Unique Property Bulletin:
What? Who? How? & More?
What?
Unique Property Bulletin is a free online resource. It lists unusual properties that you might like to buy or rent. We are NOT an estate agency: just a group of friends who started out in 1985 having adventures with unique buildings and helping other friends who have similar eccentricity about unusual buildings. This publication is for unique property folk to help them in their search for an unusual home. For us, the first was this old ruin on a small island.
The deal was £5 a year rent as long as we renovated it…
^^ The Lookout: £5 A Year Lease ^^
The Old Coastguard Station
On Davaar Island.
Do you fancy a challenge like this?
If you are wanting an interesting place to live, whether to rent or buy, ranging from £5 to lease up to £15 million to buy (London Underground Stations can be expensive), then we are here for you.
Maybe consider signing up to email alerts from Unique Property Bulletin? Either via the annoying pop-up email box on this page, or by “following” our social media account so you don’t miss a unique home or special bargain. You are safer to “follow” the social media updates (email alerts end up in junk folders or vapourised in the world-wide-web). Here is what became of that old ruin…
^^ The Lookout: £5 A Year Lease ^^
The Old Coastguard Station
On Davaar Island.
The renovation was great fun. The end result was a sanctuary away from what, at that time in the 1980s felt like being “on duty” even when you were rostered for days off.
^^ The Lookout: £5 A Year Lease ^^
Very cosy and comfortable inside.
Living off-grid was just the medicine needed to wind-down and relax a bit. Power and heat was via a log-burner and generator with specialist battery backup (generator would run for three hours, then switch off and the big set of batteries would last for 9 hours on an inverter. Then repeat! Back in the 1980s ecological power generation wasn’t really a thing. Ironic as we are selling off a lot of spare buildings to put the funds released into building several eco-power stations now.
If you fancy a challenge like this, then
maybe follow us on Facebook
Click Here
^^ The Old Lookout: Renovation Competed ^^
What next?
Bliss.
Watch the ships go buy and read a nice book.
Photograph with much thanks to Andrew Macpherson.
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Examples
UNIQUE PROPERTY: Rent or Buy? From just £5- to over £5 million and more. E.G. Tower Bridge Anchor Brewhouse ~ Click Here.
EXAMPLE UNIQUE PROPERTY BULLETIN: A signal box for sale at £150,000 ~ Click Here.
MAIN BUILDING ON THIS PAGE: Just £5 for this (30 years ago but these types of deal still exist). We surrendered the lease on Davaar Island “Lookout Station” after 9 years…
^^ The Lookout ^^
Old Coastguard Station on Davaar Island.
It is still possible to find these £5 a year bargains. But they are rare. We can help you detect them as will become clear if you get to the “who” segment further into this page.
Indeed you can RENT the Old Lookout for holidays even now in 2023 (39 years after we first lease that inaugural building)! The ownership is still vested with the Turner Family (though Mr Turner Snr., has sadly passed away).
To Rent The Lookout on Davaar Island
For A Holiday
Click Here
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Lots of Other Unique Property
If you like the thought of renting or buying other unique property, especially after the pandemic when many of us have decided we like working from home, and that place of work can be in some pretty spectacular locations, please keep an eye by regularly Googling 3 words; “Unique Property Bulletin”…
^^ The Duke of Portland Boathouse ^^
We bid to buy this ourselves!
But the Lake District can be a
bit harsh on the bank balance!
Though you can now book this unique property for your holidays…
Click Here
ALSO ON OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA: This website is free for you forever. We are a not-for-profit website. Please consider helping us by sharing properties that you like or that you think your friends might be interested in. Social media a couple of times each week (we aim to list daily once new staff are appointed to help the long-standing volunteers).
Facebook: Click Here
Instagram: Click Here
Twitter: Click Here
Safety FB backup: Click Here
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Don’t Miss Out!
As well as Googling for “Unique Property Bulletin” or following us on social media, you can just add the phrase uniquemischief onto the main Facebook address and find us that way…
Or…
You can consider following us on social media:
www.facebook.com/uniquemischief
Quick link: Click Here
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Who?
