Littlequoy & Hunda Orkney L ITTLEQUOY & H UNDA Orkney Burray Village 2 miles, St Margaret’s Hope 6 miles, Kirkwall 13 miles, Kirkwall Airport 12 miles IDYLLIC COASTAL FARM WITH A PRIVATE ISLAND Traditional farmhouse (5 bedrooms) Studio with large open plan space Modern and traditional farm buildings Development opportunities Private island linked by a causeway 155 acres of pasture 232 acres of rough and coastal grazing 4.2 miles of coastline in total 422 acres in total For sale as a whole or in up to four lots Savills Wemyss House 8 Wemyss Place Edinburgh EH3 6DH 0131 247 3720 [email protected] These particulars are only as a guide and must not be relied on as a statement of fact. Your attention is drawn to the Important Notice on the last page of text. LITTLEQUOY & H UNDA Situation Orkney lies about 20 miles to the north of the Scottish mainland. This archipelago includes 70islands, 20 of which are inhabited, and has long been regarded as a very desirable place to live on account of the quality of life they offer and the strong sense of community. At the heart of the island’s cultural scene is its thriving arts, crafts and musical tradition. Of particular note is the renowned St Magnus International Music Festival which attracts world-class performers. Burray, on which Littlequoy is situated, is about 2.2 miles long by 3.8 miles wide, and has a population of about 400. It is a beautiful and peaceful island conveniently linked to mainland Orkney by the historic Churchill Barriers, a series of causeways built in the 1940s primarily as naval defences to protect the anchorage at Scapa Flow, but now serving as road links. The island is peppered with wonderful walks along a coastline which includes cliffs, caves and sandy beaches. The village of Burray offers a range of basic services for day to day needs, including a local convenience store and a hotel with a public house. A wide range of shops, professional services and leisure facilities can be found in the town of Kirkwall. There are two secondary schools on Orkney, the new grammar school in Kirkwall and the Stromness Academy, both of which provide a school bus. There is a newly built primary school in Burray. In common with the rest of Orkney, Burray has an abundance of wildlife. There are numerous places on the island to see gull and tern colonies, shell ducks, hen harriers and arctic skua, and puffins nest from May to early June. Common seals can be seen on several beaches, there are some grey seals, and otters have also been seen. Orkney has numerous well known archaeological sites but of particular significance is the World Heritage Site at Skara Brae, a stone-built Neolithic settlement, located on the Bay of Skaill on the west coast of Mainland Orkney. The long sunny summer days and warm current of the Gulf Stream ensure Orkney's waters are a rich feeding ground for fish. There is plenty to be caught by anglers of all abilities, whether just off-shore in Scapa Flow or further afield where mackerel, cod, pollock, coalfish and ling may be caught. There is good trout fishing on the nearby fresh water lochs. The islands offer wonderful opportunities for sailing and there are sheltered anchorages at Burray Village, St Mary’s Village, St Margaret’s Hope, and a new marina at Kirkwall. There is an active diving club which offers diving trips to the blockship wrecks at the Churchill Barriers and the sunken German naval fleet at Scapa Flow. There are three 18-hole golf courses on Orkney, at Kirkwall, Stromness and St Margaret’s Hope. Communications Road / Ferry: Ferry links to Orkney from Northern Scotland include Gills Bay to St Margaret’s Hope (approx. 1 hour), Scrabster to Stromness (approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes) and Aberdeen to Kirkwall (approx. 7 hours). See www.pentlandferries.co.uk for further information on timetables for the St Margaret’s Hope crossing and www.northlinkferries.co.uk for timetables for the other two crossings. There is a “foot passenger only” ferry from John o’ Groats to Burwick on the southern coast of South Ronaldsay, which operates in the summer months only. Air: Kirkwall Airport has direct services to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen Airports, all of which offer onward connections to London. The Edinburgh flights are particularly convenient and allow one to fly to Edinburgh for 9am and return to Kirkwall by 7pm. For private flights, Kirkwall Airport Air Traffic Control may be contacted on 01856 886205. The runway PCN is 15, and can accept up to 21 ACN. There is a privately owned airstrip at Lamb Holm Island (4.5 miles), which will accept private light aircraft by prior arrangement. Description Littlequoy and Hunda lie