Big year ahead for tiny Ulva

Tiny Ulva has a big year ahead of it renovating homes as part of a plan to repopulate the island.

Last year 7,000 people made the ferry journey over from Mull to visit the island that was once populated by as many as 800 people - now there are just eight who would consider it as home.

The island’s development manager Wendy Reid says 2022 is going to be an exciting year.

Work has just been completed on renovating one of six properties as part of the repopulation project. The fi rst one to be renovated was The Manse, a Grade B Thomas Telford designed building dating back to the early 19th century, originally for the Ulva church minister to live in.

For the next while, it will be used to house people living in the next properties to undergo renovation, says Wendy.

There are tenants already for three of the properties, with opportunities for others coming later.

Applications are not being taken at the moment.

Spread over just 2,000 hectares, there was once 16 townships on the island; it is only the east end that is inhabited today.

Funding for the North West Mull Community Woodland Company project to carry out renovation work has come from the Scottish Government’s Rural and

Island Housing Fund and Island Community Fund, Argyll and Bute Council and the Ecology Building Society.

Logistics of working on Ulva have not proved easy, but

the end results “are justifying all the effort, says Wendy.

The next two houses are scheduled for completion by late spring, with the rest due to be fi nished early summer this year.

Permission has also been given by Historic Environment Scotland to put out to tender work to turn the former laird’s house - Ulva House - into a mix of new holiday accommodation and a heritage centre telling the story of Ulva through its people. And work has started on building up an archive of stories as a historical record stored in the house and to shape up information that goes on display there.

‘We are looking to build an archive of stories as an historical record to be kept in Ulva House and to inform the material we put on display.

‘With all this activity, plus work continuing on our other projects, 2022 is gearing up to be an exciting year,’ said Wendy. January will also see the start of work to renovate the We are looking stone pier on Ulva Ferry. to build an Mull and Iona Community archive of Trust has just announced stories as an that the Scottish Government Regeneration Capital Grant historical record Fund has awarded £602,950 to be kept in for its shore services building Ulva House there. Working in support of Ulva School Community Association, the building will provide services for the community and visitors, as well as support other developments including the regeneration work on Ulva.