Private Island Hits the Market
TV presenter Kirsty Young and her husband, Nick Jones, founder of the Soho House private members’ club chain, have placed their Scottish island, Inchconnachan, up for sale. The couple purchased the 103-acre property in Loch Lomond for £2 million in 2020, envisioning a luxury retreat amid a rare colony of red-necked wallabies. Just months after securing planning permission for a bespoke two-storey lodge, they decided to sell, seeking a simpler lifestyle following Jones’s prostate cancer diagnosis and successful treatment.
Shift in Priorities
Jones, 62, explained the decision: “My priorities have changed. When you go through what I went through, you’re looking for a slightly smaller life, rather than a bigger life.” The Cotswolds-based pair now prioritizes a more modest existence after his health battle.
Young, 57, originally from East Kilbride and raised in Stirling, has also faced health challenges. She hosted BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs from 2006 to 2018, paused her career due to fibromyalgia, and returned for major events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022, her state funeral, and King Charles’s Coronation in 2023.
Development Plans and Environmental Considerations
Planning permission, granted earlier this year by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, allows for a three-bedroom lodge, boathouse, jetty, and connecting boardwalks. Designed by Edinburgh-based GRAS Architects—Nicos Yiatros and Gunnar Groves-Raines—the project included demolishing a 1920s bungalow ruins and creating natural wet woodland. Officials noted a minor habitat loss but highlighted biodiversity gains.
The island hosts one of Europe’s few red-necked wallaby populations, introduced post-World War II by former owner Lady Arran Colquhoun. These Australian natives thrive on oak, holly, and birch. A public campaign, with over 100,000 petition signatures, raised concerns for the wallabies, prompting plans for a full-time warden and conservation measures.
Sale Details and Island Attractions
Sotheby’s seeks £3 million for the island as-is or £10 million with the completed lodge. Designated an Area of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation, Inchconnachan features ancient Scots pine, oak, birch forests, sea eagles, and ospreys. Elevated views overlook Ben Lomond, with Glasgow International Airport 30 minutes away and Cumbernauld Airport 40 minutes for private flights.
