The creator of Soho House is selling his private island in Scotland — and he's offering to build you a Soho-home of your own before he leaves

Nick Jones, the founder of private members club Soho House, has built a reputation for creating achingly cool destinations favoured by A-listers around the world.

So the news that he’s hoisted a ‘For Sale’ sign on his 103-acre private island — located in what he calls ‘one of Scotland’s most idyllic settings’ — is bound to cause a stir.

Set in the heart of Loch Lomond, uninhabited Inchconnachan Island is blanketed in ancient Scots pine, oak and birch woodland. And while there are no liveable buildings on it at the moment, it comes with plans for a luxury estate designed by GRAS Architects.

What happens with those plans is up to the buyer. The agents, Sotheby's International Realty, are offering the island for £3 million with planning consent already in place; alternatively, Jones is offering to manage the entire build on your behalf — expected to be a two-year project. The cost of this alternate option? £10 million, which includes all the plans being ‘fully realised under Jones’s direction and vision’.

In other words, he's offering to build you your very own Soho House in the heart of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

Naturally, Jones — a hugely successful entrepreneur with a reported net worth of £1.4 billion — isn't doing this for the fun of the project. When the island came up for sale in 2020 it was offered at offers over £500,000, though Jones is believed to have paid three times that in the end. Even still, his involvement — and those plans — have already upped its asking price substantially. Adding a further £7 million for the build will make this one of the most expensive homes in Scotland.

The new owner of Inchconnachan Island will inherit a colourful legacy. It’s nicknamed Wallaby Island on account of the red-necked wallabies that live there: they were introduced by the island’s former owner, a spirited Scottish aristocrat known as the Countess of Arran.

Born Fiona Bryde Colquhoun, she was no stranger to the headlines. With a penchant for speed, the champion powerboat racer was dubbed ‘the fastest granny on water’ when she travelled at a whopping 103mph on Lake Windermere in the Lake District in 1980 in a powerboat called Skean-Dhu.

The Colquhoun family had owned Inchconnachan Island since the 14th century before it went on the market six years ago for £500,000. Jones and his wife, broadcaster Kirsty Young — who, in a case of life imitating art, used to host the iconic BBC Radio 4 show Desert Island Discs — subsequently bought it for a reported £1.55m.

Since then, the couple has secured planning permission for a luxury two-storey lodge on the shoreline, with sweeping views of Ben Lomond, one of Scotland’s highest mountains. The lodge design includes three bedroom suites, with scope to expand to five. The plans also include a boathouse with integrated warden’s accommodation and a private jetty.

Over on the mainland, there is another jetty and a garage and storage facility too.

According to Sotheby’s International Realty, which is selling Inchconnachan Island, the overall design has been drawn up to emphasise restraint, longevity, and sensitivity to the landscape.

Although Inchconnachan Island screams seclusion, it is well-connected. Just across the water lies the Tom Weiskopf-designed Loch Lomond Golf Club, while Glasgow International Airport is around a 40-minute drive away.

Jones explains: ‘I love Scotland. It offers the last great wilderness of Western Europe. Inchconnachan Island is surrounded by the most incredible natural scenery, in one of Scotland’s most idyllic settings, Loch Lomond. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an island and to care for its flora, fauna, and wildlife, under the guidance of Nature Scot.

‘The building itself has been environmentally designed with uninterrupted views of Ben Lomond, whilst at the same time sitting comfortably within the natural landscape of ancient Scots pine.

‘The house has been designed for extreme comfort, for family, for golfing and fishing weekends, as well as moments of solitude and reflection. It all starts and finishes with a 15min boat ride in sheltered waters to and from your private jetty.’

He adds: ‘This is such a unique part of the world and a real one-off!’

Becky Fatemi, executive partner at Sotheby’s International Realty UK, believes the combination of the island’s scale, setting and planning consent within a national park is ‘exceptionally rare’.

She says: ‘What makes the opportunity particularly compelling is that it is already well defined. Buyers are not being asked to speculate or navigate years of planning uncertainty.

'They can either take on the project themselves with consent firmly in place or acquire a fully realised private island retreat shaped under Nick Jones’s vision. In both cases, the estate has been properly planned and is ready to be delivered.’

In her view, Inchconnachan Island will attract buyers seeking privacy, discretion, and connectivity.

‘We expect interest from both UK-based purchasers and international buyers, particularly from the US, where Scotland’s landscape, heritage and lifestyle continue to hold strong appeal,’ Fatemi adds.

Inchconnachan Island is for sale through Sotheby’s International Realty — see more details.