Off-grid living doesn’t get much more real than this: a wild, sea-lashed island with no neighbours, no roads—and a price tag under half a million.
A 90-acre speck of rugged paradise off Scotland’s west coast is up for grabs. Known as Insh Island, it’s untouched, totally uninhabited, and only reachable by boat or helicopter. It’s being sold for £500,000—less than what most Londoners pay for a modest flat. And it’s already stirring up interest from dreamers, investors and survivalist types alike.
A Wind-Swept Patch of Land, and Not Much Else
There’s no cottage. No plumbing. No power lines either. Just grass, cliffs, sea birds, and a couple of derelict structures from some long-forgotten attempt at habitation.
Insh Island sits tucked into the Sound of Jura, southwest of Oban, surrounded by dramatic coastal beauty. It’s the sort of place that doesn’t show up on Instagram filters—but might make you rethink everything.
The island’s listing describes it as “one of the last private islands of its kind.” It’s hard to argue with that. This isn’t your polished, ready-to-develop slice of paradise. It’s more survival novel than lifestyle magazine.
One sentence says it all: no services.
Why It’s Cheaper Than a London Flat
Let’s look at the numbers.
According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, the average property price in London has now reached £566,000. That’s for a one- or two-bedroom home, maybe with a shared garden and a Tube line nearby.
Insh Island? £500,000 for 90 acres, private beaches, dramatic cliffs, and no commuters.
Here’s a quick comparison:
| Property Type | Location | Price | Size | Accessibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-bed flat | London (Zone 2) | £566,000 | ~700 sq ft | Excellent (Tube, buses) |
| Insh Island (entire) | West Scotland | £500,000 | ~90 acres | Private boat/helicopter |
It’s not an apples-to-apples comparison. One is plugged into urban life. The other is completely off-grid. But that’s the appeal.
For Sale: Isolation, Salt Air, and a Lot of Potential
The listing is being handled by Savills, who are quick to pitch the romance of it all. A place for retreat, or maybe a green energy experiment. There are ruins of a former stone jetty, a collapsed shelter, and a single boat mooring spot.
Is it livable? Not really—not without significant work.
But that’s exactly what’s pulling in interest, especially in a time when urban burnout is real. Some potential buyers have reportedly asked about building eco-retreats or private camps. Others? Just a plot to escape from, well, everything.
• Remote location ideal for privacy-seekers
• Potential for eco-tourism or low-impact development
• Rare opportunity to own land with no human history in recent decades
• Access limited to boat or air—no roads, no utilities
There’s a quiet appeal in something that offers absolutely nothing.
It’s Not the First Scottish Island to Tempt Buyers
Scotland’s west coast has a long history of quirky, high-profile island sales. Some ended up in the hands of artists, environmentalists, or tech millionaires. Others have sat untouched after purchase, dreams fading against reality.
A few examples from recent years:
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Ulva: Sold for £4.5 million in 2018 to a local community group, now being revived for sustainable tourism.
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Tanera Mòr: Once home to its own post office and fish farms, sold in 2014 for £1.95 million.
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Barlocco Island: Sold in 2023 for just £150,000—but only at low tide.
Each island has its own story. Insh could be the next.
A Patch of Solitude in a Crowded World
For all its wildness, Insh Island isn’t that remote. It’s about a 20-minute boat ride from the mainland. From Glasgow, you could reach the nearest harbour in around 3 hours. So yes, technically commutable. If you’ve got a chopper.
But despite its reachability, the island has stayed completely off the grid. No settlements. No tourist trails. No past ownership headlines. It’s a blank slate in a world where blank slates are nearly extinct.
One agent described it as “the kind of place you buy with your heart, not your spreadsheet.”
That might be the truest thing anyone’s said about it so far.
