A remote, 100-year-old cottage just metres from an idyllic loch on Shetland’s northernmost inhabited island has gone on the market for £60,000.
Untouched for decades, the remote Da Laggans Cottage sits in picturesque surroundings by Loch of Cliff near Baltasound on Unst.
In need of a complete and careful restoration, the historic croft could be an island haven for its next custodian.
But getting there involves a 13-hour ferry journey from Aberdeen to Lerwick, followed by several car and ferry hops across islands to reach Unst.
Remote cottage on Shetland is being sold by National Trust for Scotland
It is being sold by the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), and anyone who buys it will need to follow a conservation agreement, due to the property’s local significance.
With direct access to the loch’s shoreline, Da Laggans Cottage was once part of the wider Gardie Estate on Unst and Yell.
The 4400-acre estate, with three designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest, was bequeathed t0 the NTS in 1998 by Joy Sandison.
Joy was a prized Shetland Pony breeder at Houlland Stud, which had been established by her father more than 70 years ago.
Ms Sandison’s family were leading conservation pioneers on Unst and Yell, and their connection with Gardie Estate stretched back nearly 400 years.
Speaking to the Press and Journal in 1998, Joy said she had decided to donate the estate because neither she or her brothers had ever married.
She added that donating it to the conservation body seemed like “a good memorial” to her family.
It was the first time the NTS had taken on such an estate, and its “geographical, geological and botanical position” made it unlike any other property under its care.
A hidden gem, the lochside property could be restored to its former beauty
Joy Sandison died aged 90 in 2020, and now Da Laggans Cottage has gone on the market for likely the first time in hundreds of years.
The neighbouring Houlland House and Steading are also for sale.
The two-bedroom lochside cottage is located at the end of a narrow, winding road about 1.5 miles from the main road.
It is thought to date to at least 1920, but its traditional construction suggests it could be much older than that.
The cottage is typical of those built to house shepherds and other farm workers, and comes with 0.44 acres of land.
Beneath the faded and peeling exterior lies the potential to preserve history and bring period features back to life.
Upon entering the two-up, two-down cottage, the living room is on the left and has its original wooden-panelled ceiling and suspended timber floor.
On the right, the kitchen also retain the traditional panelled ceiling, but also a boarded-up fireplace which could hide an original stove.
The historic island cottage has been sitting empty for nearly 30 years
The property has been sitting unoccupied since 1995 and has fallen into disrepair.
A stairwell runs up the centre of the croft, and upstairs, the two bedrooms are lit by skylight windows.
Both appear to retain their original lime plaster walls and cottage doors.
One bedroom has peeling linoleum flooring, while the floorboards in the other room have been replaced with more modern materials.
While there are sockets, light fittings and water pipes throughout, the current status of the utilities is unknown.
And an adjoining extension has at some point lost its roof during storm damage.
Due to its significance, the cottage comes with a strict conservation agreement which new owners will have to adhere to.
New owner will have to adhere to strict conservation agreement
Bell Ingram, the estate agent handling the sale on behalf on NTS, said: “Due to the local significance of Da Laggans, the sale will be covered by a conservation agreement with National Trust for Scotland.
“This will ensure that the successful purchaser renovates the Cottage with sensitivity.
“An essential part of the agreement requires the new owner to have consent from National Trust for Scotland for any renovation works that are proposed.
“The agreement will include the requirement for enhanced historic building surveys if any structural changes are planned.
“All identified original elements will require to be retained and any changes are to be agreed in advance with NTS.”
‘Further north than the southern headlands of Greenland’
Any offers from prospective buyers need to be accompanied by a written proposal for the use of the buildings.
Due to the significant heritage of the wider side, an archaeological watching brief, which monitors groundworks would also need to be carried out.
Back in 1998, then-director of the NTS, Trevor Croft described the site as “a magnificent area of natural beauty where if you stand on the shoreline, the next land you would come to is Greenland”.
He added: “It is further north than the southern headlands of Greenland.”
The property would suit someone outdoorsy who seeks solace in remote, but beautiful surroundings like “spectacular coastal cliffs and golden beaches”.
But the nearby village of Baltasound has amenities including schools, a post office, leisure centre and shops.
More details and information on viewing Da Laggans Cottage can be found here.
If you enjoyed this, you might like:
Conversation