Utah
Why a Utah couple is renovating a castle in Scotland – East Idaho News
COVE, Scotland – A Utah couple is renovating and restoring a castle in Scotland.
David and Chelom Leavitt are documenting this massive project on social media, which has attracted more than 1.4 million followers.
Now, after years of work, the finish line is in sight.
KSL recently traveled to Scotland to get a look at the renovation and talk to the Leavitts about their experience.
Historic castle
In a village called Cove, along a body of water known as Loch Long, sits Knockderry Castle.
The nearly 175-year-old structure stands out as a prominent feature of the Scottish peninsula.
Murdo MacLeod lives just beneath the castle.
“It sits on this outcrop of rock,” he said, looking up at the towering turrets, “and the views from the rooms up there would be absolutely stunning, looking down the loch on a windy night.”
The castle has quite a history. Built in the 1850s, it has been renovated many times. Knockderry Castle has been visited by some rich and famous people, including philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
In 2023, the castle was sold to a couple from – of all places – Utah. Chelom and David Leavitt are now overseeing the castle’s complete renovation and restoration.
“We’re trying to find the balance,” said David, “between restoring what was and making it ours.”
Who are the Leavitts?
The Leavitts live in Orem, Utah. David is a former county attorney in Utah and Juab counties. Chelom is a family life professor at Brigham Young University.
“I have been looking at castles for decades, and just for fun,” Chelom said. “When this came up, we both thought this is the right thing to at least look into.”
The timing worked out. David was just out of office after losing his bid for reelection as Utah County Attorney; both he and Chelom said they were looking for something new and different.
They ended up buying the castle for a reported $1.4 million after the prior owner was evicted.
“Something kind of spoke to both of us,” Chelom said. “This is a really peaceful place.”
It was a dream come true – but also, sort of a nightmare.
“If we had any idea what we were getting ourselves into, there’s not a way in the world that we would have done it,” David said. “Not a chance.”
Major problems
The project quickly revealed problems, particularly with the wood inside the castle. Much of it had rotted.
“The fact that this castle is still standing is pretty amazing,” Chelom said. “Another 10 years and it would have been falling.”
That made the renovation much more complicated as workers needed to shore up the structure inside and out. David thinks of it like an Oreo cookie.
“We have completely restored both sides of the cookie,” he said, “and we’ve completely replaced the cream filling with 21st-century technology.”
That includes brand-new plumbing, heating and electrical. In the kitchen, a countertop charges cellphones. There’s also a very smart oven with many computerized features – and a faucet that instantly offers boiling, freezing or sparkling water.
When the renovation began more than three years ago, the Leavitts started a blog to chronicle their progress. But when they moved over to Instagram, things exploded. Knockderry Castle now has followers from around the world. The Leavitts post regular videos about the project, sharing their journey with strangers.
“Now we get stopped in stores and in airports” by fans who follow the castle renovation online, David Leavitt said. “That’s a really nice thing to be stopped for.”
Castle features
There’s a lot to see in the castle. Wood carvings are everywhere, along with roughly two dozen fireplaces. There are also little reminders of Utah, like a beehive on a stained-glass window.
Some rooms even have their own theme, such as the Japanese room or the Viking room.
There are also several rooms that would be difficult to find without knowing where to look. One of them is hidden behind a bookshelf. Another is secluded behind a bathroom mirror.
“Some are hidden, which means we’ll show those to people,” Chelom said. “But some are secret, and they won’t be shown.”
There’s something else that’s secret – how much this castle renovation costs.
“We get that question all the time,” David said.
The couple would only say they’ve spent more on the project than what they initially paid for the castle – and more than what they planned on.
The Leavitts acknowledge they’re in a unique position to be able to pay to restore a castle. They recognize many would love to do this – and they want to give something back to those who follow them.
“We feel this need to share it,” David said, “because we’re no different or better than anybody else that doesn’t have the ability to do that. We just … had the circumstances that would allow us to do that.”
The castle will be used as a family home, the Leavitts said, but they also plan to open it up to the public by hosting conferences, seminars or other events there. They hope the interior will all be finished by the end of this year.
