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This stunning Scottish island could be yours for £325,000 — if you can overlook its gruesome past

FRONT Ross Island 18
FRONT Ross Island 18

Galbraith

Fancy a small slice of Scotland? Little Ross Island, a 29-acre island off the coast of south west Scotland, has just gone on sale for £325,000. That's less than the average price of a first-time buyer home in London.

There's a catch, of course. The remote island is actually most famous for a high-profile murder case. It made headlines in 1960, when visitors discovered the body of then lighthouse keeper Hugh Clark, who had been murdered by his colleague Robert Dickson. Dickson was sentenced to hang for the murder, but later had his punishment reduced to life imprisonment.

Despite its gruesome past, Little Ross Island can still be considered a bargain. Scottish property agent Galbraith is managing the sale (see the full listing here) on behalf of its current owner the St Mary’s Isle Estate. It is now accepting offers over £325,000.

The island is steeped in history. It is home to a working lighthouse tower which was designed and built by Alan Stevenson and first lit in the 1800s. The light, along with Buchan Ness and the Rhinns of Islay, was hailed by William Thomson (later Lord Kelvin) as being "undoubtedly the three best revolving lights in the world."

The Galbraith sale price includes the original six-bedroom lighthouse keeper’s cottage, which is in need of refurbishment, as well as three B-listed ruinous barns.

The lighthouse itself, which is still owned and managed by the Commissioner for Northern Lighthouses, is not included in the deal. As it's fully automated, though, only a few site visits a year are made by the local harbour master.

lighthouse .JPG
lighthouse .JPG

Galbraith

Located just off Meikle Ross headland on the mainland, the island is only accessible by private boat or helicopter. There are sheltered moorings on the north and a more modern slipway on the north-west of the island.

The nearest mainland airport, Prestwick Airport, is 70 miles away, while the M74 motorway is about 57 miles away. Dumfries and Lockerbie are the closest train stations. Both Glasgow and Edinburgh, with their international airports, are around 100 miles away.

Ross Island 4  BACK COVER
Ross Island 4 BACK COVER

Galbraith

David Corrie, senior associate at Galbraith, 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.

"Private islands rarely come up for sale at an affordable price and particularly one 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."

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