Latest news with #ScottishIsland
The Irish Sun
03-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
The UK island where wallabies roam free with plans for new holiday lodge to open
DID you know there's an island in Scotland where wallabies roam free? Inchconnachan Island is surrounded by the fresh waters of Loch Lomon and it's unofficial name is Wallaby Island thanks to the animals that live there. 4 A colony have been living on the island for 85 years 4 It's possible to visit the island by boat, kayak and canoe Credit: Adobe Stock/Dominic Walter A colony of red-necked It was said that Lady Arran transported the animals from her home in Hertfordshire where she also kept pot-bellied pigs, llamas and alpacas. The wallabies, which are native to Australia, have survived on the island by eating oak, holly and birch trees. The number of wallabies on the island is not confirmed, some reports say there are as many as 60 with others as few as 7. Read More on Scottish Islands Over the years, in their 85 years on the island, wallabies have adapted to the Scottish climate. They've even been seen hopping across the frozen loch at certain times of the year. Visitors can visit Wallaby Island for free, but to get there comes at a cost. There are no public ferries that head over to the island, so anyone wanting to see the wallabies has to make their own way over. Most read in News Travel It's possible to get to the island via private boats, kayaks, paddleboards or canoes from the nearby village of Luss. Wild camping is permitted on Wallaby Island, as long as campers leave everything the way they found it. Bizarre Scottish Island mysteriously covered in Gnomes 4 There could soon be a holiday home on Wallaby Island Credit: Flickr/ FionaG999 However, in years to come, there could be a holiday home on the island. In 2020, Scottish TV and radio presenter And in January 2025, the pair were granted permission to build a holiday lodge on Wallaby Island. The plans were met with controversy from the public, with an online petition against the building work gaining over 100,000 signatures. A spokesperson for the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority said the planning permission "will have no implications for the wallabies on the island." The plans are to build a holiday lodge which will be for short-stay rentals as well as a new boathouse and a jetty so that guests can get onto the island. The old timber bungalow once owned by Lady Arran will be demolished. There will be a new natural wet woodland created during the works, which is to improve the biodiversity of the island. One man has been island hopping around Scotland, and And the group of 4 Inchconnachan Island is nicknamed Wallaby Island Credit: Getty
CNN
25-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Private Scottish island with ruined castle goes on sale for $7.5 million
An entire Scottish island complete with a ruined castle is up for sale for the princely sum of £5.5 million ($7.48 million). Shuna Island, which sits just off the west coast of Scotland, is being sold for the first time in 80 years, according to listings from estate agents Knight Frank and Sotheby's International Realty. Tom Stewart-Moore, a partner at the Knight Frank office in Edinburgh, told CNN that a number of Scottish islands are sold each year, but Shuna stands out for its size at 1,100 acres. 'This certainly stands above the rest,' he said on Tuesday. 'It feels like something of scale.' And while Scotland has a plethora of small private islands that could serve as boltholes for the ultra-wealthy, most are very hard to get to. Not so for Shuna Island, according to Stewart-Moore, who highlighted the island's relative accessibility: it is just a 30-minute helicopter flight from Glasgow Airport. 'It is very accessible, that is actually very key,' said Stewart-Moore. The island is currently home to eight residential properties, seven of which are used as holiday lets, as well as the ruins of a castle built in the early 20th century by former owner George Buckley, a soldier and adventurer from New Zealand. The castle is 'in an unbelievable position,' said Stewart-Moore. 'The views really are breathtaking,' he said, adding that the ruins could be redeveloped by the new owners into a new principal residence, dependent on planning permission. The island is home to a mixture of native woodland, rough grazing and parkland, he added, as well as boasting both rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. It is also home to various hills that offer 'amazing aspects looking in all directions,' he said. As for potential buyers, Stewart-Moore identified two main groups: those who see the island as a 'trophy asset' where they can spend time in complete privacy, and those who would look to develop its potential for holiday lets, ecotourism or sporting retreats. 'The opportunities are relatively wide on this one,' he said. Shuna Island has been on the market for less than two weeks and has already drawn significant interest from potential buyers from around the world, said Stewart-Moore.
