Investment tycoon who bought tiny Scots island revealed
ISLE HAVE THAT! Investment tycoon who bought tiny Scots island revealed
A MEGA-rich investment tycoon has bought a tiny Scottish island.
The Isle of Rona is nestled among the islands in the Hebrides.
Advertisement
2
The Isle of Rona is nestled in the Hebrides
Credit: Alamy
It boasts stunning views and plenty of wildlife but only two residents.
Rona was bought by Danish couple Dorte and Arne Jensen in 1992.
They paid just under £250k for the 2,400-acre Hebridian isle.
The couple have been regular visitors alongside the long term residents.
Advertisement
Bill Cowie and Lorraine Shill are the only residents permanently staying on Rona.
But they were also the custodians for the island while living there.
The couple moved to Rona in the early 2000s and have been taking care of it for almost two decades.
But they are set to move away from their home of more than 20 years as part of their retirement.
Advertisement
The Isle of Rona has now been purchased by an investment tycoon and his wife.
It has been bought by a firm called Fior Rona Ltd.
I'm squatting in my own flat after landlord evicted me for renovation work...it's a building site but I won't leave
The company was started by a hedge fund manager named Danny Luhde-Thompson and his wife Cressida Pollock.
The amount of cash paid was not disclosed but the sale was made "at market price" during the private deal.
Advertisement
A spokesperson for Fior Rona Ltd, Adam Crookshank, revealed some of their plans for the island.
He told The Daily Record: "The island of Rona has been purchased by Fior Rona Ltd who will look to carry on the excellent work of the previous owners and custodians and will try to ensure that the natural heritage, including the island itself and the marine environment that surrounds it, continues to thrive under their custodianship.
"This will include carrying out baseline surveys to understand the current state of biodiversity and allow for the development of a considered plan to further protect and restore the natural habitats, and to measure progress over time."
Rona currently only has two holiday lets, as well as a house where Bill and Lorraine stayed.
Advertisement
It boasts a much quieter life than it's neighbouring Isle of Skye - which is a popular holiday destination for people all over the world.
It only has some old Ministry of Defence buildings, ruins, and a larder and butchery for venison.
Rona also doesn't have any shops or even ROADS.
2
The tiny island has been bought by a hedge fund tycoon
Credit: Alamy
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
STV News
2 minutes ago
- STV News
Martindale: It'd be ‘stupid' to write off Tony Bloom in Hearts quest
Livingston manager David Martindale believes it would be 'stupid' to write off Tony Bloom in his bold quest to help Hearts become Scotland's champions. The Brighton owner, who recently completed a deal to become a Jambos shareholder, has made waves in Scottish football by claiming in interviews on Sunday and Monday – during a visit to Edinburgh – that he would be 'very disappointed' if the Tynecastle club have not won the Premiership title within 10 years. Rangers and Celtic have won every championship between them since Sir Alex Ferguson's Aberdeen triumphed in 1985. But Martindale has no doubt that Bloom, who has enjoyed notable success at Brighton and Union Saint-Gilloise with the aid of Jamestown Analytics, is equipped to back up his bullish words and crack the Old Firm stranglehold. 'Yep, I think he's shown he can do it with Union, very, very similar,' the Lions boss said on Wednesday, referring to the fact USG, where Bloom is a shareholder, recently won their first Belgian title in 90 years. 'I think he's given himself a lot of wriggle room by saying 10 years, but do I believe that they can achieve that? It would be a stupid man that would bet against it. 'If I was a betting man, I would put my money on Tony Bloom achieving what he said he's wanting to achieve rather than saying he's talking ludicrous. I'd definitely put my chips behind him because I think he's shown he can do it.' Martindale, whose club recently moved coach Brian Rice into a new head of football operations role, admitted he was 'envious' that his Hearts counterpart Derek McInnes had access to Jamestown – an offshoot of Bloom's Starlizard sports analysis firm – to underpin his recruitment. 'I've spoken about it at Livingston over the years, we're a good bit behind with that, but bringing Chipper (Rice) in upstairs is kind of that first stepping stone to make us a wee bit smarter with our recruitment,' he said. 'But again, you need the resources behind you to help you with that and that's always going to be a problem at a smaller club. 'For me, ideally, that would kind of be the basic fundamentals I'd like to work under, so I'm envious of Derek. 'I think your eyes make the final decision but I think data definitely puts them on your radar. You could say everybody's using data, but I don't think everybody does it the same. 'The way football life is going now, artificial intelligence is playing a massive part in your everyday life and it helps you make smarter decisions. 'Tony kind of implemented that artificial intelligence years ago with the Jamestown Analytics. He's shown that he can do it at the highest level with a real high degree of success, so Tony taking his strategy into Hearts is going to obviously enhance Hearts.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Belfast Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Opening date revealed for NI's first ever Lego store
