She added that university staff would gather in London on Saturday, calling on the government and university leaders to "protect higher education, one of our last world-leading sectors".
In a statement, the board of trustees said: "Due to the high-cost, low-income nature of Armadale, we have always been reliant on external grant funding to cover our operating costs."The availability of this funding has been reduced by the impact of ongoing investment market volatility.
"At the same time our core costs - including electricity, insurance and essential building repairs - have massively increased."The trustees said the sale of assets would allow the charity to "stand on its own two feet" for the first time.Visitors were assured that the sale should not negatively affect tourists during the 2025 season.
It is unclear what the announcement means for those who work in the visitor centre or on the estate.BBC Scotland News has contacted Clan Donald Land Trust's CEO, Alex Stoddart, for further comment.
News of the sale caught the surrounding locals off guard.
Dr Andy Williamson, chair of the Sleat Community Council, said no-one in the community had known the decision was being made.All of this comes as the government considers what to do about university funding in England from 2026, in a review likely to conclude next year.
The OfS report acknowledges that the scale of change needed will not be easy.Vivienne Stern, chief executive of Universities UK, which represents 140 institutions, says universities are already "making tough choices to control costs", adding that the sector "needs to continue evolving".
She says the size of the challenge "is a source of serious concern".The University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich has cut £30m in the last 18 months - almost 10% of its annual spending.