GIGHA, the island sometimes known as God's Isle, which lies three
miles off Kintyre, is back on the market after an offer submitted three
weeks ago failed to meet the conditions set by sellers Interallianz, the
Swiss bank.
The news was welcomed by the 160 residents of the island, which is
only six miles long and 1.5 miles wide. It will be put up for sale once
again by agents Savills of Edinburgh, who are asking for offers of more
than #2m.
It was bought for #5.4m in 1989 by Mr Malcom Potier, a property
tycoon, but when his company, Tanap Investments, collapsed in March, the
3400-acre island, with its hotel, restaurant, 38 cottages, farms, fish
farms, nine-hole golf course, and private airstrip, passed to
Interallianz.
Gigha is best known as a tourist attraction because of Achamore House,
a nineteenth-century property set in a rhododendron and exotic shrub
garden created after the Second World War by Sir James Horlick.
Mr Seamus McSporran, the Poo-Bah of Gigha -- he has 14 jobs, including
shopkeeper, postman, policeman, rent collector, and undertaker -- said:
''I'm delighted to hear there are some conditions to be met. I hope they
are stringent enough to ensure we get a decent honest-to-goodness laird
in the future. We are renowned for patience and that will be exercised.
''I'm not exasperated by the delay. I would be a lot more exasperated
if the sale had gone ahead and had been found to be wanting again. We
are concerned but we hope things will work out.''
All those previously interested will be invited to resubmit their
offers. Included in the properties for sale is the fish farm operated by
Isle of Gigha Salmon Ltd, now in provisional liquidation. It has 80,000
turbot in tanks and 22,000 salmon in nets at sea.
Two weeks ago, liquidator Kidsons Impey arranged an emergency
operation to feed the fish, many of which were reported to be starving.
It also arranged to pay Mr Ian McColm, the manager and his staff, who
had not received wages for seven weeks. Kidsons Impey is now running the
fish farm with the full co-operation of Interallianz.
A spokesman said: ''They have given use a short-term let to the farm,
so we can grow the fish and dispose of them.''
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