Not long ago, the new chatelaine of the majestic Carbisdale castle in the Scottish Highlands discovered that some of the locals had written a rather unflattering song about her.
'I didn't hear all of it, but the lyrics were along the lines of 'Samantha and her kingdom, she rules with a heart of stone', that sort of thing,' she recalls.
Such has been the mounting strength of feeling against Samantha that this week it emerged that, just two years after acquiring the keys to her home – and after lavishing millions restoring what was a derelict ruin – she's been left with no choice but to put it back on the market. But she believes there is an altogether more personal reason for people's antipathy: not only is she transgender, but she is the only person known to have changed sex three times, transitioning from a man to a woman, returning to live as a male, and then, in 2017, undergoing what she insists has been her final set of surgery to transform into the woman she is today.
Born Sam Hashimi in her native Iraq, Samantha arrived in the UK in the early Eighties as a male student, and went on to make a fortune as the investment head of a Saudi-owned firm. 'I hated being a woman really, in the beginning, so I tried to force myself, let's say, to be a man. Then I just couldn't. I was born in a different way,' she says.
She spoke at the time of her ambition to create her own 'fairytale' and made a cash offer for the then £1.2million property the same day she viewed it. Samantha duly employed dozens of people to overhaul the castle, bar one wing. Staterooms, bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms have all been transformed into a vision of Scottish baronial style, underpinned by modern comforts.
Although she uses the plural 'we', in reference to herself, the cat Lady Penelope and an occasional assistant, Samantha does, in fact, live largely on this vast estate alone.Samantha in 1998 after undergoing surgery and transitioning to a woman for the first time Ill-feeling seems to have ramped up in particular last November, when it emerged Samantha was attempting to acquire three hectares of land from the Forestry Commission. It led to local mutterings about 'Highland clearances', in reference to the notorious eviction of tenants from land in the 18th and 19th century.
Against this acrimonious backdrop, it is perhaps not surprising to learn that Samantha has started to feel frightened when left alone at night, especially given remarks on Facebook about the need to marshal 'flaming torches' which, while apparently made in jest, are, as she says, 'unsettling'. Read More My father's neglect blighted my adult life. Then I tried a controversial cure... All this has been difficult enough, but the 'straw that broke the camel's back' was when it emerged this month that Samantha was establishing the exclusive 'Duchess Club' for female entrepreneurs and leaders. Membership would be £10,000 and give access to facilities at the castle including a swimming pool currently under construction.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Spa massage transported me from busy city centre to Scottish HighlandsLush spa massage turns Leeds city centre into the Scottish Highlands
Read more »
The perfect Scottish Highlands road tripFood, views and tweed galore make for a braw adventure
Read more »
Army veteran, 67, is found after surviving for a WEEK alone in the Scottish HighlandsA missing army veteran was airlifted to safety yesterday after using his skills to survive several days in the wilderness.
Read more »
Army veteran, 67, is found after surviving for a WEEK alone in the Scottish HighlandsA missing army veteran was airlifted to safety yesterday after using his skills to survive several days in the wilderness.
Read more »
Lost Hiker Found Safe After Week-Long Search in Remote Scottish HighlandsPaul Conway, a 67-year-old hiker from Newcastle, went missing during a trek to the Old Forge pub in Knoydart, Scotland, known as the UK's most remote bar. After an extensive search involving multiple agencies, he was found safe and well in a remote area south of Loch Morar.
Read more »
I spent 60 minutes at an 'oasis of quiet calm' in LiverpoolLush’s new treatment, inspired by the Scottish Highlands, launches in Liverpool's store this week
Read more »