not untypical of estate owners the length and breadth of the Highlands over the generations - for lots of people who perhaps could buy and sell the vast majority of us - to apply."

Gloag bought the 23-bedroom Beaufort Castle, its contents and the surrounding estate, for around (pounds) 3.5 million in 1995. Since then her estate managers have applied for housing improvement grants for items such as central heating or roof repairs to the many estate cottages, some of which are rented out to tenants.

The latest application is understood to have been refused at a meeting of the council last month. The recent introduction of the Housing Act means that an applicant's income is now taken into consideration, however Gloag's application was not considered since it was on a waiting list which had to be closed due to the number of applicants.

One insider claimed last night that Gloag had displayed "some brass neck" in applying.

And politicians reacted with anger when told of the millionairess's application for public money.

"It scunners me but it doesn't surprise me," said Scottish Socialist Party MSP Rosie Kane. "People like Ann Gloag are always going to be using these sorts of manoeuvres to try and feather their own nest out of the public purse. People like that just do - shame on the lot of them.

"It's about time they started paying their way. If she was paying her fair share of council tax it probably shouldn't be so bad, if she stood in line with the other pensioners.

"I just hope the council are on the ball enough to see through these people. If she can't take care of the properties, hand them over to the public sector."

Labour MP Brian Wilson, a long-standing campaigner for land reform, said: "The whole Stagecoach fortune is based on public subsidy, so why change the habits of a lifetime?"

A sheriff last week ordered a couple to pay Gloag's legal expenses after finding in favour of the estate owner over her dispute with Ian and Pat Hamilton, who are her tenants.

The Hamiltons claim they have already spent (pounds) 10,000 on the case and will be paying for the dispute for the rest of their lives.

Gloag was granted an interdict preventing the Hamiltons from using land and buildings not included in their lease for the estate's Coach House, where they have lived for 12 years.

Sheriff Donald Booker-Milburn ordered equipment stored in the buildings to be removed and ordered the Hamiltons to pay expenses, although not the costs of junior counsel.

In a statement following the verdict, Gloag, who is in the US receiving the Philanthropy Organisation's award for her humanitarian work, said she had been vindicated in taking legal action.

"I hope this brings this unhappy saga to an end. We have been trying to resolve this issue for nearly three years but, sadly, every effort was rejected by the tenants.

"It is a great pity it had to end up in court.

"That was the very last resort as far as I was concerned but I was left with no choice.

"There are many tenants living on the Beaufort estate and I take my responsibilities as owner of the estate very seriously. It is extremely important for us to have good relations with our tenants."

Ann Gloag was not available for comment last night.

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