Friends wanted: Ulva manse all ready for new family
Ulva is looking for a new family to boost its population and bring its youngest inhabitants more playmates, writes Kathie Griffiths.
With just a full-time population of 10, the island is taking interest from families wanting to be the next occupants of the newly renovated four-bedroom manse.
The deadline is Sunday May 21 when a criteria list will be checked off to find the best suited occupants-to-be. Priority will be given to anyone living and working nearby and in need of housing.
The manse was one of six properties recently regenerated on the island and is now the last to look for tenants.
“You don’t have to work on Ulva to live here, it’s commutable to Mull. It might not be for everyone but there’s plenty of plus points, like lots of space and freedom which makes it a particularly wonderful place for children to be. The manse is a family-size house, so we’re hoping it might bring more playmates for our youngest residents,” said Ulva development manager Wendy Reid.
Other island properties raising the island’s profile includes community-owned Cragaig
Bothy on the south side of the island. It got a telly spot earlier this year when Mull’s own interior designer guru Banjo Beale gave it a funky facelift as part of his six-part BBC Two series - Designing the Hebrides.
Although there is no road to the simple bothy and it lacks electricity, it does have a great view over the sea to Iona, Staffa and the Treshnish Islands, and a sunny yellow door thanks to Banjo who was winner of BBC’s Interior Design Masters in 2022.
At a cost of £80 a night, for a minimum of three nights, the formerly crumbling bothy managed by Island Holiday Cottages, is peaking interest after its TV slot.
And Ardalum Hostel, with its 14 beds, has also just opened to visitors for the new season after being taken on as a lockdown project by Andy and Yvette Primrose who live on Gometra, a tiny neighbouring island connected to Ulva by a short causeway.
The couple, who have the former shooting lodge on long lease from the community, have spent the last three years getting it ready - with the help of friends and Oban electrician Colin MacNiven.
It was a big task that included rewiring the whole building, putting in new carpets and making the roof leak proof but it will all be worthwhile, becoming “a game changer” for tourists wanting to stay longer on Ulva.
“Finding somewhere to stay on Ulva wasn’t that easy in the past so people would come over only as day trippers. Having the hostel back open is a game changer because more people can stay over now. We’ve even had a couple close to home from Dervaig on Mull stop with us. It’s opening up the island more to more people,” said Andy.
He added: “It’s great to have people in the hostel, although it’s quite strange not having a paintbrush permanently in my hand,” said Andy.
Although it previously ran as a hostel, the building had to be completely rewired, re-carpeted and topped with a watertight roof - to list just some of the jobs that were on the to do list before it officially opened on Monday May 1.