A HOSTEL and farmhouse on a small Scottish island has hit the market for half a million pounds.
The Millhouse farmhouse and hostel on the Island of Tiree has been listed by Scots chartered surveyors DM Hall for £550,000.
The property includes a cluster of buildings which sit on the northern shore of the Inner Hebridean island, close to its white sand beaches.
DM Hall say that the property has the feel of a small hamlet within Cornaigmore and is made up of the stone-built Millhouse Farmhouse, as well as the Millhouse Hostel.
The property lies just west of the B8068, which links this rural area to the ferry port at Scarinish, the 0.7 acre-site
David Naylor, current owner, said: “Millhouse is a special place to me. Its secluded location, a quarter of a mile from the nearest habitation, together with the tranquillity of the millpond and waterwheel, give it a real sense of peace and history.”
The business centres around a purpose-built 16-bed hostel converted from a barn in 2001.
The adjacent three-bedroom farmhouse is intended as an owner/manager residence, but could serve as additional guest accommodation for up to 10 people.
The Hebridean property also includes a watermill, fed by the nearby Loch Bhasapol, which was built around 1798 and used to grind cereal for the whole island’s population.
Although the mill itself is now a ruin, the waterwheel itself was restored in 2006 using traditional methods and materials.
The pond and associated mill-lades are full of wildlife, with frequent sightings of otters, trout, eels and rare corncrakes.
Naylor added: “As well as looking after guests, it is also a joy to help maintain a busy watery eco-system.
“There is also huge potential for renewable energy generation, and full off-grid living is a realistic possibility given the abundance of water, wind and solar resources on-site.”
Tiree is the most westerly island of the Inner Hebrides, lying some 25 miles from Ardnamurchan Peninsula, itself the mainland’s most westerly point.
It is served by regular ferries from the busy seaside town of Oban and by regular flights to and from Glasgow Airport.
The property includes a large car park, vegetable garden and a pond separating the mill from the developed buildings.
With relevant permissions, the mill could be transformed into an additional business opportunity or make a residence itself.
The property is being sold by a collaboration of DM Hall’s specialist teams business sales, headed by Margaret Mitchell, and rural sales by Jennifer Campbell.
Campbell said: “Milhouse Hostel is an easily manageable operation. The hostel can be let out as a single entity or as traditional hostel accommodation, which can produce income from day one.
“The owner’s accommodation, which is in move-in order, provides an excellent opportunity to enjoy the benefits of living in a beautiful, remote location, yet within a well-established community, while being on site to manage and maintain the business.”