As in who keeps this publication going?
We started out with one eccentric editor/researcher: Russ McLean…
^^ Russ McLean & Sheena McIllivray ^^
On duty: Island of Islay.
You can actually visit this spot “virtually”
38 years later…
We mention this Google 3D Streetview facility as it is excellent for “virtually” walking around the neighbourhood of any property almost anywhere in the world where you might like to live. It is of course very important to have a wander around the location of where you are looking to move to.
Though there are still some places where ythe Google TV Van cannot get to. So maybe treat yourself and go visist for a few days (in real-world terms)..
^^ Davaar Island ^^
Accessible by causeway at low tide
Or by boat to the island pier at normal times.
Back at “The Lookout” on Davaar island is where we started a 39 year journey that led to this page you are reading.
=> Hopefully the back-catalogue and future additions will contain something that suits you.
There are few photos of that time left over and the ones that are have begun to show signs of decrepitude. It isn’t just the unique ruins that need renovating…
^^ Russ McLean At Tulliallan Police College ^^
This may seem odd, but in a strange way, many of us at this end of the keyboard (and a decent number of our readers also) have benefitted from learning the detective skills taught at the police college.
It has been a great relief that over the years, a solid crew has coalesce together to ensure a balanced distribution of workload at Unique Property Bulletin.
Our readers often ask where the method we deploy to find unusual property for folk…
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How?
Part of the ways we locate unique property is from the large number of readers we have: between 25,000 and 180,000 a month. We weren’t too sure the readership levels could be so high. Then one of our crew pointed out this screen excerpt…
^^ 186,399 Page Views ^^
We took this high number with a pinch of salt.
Then the phones and emails started flooding in.
So that number might well be in the correct ballpark!
Add to the fact that our editor is trained i detecting things and tat has helped the publication do its job reasonably well.
Then there are some totally random unique property finds.
For example, being trained in a castle leaves a mark. The Old Bill photo and video below is actually one of the ingredients in how Unique Property Bulletin was born. Russ McLean was working as a Kintyre version of Hamish Macbeth.
The owner of Davaar Island, Mr Turner Snr., liked the idea of a local police officer spending his spare time on Davaar Island as he (Mr Turner) recently had some very expensive lead stolen off of the adjacent lighthouse building roof.
A Good Way To Detect Unique Property For Our Readers:
Set Some of These Loose Looking For A Unique Hoose
Apparently The Ears Give Away The ID of Russ McLean!
The castle certainly had an influence. A draughty old thing, even if well maintained.
^^ Tulliallan Castle ^^
The first for Russ, but not the last. The old pictures above are mostly from the 1980s. This short introduction to Unique Property Bulletin was written on 4th May 2023 and even now, all those decades later, there are castles lurking about. Some can be bought, others rented, a few just need a caretaker.
^^ Dunottar Castle ^^
Curious about living in castle?
Then it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Unique Property Bulletin for the next few weeks for a special castle feature article…
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Safety FB backup: Click Here
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More?
The agreement for our first unique adventure back in the 1980s was as a new leaseholder for the Old Lookout building on a remote island. This was at a magical rent of £5 per year. In reciprocation we agreed to bring that dilapidated Old Lookout building back to meaningful use.
But the adventures did not stop there.
=> The growing readership of this publication got together and created a company called Unique Property plc.
The purpose was to get into property mischief in a way that was safe (mortgages are banned). Plus have a wide range of expertise, such as architects, electricians, surveyors, solicitors, joiners and a range of like-minded individuals who were and are happy to share knowledge.
So the next project was a PURCHASE rather than a RENTAL…
^^ Ailsa Craig Island ^^
Lighthouse Compound To The Fore
^^ Ailsa Craig Island ^^
Photo Courtesy of Ian Johnstone
That was the way we bought the buildings + pier + lighthouse station on Ailsa Craig Island in 1999. Though we sold Ailsa Craig Island fairly soon as it was a far too costly to renovate when bringing kit from the Argyll side.
