Latest news with #JimGully
Times
26-06-2025
- Times
A castle on a private Scottish island? Yours for £5.5 million
I n 1946 the Dowager Viscountess Selby walked into a London estate agent's office and asked if they had any islands for sale. She and her family had been left shaken by the Second World War, during which her partner, Donald Wells, had served as an airborne pathfinder and become one of the first troops to parachute into France on D-Day. They were ready to quit the south of England and seek a fresh start in isolation somewhere far away. 'They must have thought she was eccentric,' says the viscountess's grandson Jim Gully, nearly 80 years on. 'But they said, we've got one island on the west coast of Scotland. Without ever having seen it, she bought Shuna and moved the whole family up. We've been there ever since.'
Daily Mirror
24-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Family put 'idyllic' island compete with own castle up for sale after 80 years
The incredible 1,110-acre Hebridean island, which can be found off the west coast of Scotland, is up for sale after the Gully family decided it was time for a change An 'idyllic' island compete with its own castle and white sand beaches coves has hit the market for £5.5million. The Gully family, who have owned the island for 80 years, have made the decision to sell up after originally buying it back in 1945. It also boasts a working farm and a holiday accommodation, and is found off the west coast of Scotland. The island is home to Shuna Castle, a striking early 20th-century building with panoramic coastal views which fell to ruins in the 1980s. Though partially collapsed, the site still holds significant redevelopment potential - and that could attract a buyer. "He's had 80 years of stewarding and looking after Shuna and trying to get all sorts of businesses going and has absolutely loved it the whole of his life," Jim Gully told BBC Scotland after announcing the family's decision to sell. "My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that." He added: "It's been a huge part for all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end, but tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage all of that and getting over to the island three or four times a week." Shuna is a working estate with a strong agricultural foundation. In-hand livestock farming continues on the island, which also teems with wildlife. Red deer, fallow deer, eagles and porpoises are among the regular inhabitants, and country sports such as deer stalking have long been part of its traditions. Infrastructure is already in place to support modern sustainable living. A renewable energy system powers the island with photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, battery storage and back-up generators, reports the Daily Record. Travel is also well accounted for, with a private pier, slipways, and even a helipad. Craobh Haven Marina and Arduaine Pier offer easy boat access, while helicopter flights connect to Glasgow and Islay airports, just 55 and 45 miles away. A single road runs through the heart of the island from the North Pier to South End House, winding past panoramic viewpoints, a walled garden and stretches of sand and rock-strewn shoreline. Beyond Shuna itself, the surrounding area is famed for its dramatic natural beauty. Nearby lies the Corryvreckan Whirlpool, one of the largest tidal whirlpools in the world, while the bustling port of Oban, known as the Gateway to the Isles, offers shops, schools, ferry links and eateries a short boat trip away. The village of Ardfern, even closer, provides a marina, café, local shop and tight-knit community spirit. "When we were moving the furniture around the room to find the bits where it wouldn't fall through the floor, you knew your days were numbered," Mr Gully went on. "It still looks very impressive even though there are trees growing out of the windows."
Scottish Sun
24-06-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
‘Idyllic' hidden-gem Scots island with its own CASTLE up for sale after 80 years
The private island includes a now-ruined castle, working farm and holiday accommodation business ISLE SAY! 'Idyllic' hidden-gem Scots island with its own CASTLE up for sale after 80 years Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A HIDDEN-GEM Scottish island with its very own castle has been put on the market after 80 years. Shuna Island is located just off the coast from Appin, Argyll and Bute and is up for sale for £5.5million. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The 20th-century castle offers stunning panoramic coastal views Credit: Sotheby's International Realty 3 Shuna Island in Argyll and Bute has hit the market for £5.5million Credit: Sotheby's International Realty It has been home to the Gully family since 1945, the BBC reports. Estate agents Sothebys International Realty have described the site as a "truly rare offering, rich in heritage". The private island includes a now-ruined castle, working farm and holiday accommodation business. Shuna Castle ruins sit at the heart of the isle. The 20th-century structure offers stunning panoramic coastal views and also had potential for redevelopment, subject to planning. The island also offers eight residential properties. Shuna Farmhouse was used as the principal residence and is described as a "comfortable and practical home". There is also a working estate which supports in-hand livestock farming. It's teeming with wildlife from red and fallow deer to eagles and porpoises. The estate agents added: "Shuna Island is a truly rare offering, rich in heritage, natural wonder and possibility. GREAT SCOTTISH ISLES - A tiny UK island is set to become a new tourist attraction, with exciting plans to add luxury accommodation and other features "Whether as a regenerative tourism venture or a family estate, this extraordinary Hebridean island offers an exceptional life lived off the beaten path." Jim Gully, who was brought up on the island, said its white beaches and rocky coves gave him and his siblings an "idyllic" childhood. Over the past 12 years, Shuna has been managed by Rob and Kathryn James who live on the island. However, they are planning to move into another role - which has promoted the Gully family to sell up. Viewings are set to start later this week. Visit here for more information.
