If the commute is grinding you down or you're sick of battling the crowds in your local supermarket, perhaps it's time to explore an alternative reality... and move to the far reaches of the Scottish Hebrides and move to an island – off another island. After all, who needs other people when you have landscapes as dramatic as these?!
A Scottish island croft off the northwest cast of the island of Lismore in Argyll has come up for sale, spanning just under 10 acres.
The sale is headed up by The Estates Office Argyll and Knight Frank, who have suggested that the site is a perfect opportunity for camping and rewilding. Accessible only by boat or helicopter, there's a sheltered anchorage with 1km of shore frontage. Boats can reach it from the public slipway at Port Appin on the mainland, or from a private jetty at Port Ramsay on Lismore.
Eilean Loch Oscair is a registered croft, so the crofter has a duty to maintain and manage it for a useful purpose. There is an opportunity to rear livestock here, as there is a water supply from a spring. It has been idenitified as being within a Remote Countryside Area, which only allows for limited development. In this case, it would be restricted to agriculture, aquaculture, or other recognised countryside activities. The island croft is currently for sale for offers over £125,000.
Lismore itself has a fascinating history, once a major hub of Celtic Christianity. It remains home to several ancient religious ruins and 13th-century castles. As for amenities, Lismore has a village store with post office, a heritage centre and village hall – as well as a passenger ferry and vehicular ferry. You can reach Lismore by ferry from Port Appin or Oban, both of which have many amenities.
