A rare building plot with outline planning permission on the Isle of Skye. The quarter-of-an-acre flat plot has been “de-crofted” under the 1997 Crofting Act, which means it can now be sold off and developed. The site is next to Staffin Bay (where killer whales visit) with views of the Quiraing, towers of weathered rock, which has superb wildlife including sea eagles.
You can drive to Skye across the bridge (now toll-free), 75 miles from Fort William, or catch the ferry from Mallaig to Armadale. It is a two-hour drive to Inverness and the airport.
The first step is to decide on the design and gain full planning permission. Building costs on the island are high as materials have to be transported from the mainland. The new owner can try building a house linked up to nearby mains services and install private drainage, or opt for a kit house. A three-bed timberframe house from Skye Homes starts at £60,000, or you can try Neil and Alasdair Stephen, whose Dualchas Building Design has been responsible for a series of more modern timberframe and glass properties popping up across rugged shores of the 60-mile-long island. Dame Ellen MacArthur, the round-the-world yachtswoman, is having a home built nearby, complete with a boathouse with turf roof.
The advantages:
Skye is the only Scottish island with a growing population. Fast becoming the self-build capital of the Highlands and Islands, land there is “very much in demand” according to the selling agent. “A couple of years ago you could have picked up a quarter-of-an-acre plot in a nice location for £15,000; now it is closer to £50,000.” Three-bedroom rural properties on the island start at £130,000. The sea view alone carries a 10%-15% premium — and the location near the shore makes it unlikely that anything could be built in front.
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Self-building on sites like this is popular on Skye, even though the cost of materials is higher than on the mainland
It could also make a perfect holiday cottage. The vendor lets out the neighbouring three-bed traditional cottage from £350 to £700 a week.
Skye Properties, 01478 613 597, www.skye-properties.co.uk; Highland council, 01463 702 000, www.highland.gov.uk; www.skyehomes.co.uk; www.dualchas.com
Helen Davies
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