Complete with helipad, private pier and holiday homes that sleep 52, Shuna Island is already attracting global interest – and no wonder, when the architect’s plans went down with the TITANIC
Fancy owning your own Scottish island complete with a romantic ruined castle and 9,000 years of extraordinary history? Well, now’s your chance – if you’ve got a spare £5.5 million lying around.
Shuna Island, spanning approximately 1,110 acres off Scotland’s rugged west coast, has hit the market for the first time since 1946, and it’s already causing quite the stir among the world’s ultra-wealthy.
Estate agents Sotheby’s International Realty are calling it a “truly rare offering, rich in heritage, natural wonder and possibility” – and that’s putting it mildly.
From Stone Age burial mounds to Iron Age ritual swords, from visits by saints to adventures worthy of Ernest Shackleton, this isn’t just any old island. It’s a slice of Scottish history you can actually buy.
The Castle That Titanic Built – Or Rather, Didn’t
At the heart of the island sits the hauntingly beautiful ruins of Shuna Castle, and the story behind it is as dramatic as any Highland legend.
Built in the early 20th century by New Zealand adventurer George Buckley – fresh from Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod expedition to Antarctica – the 50-room turreted mansion was meant to be even grander.
But in a twist of fate worthy of a Hollywood film, the castle’s architect was sailing to New York with plans to sell more Scottish castles to wealthy Americans when disaster struck. He went down with the Titanic in 1912, taking the blueprints with him to the ocean floor.
“I guess that just having the flat roof was not a terribly good design feature in Scotland,” current owner Jim Gully told Bloomberg with typical Scottish understatement about why the castle eventually fell to ruin in the 1980s.
A Real-Life Downton Abbey Setting
But this isn’t just about a crumbling castle. The island boasts eight residential properties with 27 bedrooms that can house up to 52 people – perfect for your own Highland house parties.
The properties include the charming Shuna Farmhouse (the current owners’ main residence), plus holiday cottages with quaint names like ‘The Garden House’, ‘Oakwood Cottage’ and ‘The Forge’.
And unlike many remote Scottish islands that require treacherous boat journeys in howling gales, Shuna is surprisingly accessible. It’s just a 30-minute helicopter flight from Glasgow Airport, with its own helipad and private pier for those preferring to arrive by yacht.
“It is very accessible, that is actually very key,” Tom Stewart-Moore from Knight Frank told CNN. “This certainly stands above the rest. It feels like something of scale.”
Wildlife Paradise with Royal Connections
The island is “teeming with wildlife, from red and fallow deer to eagles and porpoises,” according to the estate agents. There’s also a flock of around 220 Beulah sheep roaming the land, with 81 acres of permanent pasture and 640 acres of rough grazing.
For the country sports enthusiast, there’s deer stalking and spectacular coastal views from the island’s 295-foot summit. The landscape is classic Hebridean drama – rocky cliffs, quiet coves, sandy beaches, and over 300 acres of native woodland.
And talk about royal connections – the island was gifted by Robert the Bruce to Clan Campbell in 1321, after being part of the ancient Gaelic kingdom of Dal Riata.
From Saints to Viscountesses: A Colourful History
The island’s history reads like a Scottish epic. Saint Columba himself is believed to have stopped here (the ancient text Vita Columbae mentions “Sainean Island” – thought to be Shuna).
In 1875, three rare Iron Age swords from the 8th century BC were discovered – part of a ritual hoard that signals “a culture rich in ritual and sacrifice,” according to historians.
By the 18th century, it was a thriving lime production centre with kilns and up to 100 residents. Then came the adventurers and aristocrats.
The current sellers have a story worthy of their own Netflix series. Viscountess Selby apparently walked into a London estate agency 80 years ago and asked if they had any islands for sale. She bought Shuna sight unseen!
Her son Edward Gully, now in his 90s, has farmed the land and run a successful holiday rental business but is finally ready to pass it on.
Eco-Paradise Meets Modern Luxury
Despite its remote feel, the island is surprisingly self-sufficient. It’s powered by an impressive renewable energy system including photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, battery storage and back-up generators.
The nearest village of Ardfern, just five miles south, offers a store, café, bakery, primary school, sailing club, and marina. The coastal resort town of Oban, 20 miles north, provides hospitals, train stations and ferry connections to other Hebridean islands.
Already Attracting Global Interest
Having been on the market for less than two weeks, Shuna has already drawn significant interest from potential buyers worldwide, according to Knight Frank.
Will Matthews, head of Farms and Estates at Knight Frank, can barely contain his excitement: “Islands always have their draw, and Shuna is no different. It is the most beautiful place with stunning views, diverse landscapes, an abundance of wildlife, and everything you would expect from the glorious west coast of Scotland.”
“The opportunities are endless, and particularly with the scope that the old castle offers, it would be the most incredible project!”
Your Own Scottish Kingdom Awaits
Edward Gully hopes a family or someone with fresh ideas will take over, perhaps creating an eco-tourism resort. The castle has potential for redevelopment (subject to planning rules), offering the chance to restore this architectural gem to its former glory.
For the price of a London townhouse, you could own an entire island steeped in millennia of Scottish history, complete with your own castle, pristine beaches, abundant wildlife, and enough holiday homes to invite half your Facebook friends.
As one estate agent put it: “For those people, it’s surely someone’s fantasy escape.”
Just remember to budget for a new roof on the castle. After all, this is Scotland.
