HEBRIDEAN ISLE OF WIAY GOES ON SALE FOR UNDER £1 MILLION

The Isle of Wiay, off the east coast of Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides, has been put up for sale with an asking price below £1 million, according to the estate agency handling the sale. The island covers around 970 acres and includes sandy beaches, freshwater lochs and sheltered anchorages. Carl Warden of the estate agency said the chance to buy an entire Hebridean island below the £1 million mark would capture people's imagination. He said the island's connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie, its beaches and wildlife gave it a remarkable story to tell. Wiay forms part of the Uists, a chain of islands in the southern Outer Hebrides, with Balivanich on Benbecula the nearest settlement.

Bonnie Prince Charlie is said, according to local tradition, to have sheltered on Wiay in 1746 while fleeing government forces after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden. A cave at the foot of Beinn a' Tuath, the island's highest point, is known locally as Prince Charlie's Rest and is traditionally believed to have hidden the prince during his escape. The island once supported a small crofting community, and the ruins of a cottage overlooking Bagh na Murla, a sheltered bay on the western shore, remain visible. Planning consent to renovate the cottage was previously granted but has since lapsed, and the island currently has no services. Wiay has in the past supported around 200 sheep, with grazing land on its lower slopes.

The sale includes sporting rights, with stalking and fishing in the freshwater lochs among the pursuits available to a new owner. Golden eagles and white-tailed sea eagles have had nesting sites recorded on the island, according to the estate agency. Views from Wiay stretch across the surrounding waters, with the Cuillin mountains of Skye visible on clear days to the east. The island is sheltered by Benbecula to the west. No further details on the timing of a sale or prospective buyers have been reported.