Buy this house and you’ll get a private island in Scotland thrown in for free

A wild lochside estate is for sale on the west coast of Scotland – and it comes with a private island in the backyard. 

The island is a seven-acre expanse of rugged cliffs and shale beaches that is perfect for picnics and boat trips. 

Add a couple of bottles of ginger beer, and it sounds like the plot of an Enid Blyton book. 

But the property on the shores of Loch Torridon is far from fictional.

The main house is a centuries-old stone cottage with a slate roof and three squat chimneys. 

Inside are no less than five fireplaces, which for hundreds of years would have helped the inhabitants survive the freezing Scottish winters. 

The listing by Bell Ingram states the house is “in need of upgrading and modernisation”. 

However, the rooms are still comfortable and liveable in their present state. 

Three of the four bedrooms, including the master suite, are located on the ground floor, while a spare bedroom is nestled into the attic. 

Outside is a timber “bothy” – a Scottish wilderness hut – that was once used as youth accommodation. 

There are also two crumbling stone sheds with restoration potential. 

But the property’s best feature is undoubtedly the rocky island across the water.

“A grass path runs down to the shore where there is a jetty and gravel beach,” the listing says. 

“This is an ideal place to store a boat for trips across to your own private island, Eilean Mor.” 

Eilean Mor means Big Island in Scottish Gaelic, and is one of eight small islets in Loch Torridon. 

In total, there are over 16 acres of land up for grabs, including the island.

The entire estate is on the market for offers over £550,000 ($1.1 million). In Australia, the same sum would buy you a house in Sydney’s Mount Druitt, a townhouse in inner Melbourne, or a two-bedroom apartment in Brisbane.