Customer in a queue in front of a Danish toy production company Lego store in Shanghai. Northern Ireland's first Lego store is set to open in Belfast later this month. The new 165sqm store at Victoria Square will offer Lego fans an extensive selection of new products. It is due to open its doors to the public at 9am on Thursday 28 August. It will be Lego's 21st store in the UK. The new store will feature a 'Pick a Brick Wall,' allowing customers to choose the exact pieces they need for their creations. It will also offer free build challenges and events each month, and a 'Build a Minifigure Tower', where customers will be able to pick from a mix and match selection of bottoms, tops, heads, hair pieces and accessories to customise Lego minifigures. The ribbon will be cut on the opening morning by NI boy Dáithí Mac Gabhann, best known for inspiring a change in organ donor laws. Vice President of Marketing LEGO Retail at the LEGO Group, Shweta Munshi, will also be at the grand opening. She said: "After a thorough search, we have found the perfect site in Victoria Square, Belfast. In the heart of the city, the new store will allow builders of all ages to be inspired by the endless play opportunities the Lego Group has to offer. "This store will be a top retail destination for product launches and events, while acting as a hub for our Lego community and new builders alike.' Customer in a queue in front of a Danish toy production company Lego store in Shanghai. News Catch Up - Wednesday 6th August Victoria Square is part of the portfolio of Commerz Real's real estate fund Hausinvest. Russell Banham, UK Head at Commerz Real, said: 'The Lego Group is one of the world's most recognisable brands and we are really excited that they have chosen to establish their first flagship store in Victoria Square. "Victoria Square is the leading destination for retail and leisure in Northern Ireland and the addition of a Lego Store will further enhance the unrivaled mix of premium brands who have already made it their home. "This is great news, not only for Lego fans, but for the wider retail landscape in Northern Ireland.'
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
The massive sums paid by Scottish universities to overseas recruiting agents revealed
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish universities are spending soaring sums of money on overseas recruiting agents to attract wealthy foreign students. New figures show seven of Scotland's mainstream higher education institutions spent £15.2 million on payments and commission for specialist operatives in one year to attract rich international students to enrol in courses. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Scotland rank: 4. UK rank: 31 The University of Aberdeen is a UK Top 20 and World Top 200 University with outstanding levels of student satisfaction. Heriot Watt, Strathclyde and Aberdeen universities all spent more than £4m each on agent fees, the figures for 2023/24 show. The total spent since the 2019/20 academic year is £88.2m for the institutions which responded to Freedom of Information requests. But the true amount for the sector will be far higher, given the small number of the 15 universities surveyed that agreed to disclose the data. Others said the information was 'commercially sensitive' and opted not to share it. Neither Edinburgh nor Glasgow universities disclosed the level of payments made to overseas recruiting agents for 2023/24. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Universities Scotland, the umbrella body for the sector, said foreign students had become 'essential' to propping up cash-strapped organisations. Scottish Conservative shadow education secretary Miles Briggs said universities were 'enhanced' by international students who make a 'positive social and economic impact'. However, he added: 'Clearly cash-strapped institutions are having to speculate to accumulate. They know the SNP has created a near impossible environment, and they rely heavily now on foreign students for their fees. Miles Briggs MSP 'We also know that the SNP's approach to higher education is freezing out Scottish students from their own universities.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Two years ago spending on recruitment agents was at a high of at least £18m - an increase of 50 per cent on the 2019/20 academic year. Fees for overseas students are an average of £22,000 per year while there is an SNP-imposed cap on places for resident Scottish students. The University of Aberdeen has 102 'active agents', who it said were 'active in all regions except for the United States of America'. The university spent £5m on these workers. By contrast, the University of the Highlands and Islands employs five operatives working in areas as diverse as Brunei, Cambodia, Lebanon and Kuwait. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Agents are usually paid a referral fee for candidates who sign up for courses, either as a flat rate per student or a percentage of their fees. They can help applicants navigate the application and immigration process. Concerns have been raised the agents may prioritise chasing commissions over the best interests of students. The number of 18-year-olds from Scotland's most deprived areas securing places at university has increased by 100 to 1,960, which is a record high. The number of young Scots who have secured a place at university this year has also increased to a new high of 16,340 acceptances for 18-year-olds, up 4 per cent on last year. While there are caps on the number of home students who can access a place at a Scottish university - and receive free tuition - there is no limit on the number of overseas students. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Universities Scotland spokeswoman said: 'A decade of public underinvestment in university teaching and research has meant that cross-subsidy from international student fees has become essential. 'Recruitment, particularly where institutions look to diversify into new markets, does require upfront investment.' The spokeswoman said investment delivered a 'strong return' for both universities and the wider Scottish economy, saying international students contributed £4.75 billion between 2018/19 and 2021/22. 'The fact tens of millions have been spent on these agents, working in literally every corner of the globe, shows how the SNP has forced universities out into the world just to make ends meet,' Mr Briggs added. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A Scottish Government spokeswoman said international students played a positive economic, social and cultural role in Scotland. "They add to the diversity of our communities, enrich the learning experience and support local businesses and jobs,' the spokeswoman said.