BBC News
23-06-2025
- BBC News
Family selling 'idyllic' island with ruined castle after 80 years
Eighty years after a mother walked into a London estate agency and bought a Hebridean island she had never seen in a bid to leave the city, her family is selling their historic home. The Island of Shuna, which includes a now-ruined castle, working farm and a holiday accommodation business, has been home to the Gully family since 1945, but is now on the market for £ Gully, who was the second generation of the family brought up on the island, said its white sand beaches and rocky coves gave them an "idyllic" childhood. Estate Agents Sothebys International Realty said the sale of the 1,000-acre island was a "truly rare offering". The wildlife haven has belonged to the the Gully family since the Dowager Viscountess Selby - a descendant of the politician Sir William Court Gully who was given the title on retirement as Speaker of the House of Commons - approached an estate agent after the war, asking if they had any islands on their books. "Everyone was so traumatised by what had gone on in the war that they were looking for a fresh start," her grandson Jim Gully told BBC Scotland News. "Without ever having seen it she bought the island and moved her family up."His father Eddie, the fourth child in the family, was born and brought up on Shuna, although he now lives on the Isle of Seil, which is linked to the mainland by road."He's had 80 years of stewarding and looking after Shuna and trying to get all sorts of businesses going and has absolutely loved it the whole of his life," Mr Gully said. "My brother and I grew up on Shuna. We were home schooled by our grandfather [Donald Wells] on the island. "It's idyllic for a childhood being taught there, running the farm and the holiday cottages, and we still do that." The Atlantic island's position in the Hebridean archipelago protects it from the ocean swells, but occasionally brings inhabitants the challenge of navigating the Corryvreckan whirlpools. "Quite often over the years we've had to go Corryvreckan with a boat laden with sheep, so that's led to some exciting journeys," Mr Gully the past 12 years the island has been managed by Rob and Kathryn James, who live full-time on Shuna, but their plan to move into another role prompted the family to consider selling up. Viewings start later this week, but in the meantime regular visitors are securing their stays for the rest of the year. "It's been a huge part for all of our lives and definitely sad that all of that is coming to an end, but tinged with relief for my father that it's going to be slightly easier not having to manage all of that and getting over to the island three or four times a week," Mr Gully castle was built with "no expense spared" by New Zealand-born adventurer George Alexander MacLean Buckley in 1911, just three years after he joined an Antarctic voyage on Nimrod with Ernest castle blueprints, and the architect who designed them, are believed to have been on the Titanic's fateful voyage. "He was about to export the plans to America and build a lot more of them," Mr Gully said. "The plans for it went down with the Titanic and stopped lots of flat-roofed castles being built in America."The castle fell to ruins in the 1980s when its upkeep became too costly."I lived in there for my first 10 years and I can look in the old bedroom window and see the room where we were taught by my grandparents - it's all very fresh in the memory," Mr Gully said the children were taught "maths, English and lateral thinking" in the mornings, then "booted out" to explore the island. By then the family was using only about a quarter of the castle as the rest of it was beginning to fall down."When we were moving the furniture around the room to find the bits where it wouldn't fall through the floor, you knew your days were numbered," Mr Gully added: "It still looks very impressive even though there are trees growing out of the windows." There have been human settlements on Shuna, one of the Slate Islands, for at least 4,500 years, evidenced by Stone and Iron Age burial mounds and ruined farms and from the 18th and 19th Centuries remain dotted around the island and it is estimated that there was a population of about 80 people between 1750 and to the island's six holiday homes, which can house up to 52 people and are powered by sustainable energy supplies, are normally taken on a 20-minute boat trip from the pier at Arduaine on the mainland, but the island also has a helipad. The estate agents suggested the property, one of two islands named Shuna near Oban, is "perfectly suited" to multi-generational living, a boutique hospitality venture or a "wellness destination".
Daily Telegraph
16-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Entire Scottish island listed for fraction of luxury Aus home
A rugged island off the west coast of Scotland is up for grabs for the first time in 80 years, offering motivated property hunters a chance to live the life of a King for just a fraction more than the average home in Sydney's Bellevue Hill. Shuna Island, with its breathtaking landscapes and rich history, is on the market for 11.4 million (£5.5 million) and includes a castle, eight houses, artefacts dating back 9000 years, a sheep farm, and over 1000 acres of untamed Scottish coastline. A Stone Age burial mound and ancient sacrificial swords provide a window into the island's distant past and could provide the cornerstone for the island's next owner to start their own clan. Property records show the sale could proof a golden opportunity for Aussie investors who are consistently paying premium for luxury properties on home soil. Only earlier this month, a stunning two-level penthouse at Barangaroo, NSW, sold for $80m, while an entry level home at Bellevue Hill sets buyers back at least $9m. An isle steeped in history In the early 20th century, the island was purchased by George Buckley, a New Zealand-born Antarctic explorer, who used his family's fortune from the Australian gold rush to acquire this unique piece of land. Buckley commissioned the construction of a grand castle, which would cost up to $63 million in today's money. Tragically, the architect behind this masterpiece perished on the Titanic, taking plans for further castles with him. Currently owned by Jim Gully, whose grandmother acquired the island after World War II, Shuna Island has been a cherished family retreat. 'It was such an idyllic place to grow up and have adventures,' Gully told Bloomberg. 'As we grew up, we got involved in the farming and the holiday cottages and that side of things too.' He now hopes a new owner will breathe fresh life into this enchanting isle. Despite its remote feel, Shuna Island is conveniently located just a ten-minute boat ride from the mainland, where a quaint lochside village offers essential supplies. For those who prefer a more dramatic entrance, several helicopter landing sites are available. The island's eight residential properties range from charming stone cottages to sleek modern timber cabins. While the castle is currently uninhabitable, the potential for restoration is immense. The island is also home to healthy populations of red and fallow deer, otters, and seals, with porpoises and dolphins frequently sighted offshore. The property is listed with Knight Frank and Sotheby's London. There are no restrictions on foreign property ownership in Scotland.
