There’s a two-bedroom flat for sale in Holland Park at the moment.
It’s a nice-looking place, with all sorts of things people like in west London flats: high ceilings, big windows, and communal gardens. It even has a very long lease, which runs until almost the year 3,000AD, assuming that both the human race and our general respect for contract law lasts that long.
The problem is that it costs £1.5 million, despite being less than 850sq ft: it has two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen-reception room.
The island of Torsa, meanwhile, has the same £1.5m price tag attached, and has 11,796,048 sq ft.
That’s quite a lot more square foot, and such a big number that it’s just as well that the agents, Savills, quote it as 270.8 acres in the details.
It’s a magnificently beautiful spot just off the coast of Argyll, a little south of Oban on the west coast of Scotland. It’s almost but not quite attached to Luing, a larger island which features settlements named things like Tobernochy and Kilchattan. Torsa itself is a delight, with beaches and hills (maximum elevation: 62m).
It even has a wonderful name — which translates as ‘Thor's Island’ — and interesting history, with a prettily ruined castle called ‘Casteal nan Con’ (the Dogs' Castle), which has been occupied over its history by Clan Campbell, the MacDougalls and Clan MacLean.
We know what you’re probably thinking: what good is an island with a castle if it offers wild camping once you arrive? Well, that would be a good question, but as it happens Torsa has a lot more than just glorious nature and endless views. It has a gorgeous old farmhouse dating to the mid-19th century, but much improved and modernised — it’s used as a holiday let as present — as well as a range of outbuildings which, while in a poor state, could easily be improved and used as further accommodation, subject to planning consent.
All that’s not enough? Torsa actually comes with a couple of spare islands thrown into the deal: Torsa Beag and Eilean na h-Eaglaise.
And if even that doesn’t sway you? Well, there’s a nice little flat in Holland Park I heard about recently. I’m sure I’ve still got the details somewhere.
Torsa Island is being sold by Savills for £1.5 million — see more pictures and details.
Credit: Strutt and Parker
Best country houses for sale this week
An irresistible West Country cottage and a magnificent Cumbrian country house make our pick of the finest country houses for
-
'The watch is Head Boy of men’s accessorising': Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin's Summer Season style secretsWhen it comes to dressing for the Season, accessories will transform an outfit. Ginnie Chadwyck-Healey and Tom Chamberlin, both stylish summer-party veterans, offer some sage advice.
-
Lewis Hamilton, Claude Monet and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Country Life Quiz of the Day, April 29, 2025Tuesday's Quiz of the Day looks back at Lewis Hamilton's first win and ponders on the meaning of greige.
-
About time: The fastest and slowest moving housing markets revealedNew research by Zoopla has shown where it's easy to sell and where it will take quite a while to find a buyer.
-
A wisteria clad hall built by one of the founders of the Bank of EnglandCome for the history of Old Hall. Stay for the interesting interiors.
-
A gorgeous Scottish cottage with contemporary interiors on the bonny banks of the River TayCarnliath on the edge of Strathtay is a delightful family home set in sensational scenery.
-
Six rural properties with space, charm and endless views, as seen in Country LifeWe take a look at some of the best houses to come to the market via Country Life in the past week.
-
380 acres and 90 bedrooms on the £25m private island being sold by one of Britain's top music producersStormzy, Rihanna and the Rolling Stones are just a part of the story at Osea Island, a dot on the map in the seas off Essex.
-
A home cinema, tasteful interiors and 65 acres of private parkland hidden in an unassuming lodge in KentNorth Lodge near Tonbridge may seem relatively simple, but there is a lot more than what meets the eye.
-
A rare opportunity to own a family home on Vanbrugh Terrace, one of London's finest streetsThis six-bedroom Victorian home sits right on the start line of the London Marathon, with easy access to Blackheath and Greenwich Park.
-
A tale of everyday life as lived on Britain's most expensive streetWinnington Road in Hampstead has an average house price of £11.9 million. But what's it really like? Lotte Brundle went to find out.
