ONE of the UK’s prettiest islands has been forced to ban people travelling there once a week.
Ulva is home to just 16 people but after it starred on a TV show, has experienced ‘unprecedented interest’ by tourists.
In a bid to control the number of people visiting the small Scottish island, the local and only ferry service has announced it will not run on Sundays.
Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland found off the west coast of the Isle of Mull.
The island receives an influx of visitors during the spring and summertime – but this year has had more than ever.
This is a result of the TV show, Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel being aired on BBC Scotland and iPlayer.
Banjo and Ro who hail from Australia appeared on the series renovating Ulva House – a Regency home that will open as a hotel.
Since the show aired, the island has become much busier – so much so that the ferry operator has decided to close on certain days.
The ferry is the only way to get to Ulva as it crosses the strait from Mull in around 5-minutes.
The foot passenger ferry operates on weekdays from 9am to 5.30pm and does not operate on Saturdays.
In recent news, the ferry announced it will no longer carry passengers across on Sundays either.
In a recent post, it said: “None of us could have predicted how significant the increase in the numbers of visitors would be, so to give ourselves, the Boathouse [restaurant] and fellow islanders the chance to recharge and prepare for the week ahead, we have made the difficult decision not to open Sundays this summer.”
For those who have already pre-booked a trip to the island in June, July or August, the ferry operator has said that it will still help visitors across.
Banjo and Ro already run The Boathouse on Ulva, a restaurant where visitors can pick up a coffee or local fish dishes.
The island is car-free island with cliffs, moorlands, woodland as well as quiet beaches and bays.
Talking to Sun Travel about the island, Banjo described it as “another world” and there’s plenty of wildlife to spot too.
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.”
When it comes to activities on the island, of course Banjo suggests stopping at The Boathouse for a “pre-walk coffee” then a walk to Ormaig.
Here is where there are ruins of the island’s villages.
Another attraction is Livingston’s Cave, and nearby you’ll see “gorgeous view of Inch Kenneth where the Mitford sisters used to live”.
Then Banjo said: “Head back to The Boathouse for lunch – we serve fresh langoustines, crab and lobster which you can enjoy with a fresh bottle of wine.”