The £1 million holiday home owned by muesli magnate for sale overlooking picture-perfect beach

Located on a site that was de-crofted in 2013 for the purpose of building a dwelling house, the sprawling wooden construction on 2 Timsgarry commands one of the island’s most desirable locations overlooking Uig Sands.

Mr Barnard, who with his now ex-wife was founder of the Rude Health brand, made little use of the property, which took several years in construction and has lain empty for more than a year. For marketing purposes, it has been christened “Writer’s House”.

The sales blurb – invoking the Clisham, the Lewis Chessmen and the tufts of Highland cows – is clearly not aimed at the local market. The property is being sold at “offers over £995,000” through The Modern House, an agency in London specialising in designer properties.

The million pound house in Uig

The details read: “Timsgarry is on the Isle of Lewis, part of Scotland's Outer Hebrides. Its coarsely luscious landscape is balanced by soft, white sandy beaches that stretch around the island's extremities, where a multitude of water-based activities can be sought.

“The island is known for its mountains, most notably Clisham, which is the highest mountain in the Outer Hebrides at a staggering 799m tall. A complex eco-system means that wildflowers flourish in the area including the Scottish bluebell, the Hebridean spotted orchid and bird’s foot trefoil.”

The blurb continues: “Uig Beach is a stunning stretch of land known for the discovery of the Lewis Chessmen, a Viking chess set found in a stony chamber of the beach. An ornithological paradise, the area has plenty of opportunities to spot golden eagles, buzzards, merlins and peregrine falcons.”

The copywriter adds: “The famous tufts of the Highland cows are often seen grazing and, sometimes, dipping in the brisk sea.”

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 Timsgarry was broken up in the 1920s. The de-crofted site has been re-sold twice since 2013, most recently to Mr Barnard for £70,000.

Also being sold through The Modern House agency for “offers over £995,000” is a Harris property in Carriegreich, near Tarbert. In this case, however, the package includes a smaller holiday letting house, known as Tor Cottage, as well as the main property.

The selling document states: “Inspired by the modern vernacular of the Scottish Highlands, these two fantastic timber-framed homes occupy a breath-taking position on the northern coastline of the Isle of Harris. Designed and built by Rural House in 2017, and shortlisted for Scottish Home of the Year 2021, the interior living spaces are spectacularly light, orientated towards the far-reaching views of the sea and sea lochs”.

Potential purchasers are reassured the natives are friendly, with a note adding: “Historically known for its fishing industry, Harris, though sparsely populated, is characterised by its friendly community spirit.”