Yours for £325k, Scottish island with a ghoulish past
Isolated lighthouse tainted by infamous murder and suicide
ADvENTuROuS househunters can snap up their own 29-acre island for the price of a semi – if they can stomach its grisly past.
Little Ross Island, off the coast of south-west Scotland, is on the market for just £325,000, which is around the average asking price for properties in England and Wales.
But the isolated spot, north of the Isle of Man, became the focus of national interest almost 60 years ago after a murder in its 19th- century lighthouse.
In August 1960, two visitors to the island discovered the body of interim lighthouse keeper Hugh Clark, who had been shot.
Robert Dickson, another relief keeper taking on the duty while the principal keeper was on holiday, had fled the island, but after a nationwide hunt he was caught in Yorkshire and sentenced to hang for the crime. He was reprieved shortly before his execution and given life imprisonment, but took his own life two years later.
The lighthouse tower, which is not included in the sale as it is still operational, was first lit in 1843 and became fully automated in 1961 – the year after the murder.
The listing for the 29-acre site includes a six-bedroom cottage and courtyard, three ‘ruinous’ barns and a pebbly beach. But the island is completely off the grid, with power coming from solar panels and a wind turbine.
Whoever snaps it up will be able to access the island only via private boat or helicopter.
The lighthouse tower was
‘We expect a lot of interest’
built in 1843 to close the gap between others at the Mull of galloway and Southerness. It is now owned and managed by the Commissioners for Northern Lighthouses, who make regular maintenance visits throughout the year.
David Corrie, senior associate at Castle Douglas property firm galbraith said Little Ross Island, off the coast of Dumfries and galloway, offered ‘fantastic development potential’.
He said: ‘Back in the 1900s, the island was home to the head lighthouse keeper, underkeeper and their families, extending to 16 people, with a small dairy and piggery to provide subsistence for this family community.
‘With a bit of TLC, the properties on the island could be turned into something truly stunning, with Little Ross Island once again being the perfect island retreat for future generations to enjoy.’ He added: ‘Private islands rarely come up for sale at an affordable price, and particularly ones with a habitable house and additional properties. given the exciting prospect Little Ross Island presents, we expect a lot of interest from all over the uK as well as abroad.”
This is not the only Scottish island on the market.
The Isle of ulva, which is the second-largest in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, is available – but only millionaires who want to get away from it all need apply, as it has the rather heftier price tag of £4.25million.