Latest news with #HebrideanSharker
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Part of remote Scottish isle once home to famed shark hunter goes up for sale
The former home of shark hunter Tex Geddes, who bought Soay with his wife Jeanne, is now up for sale along with much of the island The former home of Scotland's most famous shark hunter, along with much of the island he once ruled, has hit the market, offering a rare chance to own a piece of Hebridean legend. The property, which belonged to the late Tex Geddes, is now being sold by his family. The sale includes the house itself as well as around 1,500 acres of croftland, roughly 60 per cent of the island of Soay, located off the coast of Skye. Offers over £975,000 are being sought. Geddes, a colourful figure known as much for his exploits at sea as on land, bought the island in 1952 from naturalist Gavin Maxwell, with whom he had previously hunted basking sharks across the Hebrides. The pair operated a shark oil processing plant on Soay, harvesting the prized liver oil of the massive creatures. For over two centuries, these gentle giants were hunted in west coast waters for the commodity. Agents Strutt & Parker described the listing as an 'extremely rare opportunity', noting the property includes a 'large portion' of the island in one of the most dramatic settings in the western Highlands. 'The Island of Soay is located in one of the most dramatic settings in the western highlands, located in the middle of Loch Scavaig,' the listing reads. 'Lying in the shadow of the iconic Black Cuillin mountains of Skye to the north, the island also enjoys panoramic views to the mountains of Knoydart and Ardnamurchan in the east. The other Inner Hebridean islands of Eigg, Muck, Rhum and Canna also provide an interesting seascape to the west.' The house, a traditional stone and slate building set on the shore of Camus nan Gall, includes two public rooms downstairs and two bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. A former meeting hall has been added to the southern gable. While the property is in need of full renovation, it sits near a cluster of buildings owned by other parties. Access to Soay is by boat from Elgol on Skye. Geddes, who died in 1998, was no ordinary islander. A former boxer, knife thrower and rum runner, he once trained at Meoble Lodge near Lochailort, a Second World War special operations base, where he met Maxwell. Their shark-hunting adventures later became the stuff of legend. In his autobiography Hebridean Sharker, Geddes recounted how they initially hunted using little more than hand harpoons: 'In retrospect some of our early hand harpoons appeared ridiculously inadequate; we might as well have tried to catch a shark with a kitchen fork.' He added: 'Should I live to be a hundred, I will never forget the sight of towing my first shark into Mallaig harbour.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Life on the island also inspired others. Island on the Edge, a memoir by Anne Cholawo, chronicles her decision to move to Soay from London, revealing the unique challenges and magic of life on the edge of civilisation. The land for sale includes a rich mix of pasture, rough grazing, woodland and eight named hill lochs. Agents say it offers outstanding potential for environmental and woodland schemes, as well as opportunities to enjoy the area's 'natural capital'. 'There is also a population of red deer on Soay which offers some stalking for sport and management purposes,' they added. Sailing enthusiasts may also find themselves drawn to the site, thanks to an 'extremely sheltered natural harbour' to the north east of the house.