The next lighthouse was Strathy Point…
^^ Strathy Point Lighthouse Station ^^
Video Courtesy of Mr Les Armishaw
Then on 23rdd may 2017 our group of friends clubbed together and had the best lighthouse adventure yet. This video was taken BEFORE the RENOVATION work was completed. It gives an idea of what real “Unique Property Mischief” can mean…
^^ Noss Head Lighthouse Station ^^
Video Courtesy of Mr Les Armishaw
It should be noted that we took the public limited company “private” in 2007 as the administration costs of a plc were exceeding £50,000 a year. Close examination of the FCA rules and professional legal advice indicated we did not have to be a plc.
So each unique property building project we purchase is managed by our more modest and very cost effective Unique Property Bulletin Ltd (these projects are one of the reasons our readers have a free publication as our Angels’ Share funds underwrite the website publication costs.
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More Than Just
Lighthouses
We are about to have a major sale of our “spare” buildings and land from the past three decades. The reason?
=> To raise some funds to build a series of community-owned ecologically powered ELCTRICITY GENERATOR STATIONS.
We have seen too many people die of debt.
The first charity we were involved with shows (details on our sister website) : Click here.
Having been involved in solving money problems on a voluntary basis for folk, a solution to the current cost-of-living-crisis seems straight forward…
=> HALF the cost of ELECTRICITY so that the bills go back down to an affordable level.
That is precisely what we are going to do ~ plus keep our readers entertained with a regular supply of unusual properties they might like to have a go at turning into their own unique home.
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What Next?
We are listing a SHORT SUMMARY of the properties we shall be covering in the next few weeks.
=> This is specifically for our Unique Property Bulletin readers.
Plus some of our related companies currently engaged with our own unique property adventures.
Without further ado, here is our…
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Unique Property For Sale
Basic Summary List
This main page will help you with three things: (1). To see a way you can half your electricity bills and: (2). Maybe save a bit of the planet! (3). Help you find a unique home to live in…
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Lighthouse Engine House For Sale
^^ Lighthouse Engine House ^^
^^ To The Right of The Tower ^^
For Sale ~ Guide: £149,000.
^^ Planning & Building Warrant Details: Click Here ^^
Rightmove Details…
Click Here
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The first example above is a FULY DETAILED. Including the PLANNING PERMISSION + BUILDING WARRANT details along with TITLE PLANS and RIGHTMOVE links.
The remainder of property on this front page are SUMMARIES. We will be adding more fulsome detail during May & June 2023. However, to give our readers ADVANCE NOTICE we have listed ALL unique property we have coming up for sale.
=> We start in numerical order: From £14,000 to £950,000…
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Nuclear Bunkers For Sale
^^ For Sale Nuclear Bunkers ^^
Highlands. Guide: £14,000
Or Lincolnshire. Guide: £21,000
Or Yorkshire. Guide £25,000.
Click Here
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Land & Cliffs For Sale
^^ For Sale: Land & Cliffs ^^
Guide: £15,000
Click Here
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Land For Signal Box Style Building
^^ Signal Box Style Building Plot ^^
Guide: £33,000
Click Here
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Hotel Room Ownership
Hotel Room Ownership
Full-Share NOT Time-Share.
Located on a beautiful island.
Guide: £39,000.
Click Here
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As we complete the more FULSOME details for each unique property (as evidenced above this red text by a “click here” link), this line will descend down the page until ALL of the SUMMARY boxes have a link to the best expanded details we are able to arrange.
To make sure you do NOT miss any new details, please consider following us on social media…
Facebook: Click Here
Instagram: Click Here
Twitter: Click Here
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Alternatively, it might be an idea to check back to these pages regularly.
