Port in the storm goes on the market!

[Ptarmigan]

Port in the storm goes on the market

A Scottish island popular with Northern Ireland's sailing community has gone on the market.

The new owner of Sanda, off the Mull of Kintyre, will have the right to issue his or her own postage stamps and to mint their own gold coins.
But at what cost? Well, Sanda and neighbouring islands Sheep and Glunimore can be yours for the princely sum of about £3.2m

Port in the storm goes on the market

[emdee]

Here's the Aberdeen Press and Journal's report on the sale:

www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/690317

Community buy out? No community!

Consider that the Isle of Gigha was bought for £4m and the price tag seems a bit steep.

In economic terms, the value of land can only be worth what it can earn for the purchaser, unless that purchaser is a wealthy individual who is prepared to sustain losses in exchange for the aesthetic value of owning the land.

It is the world we live in, but places like this should not be bought and sold by private individuals.

Maybe this makes me sound like a socialist?

[Ptarmigan]

Well, in the seller's favour, perhaps we can say he's leaving the islands in a better state than he found them.

By the way, we have our own Sheep Island over here. It's just off the coast, near Ballintoy.

The local boatmen will readily take visitors fishing or for trips along the coast. Sheep Island, a perpendicular stack with a flat grassy top half a mile offshore, has an enormous cormorant colony. The rats that killed off the island's colony of puffins have themselves been routed and some puffins have come back recently.

Sheep Island, Ballintoy

Emdee, our Sheep Island is actually owned by the National Trust!

Special Protection Area (SPA)
Sheep Island off Ballintoy, owned by the National Trust since 1967, is an SPA. The main interest relevant to the designation is the nationally important colony of breeding cormorants. Other seabirds also breed there in moderate numbers.

Sheep Island owned by the 'National Trust'

Cheers
Ptarmigan

[emdee]

It will be interesting to hear who buys it and whether they will build on what has already been done.

[emdee]

There is a bit of history attaching to the McShannons, my mother’s family, with connections to Ireland, Sanda and Kintyre. The name itself is one of the oldest Kintyre names, and the family is reputed to be originally descended from the followers of St Senchan, who came over from Ireland in the 6th Century. It is said that he had 12 followers, all holy men.

St Senchan apparently had his church at the Southend location of Kilmashenachan, which is on the mainland and more or less opposite the island of Sanda. When he died, his remains were buried in St Ninian’s chapel on the island of Sanda,within sight of both Kilmashenachan and Ireland.

The McShannon name has gone through all sorts of changes of spelling over the centuries.

The McShannons became hereditary harpers to the Clan Donald, Lords of the Isles from the 14th till the 16th Centuries, and operated from Dunaverty Castle at Southend and Dun Naomhaig on Islay. (The musical tradition in the family goes back a long way!) They had lots of tenancies in the Southend area over the centuries, but these have all long gone. I have a family tree that was researched by one of my uncles a number of years ago, and it traces the name back to 1505.

I am posting this on the thread about the island of Sanda, but maybe it should be elsewhere of the forum.

[Ptarmigan]

It is said that he had 12 followers, all holy men.

Or perhaps he came over with a football team .... + one substitute? ;D

But seriously emdee, that's wonderful to have knowledge of all that family history.

Just think how valuable one of those old Harps would be now .... have you searched the old family loft recently ... just in case?

Does anyone in your family play Harp? If I were you & had a daughter, I would certainly encourage her to at least try playing one.

This info sits rather nicely here emdee, but I'll post it over on the Family tree board as well, just in case it's missed here.

Cheers
Ptarmigan

[emdee]

I just have the three sons, but one of them tried the harp when he was younger, and got one on loan from the local feis. He didn't have enough patience for it, and I tried it myself. I thought it was far too complicated for me, and decided to stick with the pipes and the fiddle.

I believe that in ancient times, it was men who played the harp, although nowadays it is regarded as more of a woman's instrument. This is also the case with Highland Dancing, I believe.

[emdee]

In the Press and Journal this week I read a report that the asking price has been dropped from 3.25m t2.75m, as there have been no offers.

[Ptarmigan]

.................. Time to check my Lotto tickets!