Over 350 people have applied to move to a new remote Scottish island on the west coast.
An application process was established to try and attract those with appropriate skills, such as building, tourism and forestry to the remote island that was subject of a community buyout last year.
Once home to over 800 people in the 18th century, the island currently has just two properties and five people living there.
New ambitious plans will see the population more than double in the next few years with at least six properties added.
Last year, a £4.4m bid from the Scottish Land Fund and the Macquarie Group in line with a crowdfunding campaign saw the community buy the island.
READ MORE: Islanders halt £4.25m Ulva sale with community buyout plan
The long term aim is to have 50 people living on the island.
Colin Morrison, the chairman of the North West Mull Community Woodland Company, the body representing residents told the i: “There’s been a lot of interest because I think it has captured the imagination.
“A lot of people are now aware of what we are trying to do – I think we have done reasonably well in getting the word out.
“There is a paucity of housing in rural areas, so there’s lots of interest because there’s not much else that comes up.
“We need to be able to show the level of interest before we can apply to renovate and build more houses.
“This survey is about showing and quantifying the demand and the interest.”
READ MORE: Laird questions SNP government tactics during Ulva buyout
Renovation work on the piers is getting underway shortly, and discussions are ongoing about establishing new woodlands.
With applications to live on the island open until the end of January, Mr Morrison is expecting more applications.
He said: “Some of the properties we will be renovating will lend themselves to new families.
“But our aim is to get a good balance of people on the island. “In the next couple of years we hope to get into double figures fairly quickly.
“In the longer, longer run we are looking at up to 50 people living on the island.”
“A local primary school already exists just across the water on the mainland at Ulva Ferry.
“The secondary school is in Tobermory on Mull and children will be transported there from the island.”
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