WHILE most Brits are ditching the UK for the bright lights of Australia – one couple has gone the other way.
Interior designer Banjo Beale and his husband, Ro, have set up their lives on the wild Scottish island of Ulva and are even in the process of opening a new hotel there.
After growing up in Australia, the pair set off on an epic journey around the world travelling to Sri Lanka, across Europe before eventually settling on the Isle of Mull where they worked on a cheese farm.
The couple then moved from Tobermory to Ulva where to say life is very different on the island would be an understatement.
Talking to Sun Travel, Banjo said: “We swapped Tobermory which has a population of 2,000 for Ulva which has 13.
“But I think it’s a beautiful, wild place, it’s an island off an island with no roads – it’s a really special place.
“Mull is all the best bits of Scotland on a tiny island, and Ulva is the best bits of Mull on an even tinier island- it’s like another world.”
Now, he and Ro are embarking on a project together – renovating Ulva House, which they’ve documented on their BBC series Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel.
But thanks to its location on Ulva, it hasn’t been the easiest project to take on.
Banjo said: “The biggest challenge was the logistics of getting it across on the world’s smallest ferry.
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“The island has no cars either – just a tractor, and a horsebox which you have to get up a very small goat track.”
When it comes to accessing the island, you’ve got to get to the Isle of Mull first and take a tiny ferry across the strait.
Unlike traditional ferries, visitors have to signal for pickup using a red panel on the pier – then the ferryman will come over which according to Banjo is ‘where the adventure starts’.
The best time to visit Ulva are from April through to October when Banjo said “the island swells in population” – which it does considering its 13 residents.
Banjo told us: “It’s lovely to see energy come back in spring – all the flowers and bluebells are blooming and tourists are exploring the island.
“I like that we get to share it – because when we first came to Ulva, we completely fell in love with it. It’s a very special place to live.”
So, when you make it onto the island, here’s what Banjo suggests you do including a stop at The Boathouse – which Banjo and Ro also manage.
He said: “Once you step off the ferry, I’d stop off at The Boathouse for a pre-walk coffee just to wake up and then go for a lovely walk maybe to Ormaig.
“You’ll be able to see ruins of the island’s villages – Ulva was once home to around 800 people and it even had the largest bagpiping school in Scotland.
“There’s also Livingston’s Cave, and if you head over to the other side for a gorgeous view of Inch Kenneth where the Mitford sisters used to live.
“Then head back to The Boathouse for lunch – we serve fresh langoustines, crab and lobster which you can enjoy with a fresh bottle of wine.”
For those seeking wildlife, there’s no shortage of sightings on Ulva.
Banjo said: “We’ve got otters, dolphins and seals swimming by, and one ferry you can take from Ulva is called Turus Mara which goes to the Treshnish Isles, it’s home to puffins.
“Often we go there for a puffin picnic just to sit with them, that’s one of our favourite things to do.
“There are more cows than people too so you’re likely to see a lot of them. And you’ve got a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights when the sun goes down.”
However, not all aspects of life on Ulva are as easy and idyllic as it sounds.
Banjo added: “We have no shops on Ulva, the nearest supermarket is on Mull which is a ferry ride and then a 40-minute car ride away.
“We have to plan ahead during the winter so we’re pickling, preserving and getting ready for the year ahead.
“There are frequent power cuts, so sometimes we get stuck on the island. Once there was a storm and we couldn’t get off for five days.
“Those who live on Ulva, we rely on each other – when there are no shops to buy sugar from, you’ll have to borrow it.”
When it comes to their way of life, what is it about Scotland that Banjo enjoys so much?
He joked: “In the depths of winter I ask myself the same question.
“But actually, I think both Scotland and Australia are similar, especially when it comes to extreme weather – there’s just a little less sunshine.
“And in terms of the Scots, I’d say we have the same sense of humour, we’re very similar and self-deprecating – we don’t take ourselves seriously and Scots are the same.”
The eager-eyed will recognise Banjo from BBC’s Interior Design Masters which he won in 2022.
The island itself is unique too, with Banjo and Ro having to renovate Ulva House on a rent and repair lease as Ulva is owned by the community.
Banjo explained: “The community bought the island, so nobody owns anything. We rent Ulva House, repair the building, make a living off it and a proportion of that goes back into the island into community projects.”
Ulva House will open to guests in 2027.
Watch all episodes of Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel on BBC iPlayer now.