It seems as if the dream of being king (or at least owner) of your own island never dies, and always makes good news copy. The Independent (UK) has come up with another one, giving it a little zing with the idea that it can be had for less than two-thirds the average price of a house in London.
The island, Pladda, is 31 miles from Glasgow and one mile from the isle of Arran, the nearest place with a shop, post office, hotel, other humans. On the other hand, the price is right at £350,000, or about $422,000. It comes with a five-bedroom house that may be a handyman special, a garden, a helipad and a lighthouse.
The lighthouse is low-maintenance; it’s fully automated, its lantern and lens have been replaced with solar-powered LEDs and the whole operation is run remotely from Edinburgh. The house, which used to be occupied by a lighthouse keeper “needs to be upgraded” according to the estate agent, who added that it also has “extensive range of traditional outbuildings with development potential.”
The island is just under 30 acres, six of which can be used for grazing, if you happen to have sheep handy. The big attraction might be the wildlife; the island sees many species of birds including Arctic terns, turnstones, shags and a variety of gulls. There have also been sightings of otters, seals and basking sharks.
