The spectacular cottages overlooking picturesque Scottish island loch gifted by prized Shetland Pony breeder

National Trust for Scotland is selling off two properties on the island of Unst in Shetland which were gifted to the charity following the death of one of its much-loved residents.

Houlland House and Steading along with neighbouring Da Laggans Cottage in the Baltasound area of the island are now up for sale. They were part of a vast bequest left by Joy Sandison, who died in 2020, aged 90.

Ms Sandison, who ran a Shetland Pony stud of national importance, left nine parcels of land to the charity.

Funds raised by the sale of the two properties, which can be bought separately or together, will be spent on the ambitious National Trust for Scotland (NTS) renovation of nearby Halligarth House and Gardens, which also formed part of the bequest.

Houlland House and Steading at Baltasound is being sold for offers over £90,000, with nearby Da Laggans Cottage set to attract offers over £60,000. The properties, both which require complete renovation, overlook “stunning” Loch of Cliff with both having rights of access to the shoreline.

Houlland House and Steading in Unst is also now on the market with its sale to raise funds for NTS and a major conservation project on the island. | NTS

A statement from estate agent Bell Ingram, which is handling the sale, said: “Houlland House and Steading and Da Laggans Cottage are cared for by the National Trust for Scotland.

“The trust are seeking new owners who can bring these properties to life, while continuing to care for and preserve their architectural significance. The properties were originally part of the larger Gardie Estate and early census records shows Houlland House inhabited as far back as 1841. Both cottages are in need of complete renovation.”

The properties sit on the edge of "stunning" Loch of Cliff with new owners having access rights to the shoreline. | NTS

Due to the local significance of Da Laggans, the sale will be covered by a Conservation Agreement with NTS to “ensure that the successful purchaser renovates the cottage with sensitivity”. “An essential part of the agreement requires the new owner to have consent from National Trust for Scotland for any renovation works that are proposed,” a statement added.

All original elements will require to be retained and any changes are to be agreed in advance with the charity. Ms Sandison, who spent her childhood at Houlland, first approached NTS in 1996 to offer the charity her estate. Later, NTS described the gift as “extraordinarily generous”. Ms Sandison said she gifted the estate to “preserve it for the people of Shetland”.

A spokeswoman for NTS said the sale of the properties would support its project to restore Halligarth House and Gardens, which sits on the Buildings at Risk register and would open up as a visitor experience.

Hallgarth was once the home of the Saxby and Edmonton families - cousins of the Sandisons - a local dynasty of physicians and natural scientists who published works on the birds of Shetland, as well as undertaking pioneering conservation work. A spokeswoman for NTS said: “As the trust has no further use for the Houlland and Da Laggans buildings, which require considerable renovation, funds from the sale of these properties will be reinvested in the Trust’s Halligarth project.

“Halligarth, part of the gift from Miss Sanderson, was in a dilapidated state and was added to the trust’s Building at Risk register a number of years ago, along with other buildings and a large collection.

“The project is taking a phased approach to simplify the trust’s built liabilities whilst engaging with the community to deliver a lasting legacy for the Sanderson estate, and the trust from a land management and buildings perspective.”