Latest news with #GullyFamily
The Independent
4 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
The private UK island with its own beach could be yours for £5.5m
The private island of Shuna, located in the Scottish Inner Hebrides, has been put up for sale with an asking price of £5.5 million. Spanning 1,110 acres, the island features sandy beaches, a ruined castle, six holiday homes, and a working farm with a flock of 220 Beulah sheep. Sotheby's International Realty is marketing the island as an ideal location for a boutique hospitality venture or a wellness destination, offering complete seclusion. Shuna boasts a rich history, with archaeological sites dating back 9,000 years, including Stone Age burial mounds and Iron Age ritual hoards. The Gully family has owned and managed the island for the past 80 years, with Edward Gully having stewarded it since 1945.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
The idyllic Scottish island that could be yours for just £5.5m
A Scottish island with a derelict castle has been put up for sale for the first time in eight decades. Shuna, a 1,100-acre Hebridean island bought in 1945 by the Gully family as a retreat from the horrors of the Second World War, is on the market for £5.5m. Estate agents Sotheby's described it as 'a truly rare offering, rich in heritage, natural wonder and possibility'. The island, which features eight properties with a collective 27 bedrooms, as well as the ruins of the 20th-century Shuna Castle, is a short boat ride away from Oban and the village of Ardfern, as well as the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpools. Its six holiday cottages are powered by sustainable power sources, including solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage and back-up generators, and the island has a helipad for those travelling from nearby Glasgow and Islay airports. Shuna is a working estate, with livestock farming and country pursuits, including storied woodcock shoots and deer stalking offered for visitors. It is one of two islands called Shuna found near Oban, which is described by Sotheby's as the 'Gateway to the Isles'. Shuna was bought by the Dowager Viscountess Selby, a descendant of politician Sir William Court Gully, who brought up her four children, Xandra, Audrey, Michael, and Edward on the island. Jim Gully, who grew up on the island and said he had an 'idyllic' childhood there, said that it would be a relief for his father to no longer have to manage the properties. His father Eddie, the fourth of the Viscountess' children, moved to the island at three months old and lived there for 80 years, his son said. Mr Gully, who now lives on the nearby Isle of Seil, which is linked to the mainland by road, told the BBC: 'My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home-schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. 'It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that.' He added: 'It's been a huge part of all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end. But it's tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage it all and having to get over to the island three or four times a week.' The management of the island has been handled by Rob and Kathryn James, who have lived there full-time for the past 12 years. The couple's plans to move on to other jobs prompted the family to sell. The castle on the island was built in 1911 by New Zealand-born explorer George Buckley, who had joined an expedition to the South Pole in 1907 on the Nimrod with Ernest Shackleton. Blueprints for the building, which fell into disrepair in the 1980s and now has trees growing through its windows, are thought to have been on the Titanic's doomed voyage. There has been human activity on the island for more than 4,500 years, as evidenced by Stone and Iron Age burial mounds and ruins. It is estimated that between 70 and 80 people lived there between 1750 and 1850. Viewings are set to begin next week.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Telegraph
The idyllic Scottish island that could be yours for just £5.5m
A Scottish island with a derelict castle has been put up for sale for the first time in eight decades. Shuna, a 1,100-acre Hebridean island bought in 1945 by the Gully family as a retreat from the horrors of the Second World War, is on the market for £5.5m. Estate agents Sotheby's described it as 'a truly rare offering, rich in heritage, natural wonder and possibility'. The island, which features eight properties with a collective 27 bedrooms, as well as the ruins of the 20th-century Shuna Castle, is a short boat ride away from Oban and the village of Ardfern, as well as the infamous Corryvreckan whirlpools. Its six holiday cottages are powered by sustainable power sources, including solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage and back-up generators, and the island has a helipad for those travelling from nearby Glasgow and Islay airports. Shuna is a working estate, with livestock farming and country pursuits, including storied woodcock shoots and deer stalking offered for visitors. It is one of two islands called Shuna found near Oban, which is described by Sotheby's as the 'Gateway to the Isles'. Shuna was bought by the Dowager Viscountess Selby, a descendant of politician Sir William Court Gully, who brought up her four children, Xandra, Audrey, Michael, and Edward on the island. Jim Gully, who grew up on the island and said he had an 'idyllic' childhood there, said that it would be a relief for his father to no longer have to manage the properties. His father Eddie, the fourth of the Viscountess' children, moved to the island at three months old and lived there for 80 years, his son said. Mr Gully, who now lives on the nearby Isle of Seil, which is linked to the mainland by road, told the BBC: 'My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home-schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. 'It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that.' He added: 'It's been a huge part of all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end. But it's tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage it all and having to get over to the island three or four times a week.' The management of the island has been handled by Rob and Kathryn James, who have lived there full-time for the past 12 years. The couple's plans to move on to other jobs prompted the family to sell. The castle on the island was built in 1911 by New Zealand-born explorer George Buckley, who had joined an expedition to the South Pole in 1907 on the Nimrod with Ernest Shackleton. Blueprints for the building, which fell into disrepair in the 1980s and now has trees growing through its windows, are thought to have been on the Titanic's doomed voyage. There has been human activity on the island for more than 4,500 years, as evidenced by Stone and Iron Age burial mounds and ruins. It is estimated that between 70 and 80 people lived there between 1750 and 1850. Viewings are set to begin next week.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
‘Idyllic' Scottish island with ruined castle up for sale
