On the market - the island former Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young and husband share with Ospreys

                                                                

Scenic - the island enjoys an extraordinarily beautiful backdrop

A 103-acre  island home to nesting Ospreys and visiting White-tailed Eagles has been put on the market with a price tag of £3-million.

Former Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young and her businessman husband, Nick Jones, have decided to sell the richly-wooded Inchconnachan Island in Loch Lomond.

It is believed they paid about £1-million for it and its three-bedroom house about five years ago.

                                    

Kirsty Young - her own 'desert island'

The island used to be home to Capercaillies, but, according to the RSPB, they have long since departed - a consequence of predation of eggs and chicks by pine martens, foxes and crows, plus human disturbance.

The Capercaillies - known as 'kings of the forest' - will also have been disadvantaged by the presence of fallow deer and by the introduction, in 1940, of non-native Red-necked Wallabies which may have provided grazing competition and crushed chicks and eggs by their mode of movement. 

What birds are there now on Inchconnachan Island, one of about 10 islands in  Loch Lomond?

Surveys, the last two of which were  carried out on two dates in August 2023, have revealed the presence of the following species:

* Blackbird

* Blue tit

* Carrion crow

* Jackdaw

* Raven

* Chaffinch

* Cormorant

* Dipper

* Dunnock

* Fieldfare

* Goldcrest

* Goosander

* Jay

* Little grebe

* Long-tailed tit

* Mistle thrush

* Redwing

* Robin

* Treecreeper

* Woodcock

* Woodpigeon

* Wren

* Grey wagtail

* Chaffinch

* Goldcrest

* Nuthatch

* Willow warbler

* Siskin

* Osprey

Since last year, there has been planning consent to extend the living accommodation on condition that, prior to the start of development, "a breeding birds protection plan shall be submitted to, and approved in writing by the planning authority" which is Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. 

The consent also insists on a detailed "protection plan" for nesting Ospreys.

The joint selling agents are Knight Frank (0131 222 9600)  in Edinburgh and Savills (0141 222 5864) in Glasgow.

                               

The trees consist mostly of bird-attracting species such as oak and birch plus Scots Pine