Entering the market is Inclonaig Island, a place with 7,000 years of history, amazing topography and even (relatively) easy transportation. Toby Keel looks on.
For some people, a car is just a means of getting from point A to point B, and the Ford Fiesta will do just as well as the Aston Martin.
For others, food is just a means to nourish the body, which is equally achievable with a few cans from the supermarket and gourmet food at a Michelin-starred restaurant.
And in the same way, there are people among us for whom the house is just a convenient place where you can hide from the weather and rest at night. A studio apartment will do the same as a large country house.
Do you belong to any of these categories? Given what you’re reading rural life probably not now: we’ve always been happy celebrating the best things in life, from delightful to delightful to hopelessly romantic. And it is in this last category that today’s property falls: a wonderful opportunity to buy your own island for the price of a country house in Sydenham, namely £995,000.
The island is mostly forested, down to the beaches, but there are also more open areas that reflect its former use as pasture.
The island in question is called Inchlonaig Island, a truly magnificent 182-acre spot on the map in Loch Lomond itself. It’s a dream place, mostly covered in mature forest, including about 800 yew trees, but also boasting more open space and the bays and bays you’d expect.
Cottage with two bedrooms on the island of Inclonig. The agents haven’t shared any internal images that… well, that usually tell you everything you need to know. Get ready for some renovation work.
Just to be clear, apart from the natural wonder overlooking the lake and Ben Lomond, this is also a place where you can live. Some islands are pure wilderness—and should remain so—but Inklonig has a two-bedroom cottage and its own marina. Almost unbelievable, this makes it convenient: Luss is about a mile across the water, from where you can take the main A82 and be in Glasgow in less than an hour.
The morning commute starts off better than most…
The island also has an interesting history, from Neolithic remains dating back to 5000 BC to local legend that Robert the Bruce himself grew yews here in 14th century. Those who are inclined to cynicism might think that the latter is a kind of assertion that is fairly easy to make and impossible to prove in one way or another; and links to the Bruce – a medieval Scottish response to the True Cross fragments. However, there are some good reasons to believe this may be true: yew was indeed the bow material of choice for Bruce’s archers; The role of Inclonaig in providing wood for the bows used at Bannockburn has been known for centuries; and the name Inchlonaig even means “island of yew trees”.
An attentive person will notice one of the abandoned both, to the right of center in this picture.
But this is the island’s past. What about his future? Well, in recent years it has been used for rental purposes and plans have been made to redevelop the three abandoned houses that are on the island. These plans have not yet gone through any of the required consent processes; in addition, the island is disconnected from the network – there are no services to the cottage.
Cameron Ewer of Savills calls it “an incredible and rare opportunity” to be part of Scottish history, as well as “to enjoy the scenic surroundings of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park”. Inklonaig Island is perhaps the best retreat and special sale.”
“Very special” seems to speak for itself and we are sure whoever the new owner will want to keep the immense charm of this beautiful and historic little island. People have been coming to Inklonaig for 7,000 years, and we would like to imagine that it will remain more or less the same for another 7,000 years.
Inclonaig Island is being sold through Savills for over £995,000 – see more details and photos.
Lochgarten, Cairngorms Credit: Lochgarten, Cairngorms – Scotland – Alamy
Fiona Reynolds laments the lack of national parks in Scotland and explains why creating new ones would be beneficial
There are 30,000 lakes in Scotland, but only one lake: Lake Menteith, Trossachs. Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
A moment of reflection on a canceled pub quiz has Martin Fonnet thinking about the only lake in Scotland.
Black Mountain near Loch Lomond. 1 credit
Annunziata Elwes looks at the magnificent view from Beinn Dubh, which is located in the Luss Hills in Argyll and
Earlshall Castle near St. Andrews, Fife. 1 credit
We take a look at the best castles, country houses and estates for sale in Scotland.
