The Vision Thing. Your Secret Key!

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It helps to see beyond the initial impression

Here is a property we recently featured. To many folk, it can look like an indulgence to a fishing hobby. ALL OVER THE UK the water companies are selling off reservoirs. It’s because of advances in engineering pump technology.

^^ Reservoir For Sale ^^

This is just a random example (status: here).

Reservoirs are being sold off like a wet Dr Beeching.

This is happening all across the UK.

Do you see what we see?

Have you got the vision thing yet? Some call it lateral thinking. It is a secret key to making something happen in your life that might once have seemed an impossible dream. Nice but impossible to visualise.

=> Please look again. It is a very big amount of water.

=> How about the price? What do you think the guide is on this reservoir?

Have a quick look at the Land Registry Deeds. What could you do with this water? What would you do?

^^ 49 Acres of Land & Reservoir ^^

Current sale may be a bit wobbly.

It may come up for sale again soon.

^^ 49 Acres of Land & Reservoir ^^

Actually TWO parts to this one sale.

A lot of bang for your buck.

A lot of splash for your cash.

Worth keeping an eye on this (and lots of others).

Full Disclosure

We rate SVA as the BEST AUCTION HOUSE in Scotland and amongst the top 3 in the UK. Why? Well the owner, Mr Shaun Vigers B.Sc., M.Phil, (Planning)., sold our Ailsa Craig Island Lighthouse property approximately 20 years ago when we were really struggling to find a buyer…

^^ Ailsa Craig Lighthouse Station ^^

Owned in 2000 by Unique Property plc

Sold By SVA Auctions 20 Years Ago

^^ Ailsa Craig Lighthouse Station ^^

We really loved the place, but it was a

nightmare to get to from the Kintyre side.

Shaun and his team at SVA Auctions have been selling our various different buildings at various times ever since. We’ve also been tempted to wave our paw in the air and bid to buy at SVA Auctions into the bargain.

Fairly recently one of our partners-in-mischief went along to bid on this reservoir as she and Russ McLean, this website’s founder, are hatching a plan to gently upcycle reservoir use. Seriously, when you look at this photograph, are YOU not just a wee bit tempted to buy this reservoir at a guide of £25,000…

^^ Boathouse on Glen Ogil Reservoir ^^

Photo Attribution: With Thanks to Mel Stephens

A balance is to bring in a very modest income that can be deployed on maintenance of the reservoir. Heaven knows we’ve spent 35 years renovating buildings that have NOT been maintained. Maybe even format the ownership entity as a registered charity such as earlier efforts that worked well in one of our earlier adventures (click here).

Indeed, whereas the TS Queen Mary is very big vessel and being renovated in a different direction, there are classic ships which would work well in a static (or fully functional cruising: MV Countess of Breadalbane (turn the SOUND OFF: Here). This vessel had marvellous potential as a local amenity such as a cafe or visitor centre, plus part of the accommodation as residential. The reason for that is to economically fulfil site security. Though not all vandalism results in being lifted by the polis. This admirable vessel was scrapped before a decent effort was made by those responsible for breaking up this beauty was made…

^^ MV Countess of Breadalbane ^^

Photo attribution Mr Colin Campbell with thanks

Sadly this vessel was scrapped.

An act of vandalism.

There are other glorious candidates for a reservoir amenity (plus floating home) adventure that still have the ability to do their job, though in need of some fundraising and TLC. This next one would be great. But the best result is for the SS Sir Walter Scott to remain on Loch Katrine making many folk happy…

^^ SS Sir Walter Scott ^^

Fundraising & Restoration Well Under Way

Hopefully you are getting our point? Looking beyond just an expanse of dozens of acres of water! We want to live by the sea or the lochs and lakes. There are boats in our DNA from Royal Navy on the one side of the family and Merchant Navy on the other. There is an inbuilt bias towards waterside buildings. Fortunately, statistics show that a majority of folk share such a wish. Or at least to have a canal-side view if not full-on sea view.

An ace way and economic too is to live on the water. Finding a classic vessel in need of some restoration work is easy.

When the two charity founders had a marathon 7 hour call in 2012 Iain Sim quickly understood the problem. To rescue TS Queen Mary, Russ kept banging on that it was the berth that would be the problem. Harbourmasters don’t like old clunker-boats clogging up their harbours.

^^ Beware The Grumpy Harbourmaster ^^

Most want to see maritime heritage preserved.

A few are not so understanding.

Why is this relevant? Well if you own the water and the ground upon which it sits along with any berths, then there will be some classic ships well worth saving. The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships comes to mind.

^^ 338,000 Lives Saved ^^

These Little Boats Require Respect.

