Exciting times here at Country Life as, once again, the opportunity has arisen to buy a Scottish Island. Would you like to buy an island? I would like to buy an island. I don’t have the money, nor do I really know what I would do with an island, but such is the human condition that I am convinced — convinced — I need one.
The island in question is called Sanda Island and it is off the Mull of Kintyre (not to be confused with the song by Wings, of course). It is for sale with Knight Frank for the (in my opinion, very reasonable, because it is an entire island) sum of £2.5 million or more.
And the good news just keeps on coming. Because included in the sale of Sanda Island, are in fact two further islands: Sheep Island and Glunimore Island. In total, the operation is about 453 acres in total, which is plenty of space to start your plans for world domination and killing James Bond, beginning a cult, or whatever else a private island is used for.
You might be thinking: ‘Yes a wonderful idea to have one’s own island, but is there somewhere to sleep?’ The good news is that there isn’t one place to sleep, but rather seven. On the northern tip are four residential properties, with three more on the southern tip, next to the lighthouse — the last thing you need is an oil tanker or nuclear submarine bashing into your house while you sleep. Accommodation wise, your island, should you choose to buy it, can sleep 26 people in its current state.
They aren’t shacks either, as the current owners have refurbished the majority of the houses and installed double glazing, new showers and underfloor heating. They aren’t necessarily of the highest standards when it comes to interior design, but they are functional. There is also a tavern on the island, so you won’t have to worry about not having a pub to go to, although of course you would be serving yourself. But it’s the idea that counts.
Of course the main reason (beyond the whole supervillain lair/James Bond thing) that you would buy an island such as this one is to get involved in nature. On the island itself, there are some deer and 55 black-faced sheep. On the wilder side of things, you can expect to see puffins, storm petrels, razorbills, manx shearwater, kittiwake, gulls and, of course, cute fat seals.
If, after reading this, you are inspired to purchase this island, I make only one request: please invite me over for a visit.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
A £13 million Wiltshire mansion where Nancy Mitford and Siegfried Sassoon once partied with 'the brightest of the Bright Young Things'
After Wilford Manor's glory days in the 1920s it became a near-wreck with a tree was growing out of one of
Spectacular Scottish castles and estates for sale
A look at the finest castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland today.
Log cabins, beachside masterpieces and a house with its own cave: Nine incredible homes for sale around the world
Our pick of some of the best international property to come up for sale via Country Life.
-
The King's favourite tea, conclave and spring flowers: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 22, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day blows smoke, tells the time and more.
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
-
London is the place for me* (*the discerning property buyer)
With more buyers looking at London than anywhere else, is the 'race for space' finally over?
-
What's a 'wellness village' and will it tempt you back into the office?The team behind London's first mixed-use ‘wellness village’ says it has the magic formula for tempting workers back into offices.
-
A mini estate in Kent that's so lovely it once featured in Simon Schama's 'History of Britain'The Paper Mill estate is a picture-postcard in the Garden of England.
-
Hidden excellence in a £7.5 million north London homeBehind the traditional façades of Provost Road, you will find something very special.
-
Sip tea and laugh at your neighbours in this seaside Norfolk home with a watchtowerOn Cliff Hill in Gorleston, one home is taller than all the others. It could be yours.
-
A Grecian masterpiece that might be one of the nation's finest homes comes up for sale in KentGrade I-listed Holwood House sits in 40 acres of private parkland just 15 miles from central London. It is spectacular.
-
Some of the finest landscapes in the North of England with a 12-bedroom home attachedUpper House in Derbyshire shows why the Kinder landscape was worth fighting for.
-
Could Gruber's Antiques from Paddington 2 be your new Notting Hill home?It was the home of Mr Gruber and his antiques in the film, but in the real world, Alice's Antiques could be yours.