A breathtakingly-beautiful private island featuring sandy beaches and a now-ruined castle within the Scottish Inner Hebrides has been put up for sale, providing a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity' for the successful buyer. Shuna Island, or simply Shuna, a 1,110-acre of rugged island in Loch Linnhe, provides picturesque views and a chance of complete seclusion, says estate agents Sotheby's International Realty, which is marketing the island for a cool £5.5m. It includes the castle, built 114 years ago by former owner George Alexander MacLean Buckley, who found fame in the Antarctic voyage on Nimrod with Ernest Shackleton just three years before. The crumbling stone structure is just one part of the rich history attached to the island, with the first settlement on the island dating back to 9,000 years ago. Today, it is owned by the Gully family, after the Dowager Viscountess Selby bought the island from a London-based estate agent in 1945, despite never having seen it. She then passed it on to her son, The Hon. Edward Gully, who has farmed and managed it for the past 80 years. As well as hosting visitors in six holiday homes, the family's farm looks after a flock of 220 Beulah sheep, while there is also 'renowned' woodcock shoots and deer stalking in the autumn. The island is accessed via a private pier after a10-minute boat ride from the mainland. There is also a helipad on the land. Speaking to the BBC, Jim Gully, who is the son of Edward, said: "He's had 80 years of stewarding and looking after Shuna and trying to get all sorts of businesses going and has absolutely loved it the whole of his life "My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that." He added: "It's been a huge part for all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end, but tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage all of that and getting over to the island three or four times a week.' On the island, the archaeological sites include Stone Age burial mounds and Iron Age ritual hoards, with three rare swords discovered in 1875. Later in its history, the isle belonged to the Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riata before being passed onto the Maclean clan after Robert the Bruce gifted it to Clan Campbell in 1321. By the 18th Century, it was a thriving lime production centre with kilns and up to 100 living there. In 1910, it was purchased by Mr Buckley, before soon finding itself in the hands of the Gully family. With its eight houses, Sotheby's International Realty say the island is ideally suited for hosting larger groups or retreats, and would be 'perfectly suited' for a boutique hospitality venture or a wellness destination. Viewings start later this week for those lucky enough to be able to consider buying the island.
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Family selling 'idyllic' island with ruined castle after 80 years
Eighty years after a mother walked into a London estate agency and bought a Hebridean island she had never seen in a bid to leave the city, her family is selling their historic home. The Island of Shuna, which includes a now-ruined castle, working farm and a holiday accommodation business, has been home to the Gully family since 1945, but is now on the market for £ Gully, who was the second generation of the family brought up on the island, said its white sand beaches and rocky coves gave them an "idyllic" childhood. Estate Agents Sothebys International Realty said the sale of the 1,000-acre island was a "truly rare offering". The wildlife haven has belonged to the the Gully family since the Dowager Viscountess Selby - a descendant of the politician Sir William Court Gully who was given the title on retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons - approached an estate agent after the war, asking if they had any islands on their books. "Everyone was so traumatised by what had gone on in the war that they were looking for a fresh start," her grandson Jim Gully told BBC Scotland News. "Without ever having seen it she bought the island and moved her family up."His father Eddie, the fourth child in the family, was born and brought up on Shuna, although he now lives on the Isle of Seil, which is linked to the mainland by road."He's had 80 years of stewarding and looking after Shuna and trying to get all sorts of businesses going and has absolutely loved it the whole of his life," Mr Gully said. "My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. "It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that." The Atlantic island's position in the Hebridean archipelago protects it from the ocean swells, but occasionally brings inhabitants the challenge of navigating the Corryvreckan whirlpools. "Quite often over the years we've had to go Corryvreckan with a boat laden with sheep, so that's led to some exciting journeys," Mr Gully the past 12 years the island has been managed by Rob and Kathryn James, who live full-time on Shuna, but their plan to move into another role prompted the family to consider selling up. Viewings start later this week, but in the meantime regular visitors are securing their stays for the rest of the year. "It's been a huge part for all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end, but tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage all of that and getting over to the island three or four times a week," Mr Gully castle was built with "no expense spared" by New Zealand-born adventurer George Alexander MacLean Buckley in 1911, just three years after he joined an Antarctic voyage on Nimrod with Ernest castle blueprints, and the architect who designed them, are believed to have been on the Titanic's fateful voyage. "He was about to export the plans to America and build a lot more of them," Mr Gully said. "The plans for it went down with the Titanic and stopped lots of flat-roofed castles being built in America."The castle fell to ruins in the 1980s when its upkeep became too costly."I lived in there for my first 10 years and I can look in the old bedroom window and see the room where we were taught by my grandparents - it's all very fresh in the memory," Mr Gully said the children were taught "maths, English and lateral thinking" in the mornings, then "booted out" to explore the island. By then the family was using only about a quarter of the castle as the rest of it was beginning to fall down."When we were moving the furniture around the room to find the bits where it wouldn't fall through the floor, you knew your days were numbered," Mr Gully added: "It still looks very impressive even though there are trees growing out of the windows." There have been human settlements on Shuna, one of the Slate Islands, for at least 4,500 years, evidenced by Stone and Iron Age burial mounds and ruined farms and from the 18th and 19th Centuries remain dotted around the island and it is estimated that there was a population of about 80 people between 1750 and to the island's six holiday homes, which can house up to 52 people and are powered by sustainable energy supplies, are normally taken on a 20-minute boat trip from the pier at Arduaine on the mainland, but the island also has a helipad. The estate agents suggested the property, one of two islands named Shuna near Oban, is "perfectly suited" to multi-generational living, a boutique hospitality venture or a "wellness destination".
