Built for the nouveau riche, left to the nation after the death of its owner and now a drain on Scotland’s public purse, how do you solve a problem like Kinloch Castle on Rum?

Among those who received the highest payments in Edinburgh was Thomas Duncan, a former planter of Grenada, who lived at 78 Great King Street with his wife, five children and five female servants.

Edinburgh Castle, where kings and queens lived until the 17th century, sits at the top of the Royal Mile. The Palace of Holyroodhouse, which became a royal residence in the 16th century, sits at ...