London couple who are selling the Scottish island they bought as a retirement project reveal why they’re moving back to the capital in their 70s

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By JOWENA RILEY, LIFESTYLE REPORTER Updated: 12:33 21 Oct 2026

A retired couple who traded London for a private Scottish island a decade ago reveal why they have now returned to the capital.

In 2017, Richard Stein and Sally Lovell purchased Harbour Island, situated off the Argyll coast, for £650,000.

The 9.7-acre island was a big change from their previous house in Clerkenwell, central London – but they fell in love at first sight thanks to its remote location, picturesque views and connection to nature.

Their home was only 300 metres from the slightly busier village of Crinan, so Richard says they never feel lonely – but they have to catch a boat whenever they need some milk or fancy a pint.

The 71-year-old said: ‘It is not remote in any sense. There is the extra pleasure of a boat across which only takes three or four minutes. It is the feeling of being somehow in the world with mains electricity, water, broadband, telly, yet where we live is so separate from all that.’

But after nine years of happy living, Richard and Sally have listed the island with Savills for £1.25 million and are heading back down south.

On top of being closer to family, the couple admitted they missed the fast pace of London and look forward to having shops, dining, and friends on their doorstep once more.

Speaking to the London Standard in July, Richard said: ‘Until last year I would have said I never wanted to live in London again but last spring I spent a week or so there wandering around and realised I missed the food, the culture, the socialising, the shops and the buzz.’

With aging parents and new grandchildren in the picture, family and friends are the main reasons for the move.

Sally added: ‘When we moved, I thought that we’d always live here. We completely fell in love with the island and with Argyll, and we poured our heart and soul into it. But you don’t have a crystal ball, you don’t realise how your priorities will change.’

Richard decided to buy Harbour Island as a project to occupy his time after retiring as a solicitor in March 2017.

The place was extremely overgrown when they bought it, with the three-bed bungalow still stuck in the 1950s.

They finally moved in April 2017 and immediately started their renovation work – including installing plumbing and central heating.

In autumn of 2018 they added a major extension. And in 2022, Richard built an annexe himself from local timber, featuring four bedrooms, three bathrooms and three reception rooms.

Speaking to the Daily Mail in May last year, he said: ‘Our family thought we were mad. It was a challenge and I needed that after stopping what was a demanding and rewarding job.

‘It was pretty run down. I think I was looking for a project to replace a full-time job.

‘Looking around at what we have achieved here, it has felt like a really amazing way to spend our post-retirement phase.’

Richard said the island is filled with wildlife, with him often seeing a range of birds. They even had a seal move in for a few weeks once.

He added the biggest difference was needing to plan, as he used to be able to stop at the shops on his way home from work but was required to think about it in advance after the couple’s move.

But he boasted that the island is still very accessible, with it only taking 20 minutes to get to his closest supermarket.

The biggest mishap that can happen is if the couple leave their car keys at home and have to use their 16ft Orkney boat to collect them. There is also a shop in the boatyard which sells supplies.

Sally, 63, said they always made sure their freezer was stocked in case of a storm, but there had only been two since they moved in which stopped travel.

There are pipes and cables on the seabed which come across to the island, so the only thing they were missing was gas. Instead, they burned wood from the island for their stove.

Richard added: ‘Living on the island has been amazing. The views are extraordinary. It is just the most incredible place to be.

‘Being surrounded by the water makes you feel like you are immersed in nature. Looking out you can see one or two signs of human habitation but the rest is completely wild.’

‘Still, after nine years when I look out of the window in the morning I can’t really believe that I live here.’

Sally, who used to work in marketing, said her daily routine on the island mostly involved maintenance of the many plants. She would also take a daily walk around the outside of the land, which takes 40 minutes.

She said: ‘We just fell in love with it. There is a magic in an island and you feel the magic when you step on the land. It felt like I had stepped into a secret garden. There is a sense of adventure.

‘It is unique to be able to walk on ones own land and always have something to look at. It really does feel like paradise sometimes.

‘It is not isolated at all. We can be cut off if we want to be, but we like to be involved in the community.’

Despite loving their home, Richard and Sally have made the tough call to sell Harbour Island so that they can be closer to family in the south of England.

The pair have listed the property for £1,250,000 with Savills, and say that it will be tough to see it go.

Sally said: ‘It is a really hard decision to leave. It is going to be a wrench. But it has been nearly ten years. We are a bit too far away from family.

‘You have got to be fit enough to get in and out of a boat, which we are now, but letting go at the right time is important. ‘

Richard said: ‘We are very sad to be moving but it feels appropriate for family reasons. I don’t think that it is the wrong decision, but we are certainly going to miss many elements of it.’

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