Some now need a home.

This is a small appreciation of what they and their skippers did…

^^ The Little Ships of Dunkirk ^^

There are many lochs and lakes in the UK

Never, ever should any of these vessels be lost for want of a berth or a little bit of quayside. That can be the killer for so much of our maritime heritage. Seriously. Men and women should weep if they knew how many vessels are scrapped for want of somewhere to reside. If you own a loch or a lake, there is, of course an onerous duty of care under the reservoirs legislation and environmental health etc. But there is also a duty of care. not just to wear a poppy once a year. Just like the old TS Queen Mary, sometimes something just needs a gentle nudge.

If you enjoy Unique Property Bulletin,

we do not charge a penny.

But sometimes it is nice for our readers to pop a fiver across to a beloved charity or not-for-profit organisation.

The Association of Dunkirk Little Ships

Click Here

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The Importance of Being Good Neighbours

There is also a very diplomatic path to be trodden as 101 laws protect reservoirs and local folk are generally supportive, but often there can be a vociferous minority who will not be overly keen and that can scupper things.

As for this loch…

^^ Den of Ogil Reservoir^^

Even just a Boat House would have been a wonderful sanctuary to write this website content. Imagine living here…

^^ Boat House on Glen Ogil Reservoir ^^

Photo Attribution: With Thanks to Mel Stephens

The other half did wave at Shaun, but sometimes the price goes well over the margin you often put aside if a duelling bidder situation arises. The facts became clear after the sale completed. A lot more pennies than expected. At £90,555 our piggybank for fun projects had already taken a battering restoring three Grade A lighthouse buildings. Plus the proposal to put a boat, even an ecological electric one on the water before even a pre-planning enquiry and chat with the neighbours had gone ahead meant too much risk for Glen Ogil. Here is the public domain detail from the excellent Land Registry websites…

^^ Official Source: Here ^^

England & Wales Land Registry Searches: Here

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The Vision Thing. Your Secret Key!

It helps to see beyond the initial impression

^^ Glen Ogil Reservoir ^^

Photo Attribution: With Thanks to Mel Stephens

As well as possibly restoring a classic vessel such as SS Sir Walter Scott (with eco-batteries to reduce pollution risk), the vision thing ~ that lateral thought process we are endeavouring to imbue in our readers, has us thinking about transplanting a newbuild one of these classic boathouses from the Lake District up to one of the reservoirs of lochs currently being sold by specialist Scottish Water disposal company SVA Auctions.

^^ The Duke of Portland Boathouse ^^

Lake Ullswater. You can book this for holidays.

^^ Boathouse on Glen Ogil Reservoir ^^

Photo Attribution: With Thanks to Mel Stephens^^

Truth be told, the old brain got thinking about even more exotic things like floating islands…

^^ Floating Islands Are Becoming Popular ^^

With some of the amazing features around reservoirs…

^^ A Very Nautical Look ^^

…you are halfway there in respect of obtaining planning permission for something that sites well within the vernacular. For example, when you look at this, you can almost feel yourself reaching for a pirate hat and borrowing your granny’s parrot to go on your shoulder. Just don’t get us started about Jack Sparrow!

There’s “walking the plank”, “keel-hauling” and goodness knows what fun and games you might have with the weans playing “spillway-sledging”. Best book that trip to A&E now.

^^ Could Spillway-Sledging Become An Olympic Sport ^^

Or even just a way to dislodge yer grannies dentures when she mistakenly uses super-glue to keep the old wallies stuck in.

Even more exotic are the underwater houses…

^^ Maybe a Tad Radical For Starters ^^

These are probably a bit too controversial for reservoirs at this time. But worth thinking about because the loch we have up at the northern HQ at Noss Head Lighthouse was just a puddle to start with. Then when the Northern Lighthouse Board dug that out, so as to supply the electricity generation system with ample cool water, the result was a beautiful piece of man-made water…

^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Sation Lochmor ^^

Made By The Northern Lighthouse Board to provide

ample coolant water for the electricity generating engine house

So building your own loch or lake might be a way forward to create a semi-submerged house.

=> What we do know from 20 year business relationship and will recommend wholeheartedly is that SVA Auctions are by far the BEST auction house in Scotland.

=> SVA also specialise directly with the main asset holding water organisation.

So if you are north of the Border we recommend SVA Auctions. If you are south of the Border, there are many separate and private asset holding water companies. You would be advised to check out the local water authorities website for a details of their appointed estate agent or favoured auctioneer.

Anyways, that’s what we have for this article. Just a short note to let you know where you can frequently find water board buildings and lochs for sale: SVA Auctions….