London couple who bought a Scottish island as a retirement project put it up for sale for £1.25 million – after 9 years of taking a boat to the shops and the pub

A couple is selling stunning Scottish islands where you have to catch a boat to shop or go to the pub for £1.25 million.

After nine years of happy life, Richard Stein and Sally Lovell put Harbor Island, off the coast of Argyll, Scotland, on the market.

The 9.7-acre island, which cost the couple £650,000, was a big change from their previous home in Cykenwell, central London – but it was love at first sight.

Their home is 300 meters from the village of Crinan, so Richard says they never feel alone, but whenever they need some milk or want a beer they have to catch a boat.

The 71-year-old said: ‘It’s not far off in any sense. There is extra pleasure in a boat ride that lasts three to four minutes.

‘It’s the feeling of somehow being in a world where there’s electricity, water, broadband, television, but where we live is very separate from all of that.

‘We don’t have neighbors unless we visit, but they’re there in four or five minutes.’

The grandfather of two decided to purchase Harbor Island as a project to occupy his time after retiring as a lawyer in March 2017.

The couple (pictured) moved in in April 2017 and quickly began work on the renovation, rewiring, installing plumbing and central heating.

The place where it was purchased was overgrown and the three-bed bungalow was leftover from the 1950s.

They finally moved in in April 2017 and immediately began the renovation, wiring, plumbing and central heating installation.

They added a major extension in autumn 2018 and in 2022 Richard built an extension himself from local timber, leaving four bedrooms, three bathrooms and three reception rooms.

Richard added: ‘Our family thought we were crazy. It was a challenge and I needed it after leaving a challenging and rewarding job.

‘He was pretty exhausted. I guess I was looking for a project to replace a full-time job.

‘Looking at what we’ve achieved here, I felt it was a really great way to spend our post-retirement phase.’

Richard says the island is full of wildlife, he often sees birds and even seals move in for a few weeks.

He says the biggest difference is the need to plan; he used to be able to stop by the shops on his way home from work, but now he has to think about it in advance.

The former solicitor built the annexe himself from local timber, leaving four bedrooms, three bathrooms and three reception rooms.

Richard said the island was full of wildlife, he often saw birds and even had a seal move in for a few weeks.

The Scottish island is accessible and takes only 20 minutes to reach the nearest supermarket

But he says the island is still very accessible and it only takes 20 minutes to get to the nearest supermarket.

The biggest mishap is that they leave the car keys at home and have to take their 16ft Orkney boat back to get them.

There’s also a shop in the dockyard that sells provisions and milk, and Sally says it acts like a corner store.

The 63-year-old says they always make sure their freezer is full in case of a storm, but since moving in there have only been two people who have stopped traveling because it has been so sheltered.

There are pipes and cables on the sea floor reaching the island, so the only thing missing is gas.

Instead, they burn wood from the island for their stoves, which Richard says are self-sufficient.

He added: ‘Living on the island was amazing. The views are extraordinary. This is the most incredible place to be.

‘Being surrounded by water makes you feel like you’re immersed in nature. Looking outside you may see one or two signs of human habitation, but the rest is completely wild.

The couple said they never felt lonely in their home in Scotland, but every time they wanted to go to the shop or pub they had to take a boat.

At first, the island was overgrown and the three-bed bungalow was trapped in the 1950s (pictured now)

The couple, who fell in love with the house at first sight, saw the renovation as a post-retirement project.

‘Yet when I look out the window in the morning, nine years later, I can’t really believe I live here.’

Sally, who used to work in marketing, says her daily routine on the island mostly involves maintaining the many facilities.

He also takes a daily walk outside the property, which takes a total of 40 minutes.

He said: ‘We fell in love with it. There is magic on the island and you feel the magic when you step on land. It was like I had stepped into a secret garden. There is a sense of adventure.

‘It’s a unique thing to be able to walk on your own land and always have something to look at. Sometimes it really feels like heaven.

‘It’s not isolated at all. ‘We can disconnect if we want, but we like to be involved in the community.’

Although they loved their home, Richard and Sally made the difficult decision to sell Harbor Island to be closer to family in the south of England.

The couple listed the property with Savills for £1,250,000 and said it would be difficult to see.

Sally said: ‘Leaving is a really difficult decision. There will be a wrench. But it’s been almost ten years. We are a little far away from our family.

‘You need to be fit enough to get on and off a boat, which we are at the moment, but it’s important to leave the boat at the right time. ‘

Richard said: ‘We are very sad to be moving but it feels appropriate for family reasons.

‘I don’t think it’s the wrong decision but we’re definitely going to miss a lot of elements of it.’

Savills agent Iona Conn said: ‘Although it’s an island, it’s only a 300 meter boat ride from the mainland and has mains water and mains electricity, which isn’t often the case when it comes to island living!

‘For those seeking peace and tranquility among stunning landscapes, living on your own private Scottish island can seem like heaven on earth. Island living has many advantages, with the opportunity to start a new lifestyle, from sailing to remote working.

‘Island life is not only picture perfect, but also a peaceful retreat from a hectic routine, with the chirping of birds and the sound of crashing waves replacing the noisy crowds and traffic jams.’