A remote Scottish island, once home to just five people, is witnessing a remarkable revival spearheaded by a television interior designer and his husband. Banjo Beale, winner of BBC's Interior Design Masters, and his partner Ro are transforming a derelict mansion on the Isle of Ulva into a boutique hotel, a project now featured in the new BBC Scotland series Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel.
From Dereliction to Dream: The Ulva House Project
The Grade B-listed Ulva House, a modernist mansion with Arts and Crafts influences, stood empty and dilapidated when the couple discovered it. Despite the lack of central heating and hot water, they have been camping on-site, pouring their savings into the ambitious conversion. The project operates under a rent and repair lease, with a portion of future profits being reinvested into the local community.
Banjo describes the aesthetic as "arrested decay," painstakingly preserving features like peeling pale green paint under a layer of varnish. The design merges his classical tastes with Ro's love for the tropical, resulting in a bohemian, whimsical feel. The entrance hall now boasts a romantic mural by artist Melissa Wickham, while the opulent Library Bar centres on a giant zinc and marble-top bar sourced from France for just £1,500.
The Community Buyout Breathing Life Back into Ulva
This personal dream is set against a powerful backdrop of community regeneration. Ulva, a 7.5-mile-long island off the Isle of Mull, was privately owned until a landmark community buyout in 2018. The 1841 census recorded 570 inhabitants, but by 2015, the population had plummeted to just five due to the historic Highland Clearances. The buyout aimed to repopulate the island, with a long-term target of 50 residents.
The initiative has already seen success, with the population growing to 16. Banjo and Ro, both Australians, along with their dog Grampa, are now key players in this resurgence. "The good thing about Ulva being community owned," Banjo explains, "is we're all in this together." Their involvement extends beyond the hotel; last summer, they also opened the popular Boathouse restaurant on the island's jetty with business partner Sam.
Off-Grid Adventures and a Brighter Future
While the seven-bedroom hotel prepares for its seasonal opening later this year, visitors can already experience Ulva's rugged charm through alternative accommodations. These include a revamped hostel and off-grid bothies like Bearnus Bothy, a five-mile coastal hike from the jetty.
Run by the adventurous climbers Andy and Yvette Primrose, the bothy offers a rustic retreat with wood-burning stoves, candlelight, and stunning solitude. It epitomises the island's wild appeal, where visitors might spot seals, otters, and hen harriers. With the hotel on the horizon and new residents arriving, the future for Ulva is looking significantly brighter and busier, successfully being "re-peopled" for the first time in generations.
All six episodes of Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