You can do that by Googling 3 words…
“Unique Property Bulletin”
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Not Time-Share
^ ^ This Is FULL-SHARE ^^
Click Here
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Not Time-Share
^ ^ This Is FULL-SHARE ^^
Click Here
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^ ^ Building Plot ^^
Suitable For A pole Home
Click Here
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Not Time-Share
^ ^ This Is FULL-SHARE ^^
Click Here
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Not Time-Share
^ ^ This Is FULL-SHARE ^^
Click Here
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Part of the new movie “Tetris” was filmed at the former RAF Balado site. The principles underwriting the shapes of “Tetris” have inspired the Unique Property Bulletin approach of developing the Balado site into a few bespoke and enigmatically shaped theme, rather than 40 to 150 newbuild “identical box” type design of housing.
As an homage to 60 foot tall, iconic Radome “golf ball” for which Balado is famed, the candidate designs suggested, have a reflection from “Tetris” to varying degrees. Several on the “shapes” theme have featured in Unique Property Bulletin over the years.
For example the shape of this proposed shapely home bears an uncanny resemblance to “Tetris“…
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EARLY NOTIFICATION
Unique Property For Sale
The summary listings ABOVE this paragraph will have the FULL details added, including where appropriate, Planning Permissions, Building Warrants and links to Rightmove during May 2023.
=> This SUMMARY PAGE is to let our regular readers know what we are selling in our SURPLUS UNIQUE PROPERTY SALE.
We will be using the spare funds to build an ecological power generation station. This is to prove that it is possible to HALF the cost of electricity in the UK.
The ultimate aim is to build lots of these generator stations and all across the country.
The vast majority will be COMMUNITY OWNED. Typically for supplying electricity/heating for 50 to 500 local homes and businesses…
=> With electricity at HALF the current price.
=>Why?
=> Because as our first charity discovered, 400 people in the UK die of debt each year (click here).
When we manage to reduce the cost of electricity to affordable levels again, then this horrendous tragedy of debt-deaths should be reduced.
Hence our determination to get a move on. That is why we are uploading just the list to start and completing the full set of details for each item in the next few weeks.
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Not Time-Share
^ ^ This Is FULL-SHARE ^^
Click Here
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The Former RAF Balado
May Become:-
Tetris Village
Due to the interestingly shaped newbuild houses.
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Credentials
The directors selling off our spare unique property items and bringing together a significant amount of funding.
This is to launch a proof-of-concept ECO-POWER-STATION. Why? To prove…
ELECTRICITY BILLS CAN BE REDUCED BY HALF
Crucially it is important to prove the directors and subscribers have undertaken projects of these magnitudes before. Both on a charity or not-for-profit/co-operative basis. For example, experience in charity registration and operation…
Charity Number 1.
Registered by Russ McLean in 1997.
^^ The First Charity We Registered ^^
It is a fact that in 2022 the BBC estimated…
81%
… of adults in the UK are worried about the Cost of Living Crisis.
(Source: Click Here)
Worse, the highly respected money-advice advocate, Martin Lewis C.B.E., reckons that in 2018…
100,000 people attempt debt-suicide
…in the UK each year
(Source: Click Here)
People Should NOT Die of Debt.
The details and bona fides of the first charity can be studied…
Click Here
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Charity Number 2.
Registered by Russ McLean in 2012
Now run by Mr Iain Sim.
As well as registering our Creditcare Money Advice Charity in 1996 (here), the owner of this website and managing director of Argyll Group registered a second charity in 2012.
Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity
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It is important to note that the Friends of TS Queen Mary charity is now managed by the co-founder, Mr Iain Sim. Russ McLean had become disabled following spinal surgery. Please don’t mention this as he is none too keen on being see in the light of pity. Quite the opposite, we are able to mention this occasionally as at least three of our Argyll group shareholders have a disability and it is the hope at this end of the project, folk will begin into see that being disabled is can be overcome.
For the purposes of the eco-electricity power generation project, it is important to make full disclosure. Hence mentioning the spinal surgery.
^^ Founding Trustees ^^
^^ Russ McLean (middle) and Iain Sim (right) ^^
Fortunately, Russ has recovered sufficiently and whilst Iain always extends the grace of inviting Russ back to the trustees at the Friends of TS Queen Mary project, the limitations that managing spinal conditions bring about, mean it would dilute the workload and be less than the best help to the Friends of TS Queen Mary charity. This is very tempting when the progress of this charity is seen…
Indeed, Russ is looking to persuade Iain to join with the likely eco-energy project’s charity arm.
