Farmer buys Scotland's '˜island gem' Rudh-A-Chruidh for £1m

A retired farmer has bought one of the smallest island gems on Scotland's western seaboard for almost £1 milliion.

The tidal island is attached to the tip of Kerrera. Picture: Savills

Adventurer Ben Fogle tweeted about his dream of owning four acre Rudh-A-Chruidh island, in Oban Bay,when it was put on the market earlier this year.

Posting a photograph of the island on his Twitter page Mr Fogle tweeted to his 137,000 followers: “I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want *spoken like the Spice Girls*#zigazagah.”

Twitter followers then urged the presenter of Channel 5’s New Lives In The Wild to follow his dream and buy the island, which was on the market for offers over £950,000.

The four-acre island comes with its own helipad and boathouse. Picture: Savills

However, it emerged yesterday that a retired farmer from Beauly, had beaten the TV star to it. Lanarkshire businessman David Hamilton, the island’s previous owner, confirmed he has sold the island for “near enough the asking price.”

Mr Hamilton said that although Fogle had not put in an offer, there had been “tremendous interest” from potential buyers for the tidal island, which is attached to the tip of the isle of Kerrera.

Mr Hamilton, who demolished the only house on Rudh-A-Chruidh, an old bungalow, to make way for a stunning architect designed home, owned the island, which has its own helipad and boathouse, for six years.

He said he sold it because other commitments meant he and his wife, Grace, did not have as much time as they had hoped to visit it and added: “It was a great project, I really enjoyed the building and I am delighted that the island has gone to somebody local that knows the area and has the time to enjoy it, more than we did.”

The four-acre island comes with its own helipad and boathouse. Picture: Savills

Explaining the attraction of Rudh-A-Chruidh, Mr Hamilton said: “The island is very tranquil, you seriously feel as though there is no pressure there, no hassle, it’s perfect peace and tranquillity.”

Mr Hamilton, a keen sailor, fought off international interest to buy the island in 2010 for £426,000 and after demolishing the existing bungalow commissioned his new home in 2012.

The house, designed by Mull landscape architect Norman Hickson, has a distinct maritime influence.

Mr Hickson said: “The relationship between the building and the water was a most important consideration and I wanted the occupants to stand in the kitchen and look out the window and feel like the building had its feet in the water.”

Mr Hamilton added: “It’s a nice house, built to a high standard, but my business interests have not let me use it enough.”