This project hasn’t been easy. But the Leavitts say it’s kind of a metaphor for life.
“The person you want to be is on the other side of what you don’t want to face, and this is really what it was for us in this castle,” said Chelom. “Things that are worth doing in life, if you knew what you were getting into, you wouldn’t do them. But things that are worthwhile, they’re hard.”
‘A good thing’
Back below the castle, Murdo MacLeod looked up at the work in progress and called it a “good thing.”
He’ll be watching as Knockderry Castle enters the next chapter in its long history.
“At least it’ll be sound when it’s done,” MacLeod said, “and it’ll be here for, I think, quite a long time.”
He added, “I’m glad somebody’s come along and done it.”
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SALT LAKE CITY — A first-of-its-kind monument that could become one of the largest bronze sculptures in the western United States is under construction in Utah.
Surrounded by sculptures lining his home, sculptor Sabin Howard refines his model for what will become the Grand Liberty Arch, a 60-foot-long, 36-foot-tall bronze monument depicting American history.
“It’s based upon geometric solids and how they move in and out of space,” Howard said.
The Grand Liberty Arch tells the story of America through a series of bronze reliefs.
“It is an arch to honor what we can be and is built to celebrate our nation’s 250th year with pride for the original American virtues and ideals,” Howard wrote in the monument’s proposal.
The front of the monument depicts the birth of America, including the Revolutionary War and the Declaration of Independence. Visitors walking through the arch will see the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution displayed on the interior walls alongside an eternal flame.
The opposite side portrays westward expansion and the 20th century, from World War I through space exploration. The two ends depict emancipation and the Civil War.
Each figurine is deeply symbolic. One recurring figure throughout the monument is Lady Liberty.
“Because that liberty is here. It’s a symbol,” Howard said.
Another figure carries a shield, representing the protection of freedom.
The monument features 56 sculpted figures, some standing up to 12 feet tall.
One of those figures, carrying an American flag, is modeled after a Texas veteran. Howard said the veteran served in two wars and, shortly before returning from Afghanistan, stepped on an explosive device that resulted in the loss of his leg.
“He has a tremendous amount of strength and courage,” Howard said. “He’s still going forward, so we’ve been wounded, we’ve been injured, yet we still have the courage to proceed forward.”
Many of the models Howard found in the Beehive State were at local CrossFit. Howard wanted bodybuilders and athletes for his artistic style, something he described as putting a movie on a monument.
“It’s a superhero’s version of American history,” Howard said.
The $55 million monument has been approved by the Capitol Preservation Board and Gov. Spencer Cox for a site above the Capitol. A circular plaza will surround the arch, symbolizing unity and a beacon of guiding light.
Partnering with the American Preparatory Academy, Howard hopes it will design lessons and programs that allow students to recite founding texts and perform at the monument.
Howard will work alongside three or four sculptors, including two from the Beehive State. He has most of the project funded, but is still seeking donors.
“This will show the world what’s going on in Utah,” Howard said.
At 62, decades of dedication have led Howard to this moment.
“It took 42 years to get here,” Howard said.
Howard couldn’t even draw when he was 19 years old, yet he was determined to try.
“I decided one afternoon, I’m going to make art like Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael,” Howard said.
Becoming a sculptor for Howard is about more than mastering technique.
“You’re not only developing your skills, you’re also developing your ability to tell a story through visual narrative,” Howard said.
The story Howard is telling, he said, has never been presented on this scale before.
“What I’m basically doing is I’m manifesting a universe,” Howard said.
A universe that was inspired by his previous creations, and most recently, a monument for the nation.
After more than 75,000 hours of sculpting and after roughly four decades, Howard was commissioned to create the National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., featuring 38 figures.
The WWI model took six months to complete. Although the Grand Liberty Arch will be a larger monument, Howard said the current model took only three weeks, not because it’s less complicated, quite the opposite.
Howard attributes his successes to his belief in God.
“I operate with the assumption that someone has my back and Christ and God and light and truth are what drives things forward,” Howard said. “You cannot accomplish things of such magnitude if you do not have faith in something larger than yourself.”
