Savills Auctions has been instructed on the sale of Sandside Harbour, built around 1830 in Reay, Caithness near Thurso by Major William Innes of Sandside for both trade and fishing.
The harbour is located down a private road, accessed via a metal gate and is sheltered to the West by high ground with far-reaching views to the North overlooking Orkney and to the East over the Pentland Firth.
The traditional category A listed stone harbour is distinctive and has immaculate stone-built harbour walls with two L-plan piers forming a simple basin as well as a slipway from which boats may be launched. The harbour is used – on a grace and favour basis- by local small leisure boats and a few boats that are used for lobster and crab fishing.
The Net Store is also category A listed and is of traditional stone construction, set beneath a slate and metal sheet roof. The Net Store is built into the bank with west elevation and a symmetrical east façade with two ground floor doors each flanked by windows. The Bothy Flat forms the upper floor of the Net Store building located on the harbour edge and can be accessed from the west at first-floor level.
The building is currently unoccupied and will require extensive upgrading. The ground floor of the Net Store building has a double height ceiling from the days when it was used for hanging out fishing nets, and access directly onto the harbourside. Subject to the appropriate planning and listed building consents this could be converted to provide further accommodation or incorporated into the Bothy Flat above to provide a spectacular single dwelling.
Robin Howeson, head of Savills Auctions comments; “It’s not every day that a private harbour comes up for sale at auction and we are delighted to be bringing this rarely available asset to the market. Sandside Harbour is a private stone harbour situated on the north coast of Scotland and comes to the auction market with a guide price of £45,000.
“Built in 1830 the lot comprises 4.77 acres, an immaculate stone-built arbour wall, a traditional net shore and a bothy that offers residential development opportunities, subject to the appropriate planning and listed building consents. Used on a grace and favour basis by local small boats that are used for lobster and crab fishing, a buyer could see themselves becoming part of the local community. With pricing tailored to attract a suitable buyer, I’d expect interest to come largely from developers or private buyers looking to invest into this historic harbour.”