Island once owned by Royal Family on sale for £350k – but there are catches

Ynys Gifftan belonged to Queen Anne in the 1700s before being gifted to a local landowner’s ancestors, now it’s on the market for just £350,000 – but there’s no electricity and plumbing is questionable

A private island once owned by the Royal Family could be yours for £350,000 – but there are a couple of catches.

Sitting off the coast of Portmeirion, north Wales, Ynys Gifftan belonged to Queen Anne in the 1700s before being gifted to the ancestors of a local landowner. The lucky buyer will have 17.74 acres to play with, including a Victorian farmhouse uninhabited for nearly 60 years.

But it’s definitely a project, as there’s no mains electricity and a new water system might be needed. It’s also situated on a tidal island within the famous Snowdonia National Park, meaning it’s only accessible on foot for up to three hours either side of low tide.

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Estate agent Hugh O’Donnell, who is handling the sale with firm Carter Jonas, said: “A lot of people have been in contact with us and are interested in what it is and seeing if it suits them. It’s a quirky one and it’s got its challenges as you would expect with an island but it’s a unique opportunity.”

The island can only be accessed by foot for three hours a day at low tide, so the new owner will need a boat to ensure they’re not cut off. The Discovering Britain guide says it is “completely cut off” and “impossible to reach at high tide.”

A listing on Rightmove describes the spot as an “expansive and unspoiled landscape with uninterrupted panoramic views'” of the Welsh coastline. It adds: “The land has become overgrown in places and would benefit from grazing and general land management to restore it to its full potential and productivity.”

Potential buyers are being warned to “take care and caution throughout inspections” and to “remain vigilant at all times for their own personal safety.” On the island’s eastern shore sits a stone-built former farmhouse which is included in the asking price.

However, it’s in need of renovation having been abandoned for for more than 200 years. Another building also lies nearby with potential to be converted. Ynys Gifftan sits in the Snowdonia National Park a stones throw from the villages of Talsarnau, Harlech and Portmeirion.

Across the water sits St David’s Golf Club, a venue once ranked the second best in a list of the top 50 courses in Britain. The £350,000 asking price is just above the £300,000 average for a house in the UK.

Queen Anne gifted the island to Lord Harlech’s ancestors. Its name, Ynys Gifftan, translates into English as Anne’s Gift Island. Anne was Queen of Great Britain and Ireland from 1702 until her death in 1714.