If city life is just getting a bit too much, you could escape to an island and it would be your very own.
A stunning island in the Shetlands has hit the market, complete with a magnificent historic mansion, farmhouse, a caretakers cottage, and coastal views with searbirds thriving on the coastline - all for offers over £1,750,000. The Isle of Vaila offers tranquility and privacy for those who are looking to escape the concrete jungle that is Glasgow.
The current owners have been working the land with an organic farm and has ensured its diversity of flora and fauna has flourished with various breeds of seabirds, including puffins, flock to the island.
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According to estate agents Savills, 20th century English Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman, said: "I can think of few nicer places in the world", when describing the island. Vaila has over 6.5 miles of diverse coastline and extends to about 757 acres in total.
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Once home to Viking chiefs, the island is full of traditional features with a history dating back to the year 1450 when Norwegian landowners held major estates in Shetland. It has then been passed to different landlords, including Gorvel Fadersdottir who granted a lease to Robert Cheyne which was confirmed by King James VI in 1576. In 1837, Arthur Anderson, the founder of the P&O Shipping company leased the island, establishing the Shetland Fishery Company there.
The land has been inhabited for thousands of years, with the mansion showing off a coat of arms dated 1696. The Mitchell's coat of arms is reminiscent of the land's form owner James Mitchell of Girlsta who built the Old Haa in 1696.
The mansion, known as Vaila Hall, boasts six bedroom, four reception rooms and traditional features.
Savills add: "The Great Hall is furnished with the original late 1800s furniture and is centred around a massive stone arched fireplace. Full height stained glass windows depicting the Anderton crest lead up to the ornate Moroccan mahogany panels that line the ceiling with the Minstrels’ Gallery lying opposite.
"Very much the heart of the house, the Great Hall has retained its unique architectural features and is from where the rest of the ground floor rooms are accessed."
The estate agents add the current owners bought the island back in the 1993 and has been restored extensively to provide a well-appointed and comfortable home.
Only a 10 minute boat ride from Shetland, the Isle of Vaila lies in the west of the Shetland Islands archipelago, the northernmost part of the United Kingdom, comprising 100 scattered islands at the crossroads of the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
You can see more information and images here.
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