CTV News
24-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Private Scottish island with ruined castle goes on sale for US$7.5 million
An entire Scottish island complete with a ruined castle is up for sale for the princely sum of £5.5 million (US$7.48 million). Shuna Island, which sits just off the west coast of Scotland, is being sold for the first time in 80 years, according to listings from estate agents Knight Frank and Sotheby's International Realty. Tom Stewart-Moore, a partner at the Knight Frank office in Edinburgh, told CNN that a number of Scottish islands are sold each year, but Shuna stands out for its size at 1,100 acres. 'This certainly stands above the rest,' he said on Tuesday. 'It feels like something of scale.' And while Scotland has a plethora of small private islands that could serve as boltholes for the ultra-wealthy, most are very hard to get to. Not so for Shuna Island, according to Stewart-Moore, who highlighted the island's relative accessibility: it is just a 30-minute helicopter flight from Glasgow Airport. 'It is very accessible, that is actually very key,' said Stewart-Moore. The island is currently home to eight residential properties, seven of which are used as holiday lets, as well as the ruins of a castle built in the early 20th century by former owner George Buckley, a soldier and adventurer from New Zealand. The castle is 'in an unbelievable position,' said Stewart-Moore. 'The views really are breathtaking,' he said, adding that the ruins could be redeveloped by the new owners into a new principal residence, dependent on planning permission. The island is home to a mixture of native woodland, rough grazing and parkland, he added, as well as boasting both rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. It is also home to various hills that offer 'amazing aspects looking in all directions,' he said. As for potential buyers, Stewart-Moore identified two main groups: those who see the island as a 'trophy asset' where they can spend time in complete privacy, and those who would look to develop its potential for holiday lets, ecotourism or sporting retreats. 'The opportunities are relatively wide on this one,' he said. Shuna Island has been on the market for less than two weeks and has already drawn significant interest from potential buyers from around the world, said Stewart-Moore. By Jack Guy, CNN
Sky News
24-06-2025
- Business
- Sky News
'Rare offering': Entire Scottish island with ruined castle goes on sale for £5.5m
An entire Scottish island, complete with a ruined castle and several holiday homes, has gone on sale for £5.5m. Shuna Island spans approximately 1,110 acres and is on sale for the first time after being held by the same family for 80 years. Estate agents Sotheby's International Realty said the island was a "truly rare offering, rich in heritage, natural wonder and possibility". The island features the remains of Shuna Castle, an early 20th-century structure with panoramic coastal views, as well as eight residential properties which can house 52 people. The historic castle also has the potential for redevelopment, subject to planning rules, according to the estate agent. The island also supports livestock farming and "is teeming with wildlife, from red and fallow deer to eagles and porpoises", it said. The island's traditions also include country sports and deer stalking, it added. The island is powered by a renewable energy system with photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, battery storage and back-up generators. It also has a private pier, slipways for boats and a helipad.
CNN
24-06-2025
- Business
- CNN
Private Scottish island with ruined castle goes on sale for $7.5 million
An entire Scottish island complete with a ruined castle is up for sale for the princely sum of £5.5 million ($7.48 million). Shuna Island, which sits just off the west coast of Scotland, is being sold for the first time in 80 years, according to listings from estate agents Knight Frank and Sotheby's International Realty. Tom Stewart-Moore, a partner at the Knight Frank office in Edinburgh, told CNN that a number of Scottish islands are sold each year, but Shuna stands out for its size at 1,100 acres. 'This certainly stands above the rest,' he said on Tuesday. 'It feels like something of scale.' And while Scotland has a plethora of small private islands that could serve as boltholes for the ultra-wealthy, most are very hard to get to. Not so for Shuna Island, according to Stewart-Moore, who highlighted the island's relative accessibility: it is just a 30-minute helicopter flight from Glasgow Airport. 'It is very accessible, that is actually very key,' said Stewart-Moore. The island is currently home to eight residential properties, seven of which are used as holiday lets, as well as the ruins of a castle built in the early 20th century by former owner George Buckley, a soldier and adventurer from New Zealand. The castle is 'in an unbelievable position,' said Stewart-Moore. 'The views really are breathtaking,' he said, adding that the ruins could be redeveloped by the new owners into a new principal residence, dependent on planning permission. The island is home to a mixture of native woodland, rough grazing and parkland, he added, as well as boasting both rocky shorelines and sandy beaches. It is also home to various hills that offer 'amazing aspects looking in all directions,' he said. As for potential buyers, Stewart-Moore identified two main groups: those who see the island as a 'trophy asset' where they can spend time in complete privacy, and those who would look to develop its potential for holiday lets, ecotourism or sporting retreats. 'The opportunities are relatively wide on this one,' he said. Shuna Island has been on the market for less than two weeks and has already drawn significant interest from potential buyers from around the world, said Stewart-Moore.
