Britain’s ‘loneliest home’ on Scottish island goes up for sale
One of Britain’s most remote homes is up for sale on an island populated by more animals than people.
The property, which has 1,546 acres of croft land, is located on remote Soay Island, which had just three residents at the 2022 census.
The island in the Inner Hebrides can be reached by a 30-minute charter boat ride from the neighboring Isle of Skye, which is home to the nearest schools, towns and shops, as well as offering routes to Inverness.
As people increasingly seek to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, this incredibly secluded home will give its new owner the opportunity to experience life from afar.
The traditional two-bedroom, one-bathroom house is currently listed for £975,000 but is in serious need of renovation. It has been abandoned for years and is not habitable in its current state.
But the main attraction of the property is its idyllic location and opportunities for a conservation or sports-focused lifestyle.
Soay Island is a paradise for nature lovers. The ecologically rich island is home to more wildlife than humans and was previously home to Scottish naturalist and author Gavin Maxwell, who established a shark fishery on the island in the 1940s.
Also inspired to write Bright Water Ring, A story about otter life on the West Coast of Scotland that was adapted into a popular film in the 1960s.
The house is located on the shores of the island’s main bay, Camus nan Gall, which offers a sheltered anchorage for boats. Surrounded by impressive hill lakes and woodland, it is overlooked by the dramatic Black Cuillin mountains and close to impressive seascapes elsewhere in the Inner Hebrides.
The majority of the island’s population was evacuated to the Isle of Mull in 1953 after harsh Hebridean winter weather made ferry services unreliable.
This means the island’s handful of residents are more likely to see native red deer and the Soay Sheep, from which the island takes its name, than each other.
“Soay” derives from the Old Norse word Sauða-ey, meaning “sheep island,” in honor of the island’s hardy, woolly natives.
The resort’s appeal also lies in its sporting and farming opportunities, such as fishing, sailing, hunting and hiking.
Euan MacCrimmon is overseeing the sale of the property alongside estate agents Strutt and Parker. He said the remote island residence was definitely a “project” but a “great opportunity for someone interested in rewilding or farming.”
He believes the property is ideal for an avid sailor, as having a boat of his own means the freedom to revisit civilization on the neighboring island as often (or as little!) as you wish.
Living on Soay Island is definitely a unique lifestyle. But for anyone who doesn’t mind a self-sufficient lifestyle and finds the idea of limited neighbors appealing, the resort offers a unique opportunity to experience remote living.
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