Inside the £1m house overlooking one of the finest beaches in the Outer Hebrides

One of the first £1 million houses in the Outer Hebrides is on the market.

And the outlook from the Writer’s House at Timsgearraidh on the Isle of Lewis is absolutely priceless.

The house is tucked away in the rolling landscape that leads down to Uig Sands on the north west coast of the island. It is a place where big skies, fast moving clouds and the vast expanse of the Atlantic converge to create a place of a thousand views.

The Writer’s House was built for Nicholas Barnard and his wife Camilla, who founded the Rude Health brand of muesli and milks. The couple have since divorced.

Mr Barnard purchased the site in 2013 for £70,000, when it was de-crofted to make room for the second home. It is said he became captivated with the area after taking a holiday in the islands.

The house took several years to build. It is understood The Writer’s House has rarely been used.

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It is now for sale for £995,000, making it one of the most expensive island properties to hit the market.

The house was designed by Duncan and Fiona Porteous of Porteous Architecture, which has offices in Stornoway and the Isle of Harris.

The sales brochure said: “Working on the Hebridean islands, the studio seeks to respond to the extreme environment with buildings that work with the natural landscape and unique cultural identity in a sustainable, contemporary way.”

The four-bedroom property has a large open living space with large windows giving unspoilt views to the west. It also has a sauna and a gym.

The house is being marketed by London-based The Modern House, which specialises in properties of high design. The brochure said the property was “effortlessly anchored” in its natural context with its turf and wildflower roof.

The sale pitch added: “Inside, the plan is largely dedicated to a spectacular open-plan living space created with serene, reposeful living in mind. Finishes throughout are pared back, yet refined, opting for subtle colours and tactile materials that allow the encircling topography centre stage.”

The croft was left to Marion Patricia Grant, who lives on the mainland, by her uncle who descended from one of the original crofters when Timsgearraidh was broken up in the 1920s. The decrofted site has been re-sold twice since 2013, most recently to Mr Barnard for £70,000.

While The Writer’s House represents the very high-end of the property market, the desirability of the island for holiday homes and second homes continues to make its mark on opportunities for working islanders to buy a property.

House prices rose in the the Western Isles by 135 per cent between 2004 and 2022, with the increase putting some industries at risk as employers find it impossible for new recruits to find homes.

Data from Registers of Scotland show the average house price in the Western Isles rose from £65,189 to £214,712 over the period. In Shetland, the increase was 168 per cent, with the Highland figure at 107 per cent.

Radical solutions have been called for to protect workforces and attract and retain families to island life on a permanent basis.

Recently, Salmon Scotland chief executive Tavish Scott called for £10 million of the money paid by salmon farmers in government rents to be ringfenced for direct investment in rural housing, given difficulties in the sector of securing accommodation for employees.

The Scottish Government said it has committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 10 per cent in remote, rural and island areas.