Rumours have been flying around the village of Kenmore in Perthshire of George Clooney being an investor at Taymouth Castle.
The Hollywood star has been among the names associated with the neo-Gothic castle, which is owned by his friend and business partner Mike Meldman.
The pair, along with Rande Gerber, founded high-end tequila brand Casamigos in 2013.
They sold it to Diageo four years later in a deal worth up to $1 billion.
Meldman’s firm Discovery Land Company snapped up the Highland Perthshire pile in 2018.
However, a Discovery Land Company spokeswoman confirmed to The Courier Clooney is not involved at the estate.
Music star Beyonce and Bill Gates have also been linked to Taymouth.
A publicist for Microsoft tycoon Gates confirmed he would not be investing in the historic property.
A representative for Beyonce did not respond to a request for comment.
Work begins at Taymouth Castle
Work is underway on the castle – visited by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1842.
The Discovery Land Company spokeswoman said: “The castle is undergoing necessary repairs so to prevent it from falling into disrepair.
“Fencing and security precautions are now in place for the safety of the public.”
She said plans for the site were still being drawn up, but confirmed it would be similar to the remainder of Discovery Land’s portfolio.
The business, founded in 1994, has 27 private high-end golf communities in North America, the Caribbean, and now Europe with the recent debut of CostaTerra Golf & Ocean Club in Portugal.
The American business counts a long list of famous faces as members.
The mix of celebrities includes Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady, Reese Witherspoon, Michael Jordan, Rande Gerber and Cindy Crawford.
Robin Menzies, owner of the nearby Mains of Taymouth Country Estate and Golf Course, said: “It’s very exciting.
“We are looking forward to seeing Taymouth Castle estate back to its former glory.”
Refurbishment has chequered history
The redevelopment project has had a chequered history, with various plans lodged by several groups to convert bedrooms and build properties.
Taymouth Castle has seen various plans for development submitted to the council since 2005.
In March 2005, Taymouth Castle Estates Ltd was granted permission for a plan which proposed to build 72 hotel suites, a spa, 63 lodges, 26 fractional ownership houses and an equestrian centre.
During 2005/2006, eradication of rot and stabilisation of the building took place as well as replacing the roof and the installation of new windows in the main tower and west wing.
And non-structural timer partitions were removed at this time.
In June 2011, a plan submitted by Meteor Asset Management to build 89 estate properties, 14 hotel suites and a spa was approved.
Further internal partitioning was begun but not completed to the second and third floors of the main tower.
In February 2015, a plan lodged by Barrasford and Bird to transform 13 hotel rooms was permitted but it is understood work stalled on this due to financial problems.
The Highland Perthshire property was bought by Discovery Land Company in 2018.
The refurbishment of Taymouth Castle is the latest investment in Highland Perthshire.
The Kenmore Hotel closed last month until at least 2023 for a major refurbishment after it was taken over.
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