So far, Iain has had to decline. We recently lost one of our patrons, Robbie Coltrane…
Conveniently, Russ McLean lives close to the OSCR offices (Office of the Scottish Charity Commissioner). So, it is becoming a well work path between his house and office to the northern office of the Charity Commissioners.
Once the charity for TS Queen Mary had been registered, it was still a struggle to raise a funds.
At this point, we were very fortunate in having Robbie Coltrane join the charity as Patron. Fundraising was given a handsome boost…
^^ Robbie Coltrane ^^
Patron of the TS Queen Mary Charity
Robbie helped raise huge amounts of money for the Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity.
The friends of TS Queen Mary charity has been incredibly lucky as it benefitted from having two patrons.
This patronage cannot be over-emphasised. Robbie alone was raising £12 to £24 a time through “Cameo” video birthday messages and other video personalised content (generally here). The amount raised have been awesome. In excess of £18,000 a year which, given the disabling pain Robbie had been suffering, was a remarkable contribution.
With great comfort, the relationship has been a two way street. Robbie’s declining health meant he was unable to work on his beloved classic cars. It was distressing see each beloved car go for sale as the maintenance was beyond this kind man.
But when the patronage of TS Queen Mary came up, a sparkle was reignited in Robbie’s eye. This was wonderful thing to see. Robbie really got stuck into the engineering and plans as well as the fundraising.
Without funds, the ship would never have made it from our original rescue attempts when it was at risk of being scrapped in 2012. lease take a moment to study these numbers. This is pivotal to making a philanthropic wish into a decent reality…
^^ Friends of TS Queen Mary Charity Accounts ^^
Source: Click Here
It would, of course, be the height of bad manners not to mention HRH Princess Anne. These were very happy days as Robbie and the Trustees had yearned for the ability (and funds to transform the TS Queen Mary from just a static educational exhibit, to a fully functional and maritime legislation/port of registry compliant sailing vessel.
^^ Princess Anne Aboard TS Queen Mary ^^
Poto Attribution Thanks To Martin Shields
This photograph is one of Russ McLean’s favourites.
=> It pictures charity co-founder and current Chairman, Mr Iain Sim showing our charity patron, HRH Princess Anne around the ship.
Iain has worked very hard over 11 years to get the charity to the current healthy place.
In fact Iain has worked a near-miracle.
=> Many folk assumed the TS Queen Mary would always be a “static exhibit”. A quayside museum. Good, but not quite back to the days that so many associated with supporting this effort yearn to see.
Iain and the trustees, plus a considerable number of other helpers, along with hard work fundraising, always wanted to see TS Queen Mary completing the job she was built for:-
=> Rebuilt to the point where the ship would get its engines back and the rebuild would be up to statutory standard so that the ship could ail with a full complement of passengers again,
The Princess Royal made the announcement that the ship would sail gain under its own steam during a special visit…
^^ Princess Anne Announces Very Good News ^^
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All of The Above Effort
To Build One of These…
Or if you are NOT a fan of wind-tirbines, you can take your pick, as we intend building a “proof-of-concept” one of each of these methods of eectrcit generation…
Crucially the costs will be kept dow so that they are a much more affordable HALF of what the current horrendous energy bills are doing.
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Please Check Back Regularly
Whether you like the prospect of…
HALF-PRICE ELECTRICITY
Or maybe…
A NEW UNIQUE HOME
It might be an idea to check this page every now and then as we will be adding more of our land and building for sale.
=> You are welcome to include your name and email address in the annoying pop-up box that appears on this website.
Then we can let you know when NEW thing are added here.
Kindest wishes
The Unique Property Bulletin + Argyll Group + The Scotslion Team.
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Feel Free To Ask Questions
Or if you would just like to get in touch for a chat.
You can TEXT us on: 0757 2768 795 with a note of your email address and the property you are interested in. We will then make best efforts to keep you updated.