The National
2 days ago
- Business
- The National
Half an island owned by famous Scottish shark hunter for sale
Tex Geddes was an author, adventurer, and boxer who made Soay, off the isle of Skye, his home after buying the island from his business partner, the naturalist Gavin Maxwell, in 1952. The pair hunted basking sharks around the Inner and Outer Hebrides, which Geddes wrote in his memoir Hebridean Sharker, as he ran a processing plant on Soay to process the oil found in their liver. The home of Geddes, who died in 1998 while returning from a bagpiping competition in the Outer Hebrides, has been put up for sale by his family. READ MORE: Scottish Government receives more than 80 inquiries into projects for Grangemouth The sale includes around 1500 acres of croftland, which equates to around 60% of the island, with an asking price of offers over £975,000. Agents Strutt & Parker, who are selling the property on behalf of the family, said: 'The Island of Soay is located in one of the most dramatic settings in the western highlands, located in the middle of Loch Scavaig 'Lying in the shadow of the iconic Black Cuillin mountains of Skye to the north, the island also enjoys panoramic views to the mountains of Knoydart and Ardnamurchan in the east. 'The other inner Hebridean islands of Eigg, Much, Rhum and Canna also provide an interesting sea scape to the west.' Geddes' former home, which is described as needing complete upgrading, sits on the shore of Camus nan Gall. The house is built with traditional materials of stone and slate, with two public rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the first floor. A former meeting place or hall has been built onto the southern gable. Soay is accessed by boat from Elgol on Skye. Geddes, who was also regarded as a boxer, a knife thrower and rum runner, bought the island with his wife Jeanne. He met his business partner, Maxwell, at Meoble Lodge, near Lochailort, while on a special operations training base during the Second World War. (Image: Carla Smith / SWNS) In his autobiography 'Hebridean Sharker', Geddes described harpooning a 'great number of sharks first of all with hand harpoons' with Maxwell, much in the 'fashion of Moby Dick'. He added: 'In retrospect, some of our early hand harpoons appeared ridiculously inadequate; we might as well have tried to catch a shark with a kitchen fork.' Geddes, who was originally from Peterhead, said he would never forget the spectacle of towing his first shark into Mallaig harbour even if he lived to be 100 years old.
Scotsman
3 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
Large part of Scottish island owned by famed shark hunter for sale
Tex Geddes was a legendary shark hunter - plus boxer, knife thrower and all round adventurer - who made his life on Soay in the Inner Hebrides. Sign up to our History and Heritage newsletter 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... The home of a famed shark hunter in Scotland - and a large part of the island where he lived and worked - has come up for sale. Tex Geddes made his home on Soay, off the isle of Skye, after buying the island from his business partner, the naturalist Gavin Maxwell, in 1952. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The pair hunted basking sharks around the Inner and Outer Hebrides and ran a processing plant on Soay to process the lucrative oil found in their liver, with the animals hunted in west coast waters for more than 200 years for the commodity. Now, the house of Tex Geddes, who died in 1998, is being sold on by his family. The sale includes around 1,500 acres of croftland - around 60 per cent of the entire island - with offers over £975,000 sought for the property. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Agents Strutt & Parker said the sale was an 'extremely rare opportunity' to buy the property, which covered a 'large portion' of Soay. A statement said: 'The Island of Soay is located in one the most dramatic settings in the western highlands, located in the middle of Loch Scavaig 'Lying in the shadow of the iconic Black Cuillin mountains of Skye to the north, the island also enjoys panoramic views to the mountains of Knoydart and Ardnamurchan in the east. 'The other inner Hebridean islands of Eigg, Much, Rhum and Canna also provide an interesting sea scape to the west.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Geddes' former home, which is in need of complete upgrading, sits on the shore of Camus nan Gall, where 'various other properties' owned by third parties can be found. The house is traditional stone and slate, with two public rooms on the ground floor and two bedrooms and bathroom on the first floor. A former meeting place or hall has been built onto the southern gable. Access to Soay is by boat from Elgol on Skye. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Geddes, who was also regarded as a boxer, a knife thrower and rum runner, bought Soay with his wife Jeanne. He earlier met Mr Maxwell at Meoble Lodge near Lochailort, a special operations training base during the Second World War. In his autobiography Hebridean Sharker, Mr Geddes, originally from Peterhead, described harpooning a 'great number of sharks first of all with hand harpoons' with Mr Maxwell, much in the 'fashion of Moby Dick'. He added: 'In retrospect some of our early hand harpoons appeared ridiculously inadequate; we might as well have tried to catch a shark with a kitchen fork.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Mr Geddes said he would never forget the spectacle of towing his first shark into Mallaig harbour 'should I live to be a hundred'. Life on Soay also became the theme of a book, Island on the Edge, written by Anne Cholawo, who relocated there from London. Agents said the new owners of the house and 1,500 acres of Soay would acquire an 'interesting mixture' of land, including pasture, rough grazing and woodlands - along with eight named hill lochs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad A statement added: 'The land provides an interesting habitat and topography and offers an excellent opportunity for a purchaser to explore environmental and woodland schemes and to enjoy the natural capital of the land and surroundings. 'There is also a population of red deer on Soay which offers some stalking for sport and management purposes.'
