Highland island of Tanera Mor up for sale

AN 800-acre Scottish private island with seven miles of coastline, “stunning” views of the Outer Hebrides and Highlands, and its own private postal service has gone up for sale for just under £2 million.

Tanera Mor is up for sale. Picture: Contributed

The Isle of Tanera Mor, which features nine dwellings and over 150,000 trees, is around 1.5 miles from the village of Achiltibuie. It is the only inhabited island on the Summer Isles archipelago off the northwest coast.

The island is described by selling agents Savills as offering “the mystique, privacy, tranquillity and charm associated with island life”.

The sale schedule describes Tanera Mor as a haven for aquatic wildlife, as well as a variety of plants and insects. Savills claim: “The natural topography of the island creates a wide range of habitats, and the past and present sensitive management maintains and encourages its diversity of flora, insects and birds.

“A great variety of wildlife visits the island and otters are often seen playing in the turquoise waters on the rocky foreshore along the south-east corner of the island whilst the more dramatic west coast attracts a variety of seabirds including Arctic terns, great northern divers, grebes and little auks.”

Any prospective owners of the island could find themselves acting as postmen, ferrying mail to and from the mainland as part of the islands’ private postal service.

The Summer Isles postal service has been in operation since 1970, with stamps from the post considered highly collectible. Savills write: “The current owners’ boat operates as a post boat, delivering the island’s mail to the Royal Mail Post Office at Achiltibuie and returning with postal items.”

The island, believed to be one of the inspirations for the Summerisle setting of horror classic The Wicker Man, is available for offers over £1,950,000.