on the south western shores of Burray, in a beautiful and unspoilt corner of The farm currently benefits from a useful income amounting to £25,665 per year through a series of the island, at the end of a public road. This sale presents an unusual opportunity to acquire a coastal agri-environmental schemes (SFPs, SRDP and LFAs) which are described in more detail under the farm which includes its own private island linked to the farm by a causeway. General Remarks section of this brochure. The current owners have worked hard at enhancing the environmental and conservation aspects of the farm which is evidenced by the abundance and variety The farmstead sits in a secluded and idyllic position less than 100 yards from the shoreline and is of the flora and fauna. accessed via a private track off the public road. There is a traditional farmhouse, a detached studio within a stone former barn, a traditional byre and a modern sheep shed. Scattered across the farm are The owners have had preliminary discussions with a wind turbine operator who has indicated that there five sites which may offer development potential subject to obtaining the necessary consents. may be potential for turbines on the farm and the island, subject to obtaining the necessary consents. Further details are available from the selling agents. The farm is run in hand and is best suited to sheep production. It typically carries about 400 breeding ewes which are put to either a Texel or Blueface Leicester ram. Lambs are either sold through the local The farm is offered for sale as a whole or in up to 4 lots as follows: market fattened, or kept as replacement breeding stock. The farmland, extending to 387.83 acres in total across the farm and the island, is in good heart and comprises a combination of pasture, rough • Lot 1A – Littlequoy Farm (189.32 acres) grazing and hill ground, which can be broadly analysed as follows: • Lot 1B – Land at Swannies Point (27.06 acres) Land Type Acres (approx) • Lot 2 – Hunda Island (205.08 acres) Permanent Pasture 155.69 Lot 3 – Site at Sheepsquoy Ruin (1.02 acres) Rough / Coastal Grazing 232.14 • Other (shore, tracks etc) 34.65 TOTAL 422.48 Lot 1A – Littlequoy Farm FARMHOUSE The farmhouse occupies an outstanding position overlooking the surrounding farmland and the sea beyond. It is principally of stone construction with some harled elevations under a tiled roof and provides a comfortable family home. The internal layout offers a combination of practicality for a country family, and ample space for entertaining. The accommodation is arranged over two floors, as shown on the layout plans and photographs. On the ground floor there is a spacious sitting room with large windows, out of which there are dramatic coastal views, and a recently fitted multi- fuel burner. Adjoining the kitchen and the sitting room is a dining room with a Rayburn solid fuel cooker. The kitchen is situated at the rear of the house and has fitted cupboards and a gas cooker. There is a bathroom on the ground floor. There are five bedrooms, one on the ground floor and four on the first floor, two of which are accessed by a cast iron spiral staircase from the sitting room. At the front of the house is a small porch opening onto an enclosed garden with a pond and a mixture of well established shrubs. A short distance from the house is a productive vegetable garden surrounded and sheltered by mature bushes. Bathroom Studio Situated a short distance from the house is a former workshop which has been sympathetically converted into an open plan studio with a mezzanine loft. The building is currently used as an alternative therapy treatment room and has under floor heating and a large multi fuel stove. This attractive building provides flexible space which may offer alternative uses subject to obtaining the necessary consents. Farm buildings Development Opportunities Lot 1 is equipped with a well maintained range of buildings accessed via the main Lot 1A includes three possible development opportunities which all benefit from fantastic sea views over Scapa Flow farm drive off the public road. The approximate dimensions and construction and the surrounding islands. The sites can be summarised as follows: are as follows: • A ruin known as Wha Taing located on the western shoreline is at risk of being lost to the sea. The owners have • Traditional byre (19.7m x 3.7m) of stone construction under a slate roof. It submitted an outline planning application (ref: 14/214/PIP) for relocating the site towards the centre of the is currently used for storage and kennels but may offer potential for farm. Whilst initial feedback from the planners has been positive the application is currently pending.