'Castaway' island sold to mystery bidder

The small island in the Western Isles of Scotland that featured in BBC reality TV series Castaway has been bought for an undisclosed sum just two weeks after it went on sale.

Taransay, made up of two islands linked by a sand bar in the Outer Hebrides, was put on the market at the start of June with an asking price of £2 million or above.

Ben Fogle, who rose to fame after living on the island in 2000 for Castaway, had previously indicated that he would bid to buy Taransay.

Selling agents CKD Galbraith would not disclose the identity of the new owners, but did reveal that they already own property on nearby Harris. The company said that the island's owners knew the purchasers, meaning that Taransay was passing into "safe hands".

CKD Galbraith's John Bound added: "There will no doubt be a number of disappointed parties who would have liked to bid but it is fitting that Taransay is now in the new ownership of somebody closely acquainted to the area who will preserve the current management of the island."

Taransay has been inhabited since around 300 AD, when it was home to Celtic pagans. At one stage, the island had three villages but its population gradually dwindled, with the last remaining family moving to the mainland in 1974.

The 3,445-acre island includes white sandy beaches, cliffs and moorlands, and its new owner will gain fishing rights and stalking rights for the 200 deer.

After renovation, the original buildings on the island have been used as self-catering holiday cottages since 2002. However, Taransay can only be reached by boat and there are no phone lines, while power is supplied by an electricity generator and a wind turbine.