That faith ultimately brought Howard to Utah.
“I was told, ‘Go make a monument for your country. Go make a monument to represent who we are and what our history is,’” Howard said. “There is no human commissioner here. It’s my maker.”
Howard was encouraged by Sen. Mike Lee to make Utah home to his monument, and Howard agreed that the faith-based communities would appreciate the monument more than any other location.
“I don’t think there’s another place in the country that could manage a sculpture of this magnitude or meaning except Utah,” Howard said. “Nothing like this has ever happened.”
The monument’s magnitude in size alone makes the project significant, and Howard called it akin to the Sistine Chapel with how many figurines and symbols will be portrayed.
“When they go look at a monument like that, they’re hit in the gut in a very visceral, alchemical way,” Howard said.
Howard’s six-foot model of the Grand Liberty Arch will be displayed during Independence Day weekend in the Capitol Rotunda.
He will begin sculpting the full-sized monument in July, hoping to install a new panel every 15 months. Howard plans to complete the monument in time for Utah to host the 2034 Winter Olympics.
The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.
The Utah Mammoth announced today the roster for their 2026 Development Camp, which will take place with on-ice sessions from June 29 to July 2. Development camp is designed to provide Mammoth prospects with NHL coaching and instruction during on- and off-ice workout sessions.
Five of Utah’s six 2026 draft picks, including 17th overall selection Ethan Belchetz, will participate in the camp, along with previous first-round selections Caleb Desnoyers (2025), Tij Iginla (2024) and Cole Beaudoin (2024). The full roster includes 35 players, consisting of 16 forwards, 14 defensemen and five goaltenders.
2026 DEVELOPMENT CAMP ROSTER:
Forwards: Owen Allard, Samu Bau, Cole Beaudoin, Ethan Belchetz, Yegor Borikov, Caleb Desnoyers, Štĕpán Hoch, Florent Houle, Vojtěch Hradec, Tij Iginla, Quinn Kennedy (invite), Tanner Ludtke, Jacob Newcombe (invite), Noel Nordh, Gabe Smith, Adam Valentini
Defensemen: Reko Alanko, Gregor Biber, CJ Foley (invite), Terrell Goldsmith, Brandon Holt (free agent), Ludvig Johnson, Theodor Knights, Ludvig Lafton, Tomas Lavoie, Matthew Morden, Max Pšenička, Will Skahan, Cal Thomas, Veeti Väisänen
Goaltenders: Carl Axelsson, Michael Hrabal, Carsen Musser, Melker Thelin, Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko
NUMERICAL ROSTER:
2 – Theodor Knights
4 – Brandon Holt
5 – CJ Foley
12 – Tij Iginla
14 – Štěpán Hoch
16 – Ethan Belchetz
18 – Caleb Desnoyers
23 – Ludvig Johnson
24 – Cole Beaudoin
29 – Carl Axelsson
30 – Michael Hrabal
32 – Carsen Musser
34 – Ivan Tkach-Tkachenko
36 – Florent Houle
37 – Owen Allard
42 – Cal Thomas
45 – Noel Nordh
46 – Jacob Newcombe
47 – Max Pšenička
51 – Veeti Väisänen
54 – Terrell Goldsmith
59 – Matthew Morden
60 – Melker Thelin
61 – Will Skahan
64 – Reko Alanko
65 – Yegor Borikov
68 – Ludvig Lafton
72 – Vojtěch Hradec
73 – Samu Bau
75 – Tomas Lavoie
80 – Tanner Ludtke
85 – Quinn Kennedy
93 – Gabe Smith
94 – Gregor Biber
95 – Adam Valentini
MOAB, Utah (KUTV) — Two wildfires that ignited along the Utah-Colorado border in Grand County have merged and were mapped at about 28,000 acres, according to Utah Fire Info.
Officials named the blaze the Snyder Fire. It was burning in Mesa County, Colorado.
Officials said the fire was threatening structures and that pre-evacuation orders were in effect.
According to the Moab Valley Fire Department, the wildfires started between 11 p.m. Friday and 3:30 a.m. Saturday on Bureau of Land Management land south of the Colorado River.
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