A remote, uninhabited island on Scotland’s rugged west coast is on the market with a bargain price tag. Photo: Knight Frank
A remote, uninhabited island on Scotland’s rugged west coast is on the market with a bargain price tag. Photo: Knight Frank
A remote, uninhabited island on Scotland’s rugged west coast is on the market with a bargain price tag. Photo: Knight Frank
A remote, uninhabited island on Scotland’s rugged west coast is on the market with a bargain price tag. Photo: Knight Frank

Buy this Scottish island getaway for under $430,000


Hayley Skirka
  • English
  • Arabic

Anyone looking to truly escape the rat race now has the chance to buy this Scottish island getaway.

Pladda Rock in the Firth of Clyde is on the market for £350,000 ($426,000) — less than the average price of a one-bedroom Dubai apartment.

The 11-hectare island is off the southern tip of Arran, on Scotland’s rugged west coast, and is uninhabited, meaning buyers will have it as their own private escape.

Pladda Rock comes with six bedrooms, a boathouse, grazing pastures and unobstructed ocean views. Photo: Knight Frank
Pladda Rock comes with six bedrooms, a boathouse, grazing pastures and unobstructed ocean views. Photo: Knight Frank

Accessible by boat or helicopter, the isle is surrounded by what agents Knight Frank describe as “breathtaking views” overlooking the south coast of Arran, Ailsa Craig and out towards Northern Ireland.

The listing comes with a five-bedroom former lighthouse-keeper’s cottage including two reception rooms and a bathroom, plus a separate one-bedroom cottage. Agents point out that the existing accommodation has not been used in recent years so will “need to be upgraded”.

There is also a fully functioning lighthouse towering nearly 30 metres above the island. Remotely monitored by the Northern Lighthouse Board in Edinburgh, the beacon flashes white lights every 30 seconds to guide passing ships.

Buyers won’t actually own the lighthouse, but they will lay claim to everything else on the isle including more than 2.5 hectares of grazing pastures, 1,600 metres of rocky shoreline, a stone jetty with an open boathouse, a single-room bothy and a helipad.

The island has a five-bedroom former lighthouse-keeper’s cottage and a separate one-bedroom cottage. Photo: Knight Frank
The island has a five-bedroom former lighthouse-keeper’s cottage and a separate one-bedroom cottage. Photo: Knight Frank

The pear-shaped island is also home to a range of outbuildings with development potential for buyers that want to make their own mark on the historic island.

Nature lovers will be in their element on Pladda as seals, dolphins and otters are often spotted in the Firth of Clyde waters. And the rock is also an important spot for migratory seabirds, with more than 100 species spotted in recent years including gulls, turnstones and Arctic terns.

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The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The specs

Engine: four-litre V6 and 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbo

Transmission: six-speed and 10-speed

Power: 271 and 409 horsepower

Torque: 385 and 650Nm

Price: from Dh229,900 to Dh355,000

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

The specs

Price, base / as tested Dh135,000

Engine 1.6L turbo

Gearbox Six speed automatic with manual and sports mode

Power 165hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque 240Nm @ 1,400rpm 0-100kph: 9.2 seconds

Top speed 420 kph (governed)

Fuel economy, combined 35.2L / 100km (est)

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Updated: August 04, 2022, 11:54 AM`