Embrace off-grid living on this Scottish island for sale, but you'll have to share it with the local seal population
A dot on the map of the west coast of Scotland has come up for sale.

With £125,000 to spend, you have a lot of options.
Perhaps a nice new Range Rover? They start at around £105,000, but by the time you've ooh-ed and ahh-ed your way through the options list then £125,000 is probably about where you'll land.
Already got a nice car, but fancy a trip that you'll remember until the day you die? There's a lot to be said for making priceless memories, and with this budget you could take a group of friends and family on one of the world's great yacht charters; travelling the near-deserted islands of Indonesia aboard the Kudanil Explorer, for example, starts at £129,000.
But why merely visit exquisite and unspoilt islands when you can instead have one all to yourself, forever? The name of the island in question is Eilean Loch Oscair, which is listed via Knight Frank for offers over £125,000.
It's listed as an 'island croft' of 9.98 acres (considering the impossibility of making such measurements with accuracy, let's just round that up to ten) that sits in the waters off the north west coast of the Island of Lismore, in the Firth of Lorne, just across the water from Appin, and a few miles north of Oban, making it a fairly accessible spot in Western Isles terms.
While there's no house or even a bothy on the island, it is a croft, and thus able to support grazing and agriculture as well as be a place you can stay. The Scottish government's Crofting Commission has guidelines on what you can and can't do with this crofts, and it'd certainly be worth checking to make sure you're happy.
You'll also have to be happy sharing the island with the local seal colony.
Exquisite houses, the beauty of Nature, and how to get the most from your life, straight to your inbox.
What Eilean Loch Oscair definitely can't offer, though, is a community in and of itself. Thankfully. Lismore is just a short hop in your boat (clearly you're going to need your own boat), and it's a charming island that was once an ancient Celtic Christian settlement.
Lismore lighthouse is one of the most beautiful in Scotland.
It's an island which currently supports a population of 200, with village store, a post office and a village hall, as well as a passenger ferry and a vehicle ferry across to either Port Appin or Oban, both of which (and the latter in particular) are thriving spots with shops. hotels and restaurants. What more could you need?
Eilean Loch Oscair is for sale via Knight Frank — see more details and pictures.
Oban is one of the biggest settlements on the west coast of Northern Scotland.
Toby Keel is Country Life's Digital Director, and has been running the website and social media channels since 2016. A former sports journalist, he writes about property, cars, lifestyle, travel, nature.
-
Are you a 'frag head'? Country Life Quiz of the Day, June 30, 2025
Well, ARE you? And how well do you know Leonardo DiCaprio's 2002 work? It's time to find out.
By Country Life Published
-
What everyone is talking about this week: 'There’s always been something alluring about reading in public, now, it comes with bravado'
Week in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
By Will Hosie Published
-
18 beautiful homes, from charming cottages to a Highland mansion with unbeatable views, as seen in Country Life
Our look at some of the best homes to come to the market via Country Life in the past week includes Georgian manor houses, charming commutable homes and the grandest home in Newcastle.
By Toby Keel Published
-
The gorgeous Somerset home of the designer behind one of Glastonbury's chicest spots
The Manor in Hinton Blewitt is a glorious Georgian home that ticks every box.
By Toby Keel Published
-
826 years of history, painstaking restoration and 'a garden like no other' at this former National Trust house which has come to the market in Kent
A blooming property in Kent showcases the original garden of England. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A wisteria-clad delight with lawns running down to the Thames at the prettiest riverside home for sale in London today
Deodar Road, near Putney High Street, offers unrivalled views of the Thames and is characterful in excess.
By James Fisher Published
-
Five of the most majestic properties for sale in Britain today, from a 1,700-acre estate to a private island, as seen in Country Life
Our look at the best homes to come to the market via Country Life this week includes some genuinely breathtaking places.
By Toby Keel Published
-
Save me: A castle on the Isle of Wight designed by James Wyatt is up for sale
Norris Castle Estate also comes with 225 acres of gardens and grounds, and needs a little TLC
By James Fisher Published
-
The 1,800-acre estate of the man who bought Stonehenge has come up for sale at £25 million
The Bapton Manor Estate, in the beautiful Cranborne Chase National Landscape, seeks a new owner. Penny Churchill takes a look.
By Penny Churchill Published
-
A meticulously restored Scottish estate for sale, dripping with history, character and wildlife
The Craigengillan Estate in Ayrshire sits in 2,850 acres above the valley of the River Doon.
By Penny Churchill Published