The Aline Estate, located on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland's Outer Hebrides, is on the market for £4 million. This price is less than that of a detached house in Chelsea, London. The estate includes an 18th-century highland lodge, a cluster of cottages, 8,200 acres of land, and the uninhabited Seaforth Island, which spans about 600 acres and rises over 200 metres above sea level.
Estate features and amenities
The estate boasts approximately five miles of coastline on Loch Seaforth. The whitewashed Aline Lodge, built in the 18th century, has thick stone walls for protection against the Hebridean weather. It features six bedrooms, three reception rooms, a wood burner, a sunroom, an outdoor terrace, and a sauna. The lodge was renovated and modernised in 2010. Other properties on the estate include two semi-detached two-bedroom stone cottages (Tarbert and Clisham), a self-contained one-bedroom Seaforth Cottage, and a three-bedroom bungalow called Keeper's House, occupied by the estate's gamekeeper.
Recreational and sporting opportunities
The estate is marketed as a sporting estate, offering fishing and hunting for salmon, trout, grouse, and red deer. It also provides hiking trails and access to Mount Clisham. Seaforth Island can be accessed by boat for hiking, fishing, hunting, and wildlife spotting, including whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The lodge is available for holiday rentals, priced at £5,500 per week in October and £3,750 in low season, while Tarbert Cottage rents for £695 to £995 per week.
Renewable energy and carbon credits
A solar array on a shed roof generates income under the UK's feed-in tariff scheme. Additionally, nearly 1,500 acres of peatlands on the estate have been identified as suitable for carbon accreditation, allowing the owners to generate and potentially sell carbon credits through restoration and management.
Robert McCulloch of Strutt & Parker commented: "When people think of the wild beauty of Scotland that you see in paintings and novels, many see the Outer Hebrides. Aline captures everything that makes this part of the world so beautifully remarkable. The lodge sits on the shores of Loch Seaforth, the estate includes its own island, and everywhere you look there is water, dramatic landscape, wildlife and quiet." He added: "What makes Aline particularly special is what is on offer here. It offers all the wonderfully traditional aspects of a typical Scottish estate —exceptional fishing, stalking and shooting— while also presenting opportunities around peatland restoration and natural capital. Buyers increasingly look for estates that combine lifestyle with the long-term stewardship, and this estate delivers both en mass."
Location and accessibility
The nearest town is Tarbert, about 20 minutes' drive away. Stornoway, the island's capital, is 23 miles north. The Isle of Lewis is connected to the Scottish mainland by flights (under an hour) and ferries.