Many thanks and best wishes,
Russ McLean, Managing Director,
Argyll Group Ltd., Scotslion Ltd., Unique Property Bulletin Ltd.
^^ Russ McLean ^^
Working, or rather creating mischief at Unique Property Bulletin (here) and also this #COPSenergy = #Community-Owned Power Station energy initiative ~ at this old desk…
^^ In The Post-Covid World of Video Calls
This bit is not often seen: the mess behind the camera. Or if you are feeling charitable: the hive of industry and work by the computer!
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This segment will require a vast amount of detail.
=> Fortunately we have lots of experts from the actual industries that manufacture wind-turbines + solar-farms + hydro-electric generators + tidal-energy generation.
This segment will be a major part of what we do in 2023 and beyond.
But first we need to sell some of our spare buildings to pay for these projects.
We ban bank borrowing.
Originally because a friend took his own life. But after we settled on the remedy for that, it just became esier to ditump the banks and NOT borrow any mortgages or money.
Ironically we started buying old bank buildings as partof the High Street Regeneration iitiative. Maybe we will cover that too.
=> But for now, it is getting late on a Sunday evening (5-Feb-2023) and our deadline for these news updates for our former Argyll Group plc and current Scotslion Ltd., friends is 9pm every Sunday night.
It’s probably a good idea to introduce some of the company officers at this point whilst we are on the “Who?” segment. The first is David Rutherford. Main jib has been a firefighter at Highlands & Islands Airport with a second job driving the fire appliance with a different fire brigade as a retained firefighter…
^^ David Rutherford ^^
Director At Scotslion Ltd & Related Companies.
Retained firefighter service has come to a mutually agreeable end. If anything can emphasise how important the AFFORDABLE ELETRICITY GENERATION project is, it is the fact that David has left one of his beloved firefighter jobs to devote more time to the work at what is likely to be our third charity.
How David manages to fit all that in plus family life and currently SEVEN ongoing projects with is beyond those of us that are getting on in years. David volunteers as director. He volunteers at the charities he is part of. Thankyou David, from the Argyll Group and Unique Property Bulletin Team.
Next…
Russ McLean is also a director of the various limited companies within which we ring-fence each building project.
^^ Russ McLean ^^
Director At Scotslion Ltd & Related Companies.
The last element for this page, and possibly the most STARTLING for us, because this sort of thing does NOT generally happen to ordinary people like our crew at Argyll Group and Scotlion.
The next segment has some detail of the two charities we gave birth to. These are included to illustrate experience and reasonable competence in that field of endeavour.
Also, Russ McLean is looking a bit “pudgy” in the middle. One of our copy-edit and proof-readers did ask if Russ might be pregnant with the third charity?
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Charity Credentials
Can You Establish & Manage The Required Charity?
YES!
Charity Number 2
Creditcare Money Advice Charity
Please note, the properties and segments above will be expanded on with as fulsome a set of details as we can manage during May and June.
We are uploading summaries for our readers to look at first. This is so ny reader who specifically has an interest in one of these items can text us on: 0757 2768 795 and ask for whichever building or land they have an interet in to be featured in the expanded set of details next.
We are doing it thi way as time is obviously of the essence. The huge electricity bills are doing real damage to families and people all over the country. We have tackled major issues before. We just refuse to sit back and do nothing when there is a solution that seems to be staring us in the face 9community owned eco-power generator stations).
Kindest wishes,
.
The Unique Property Bulletin Team
Endeavour House, 1 James Street, Arbroath, Angus, UK, DD11 1JF.
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Post Script
Davaar Island
& Coastguard Station Video
Before we finish this page, here are a couple of videos to let folk know how the Old Lookout Coastguard Station looks now. The owner passed away many years ago and the editor here handed the keys to his widow to help sort things out and make sure vacant possession was given. The lady was very kind and handed the keys straight back. A couple more years of enjoyment at this wonderful island sanctuary, but tinged with sadness as the owner was a very nice gentleman and much missed.
Eventually, the lease was surrendered and the son of the owner now lets the cottages out. This is great as many folk can experience life on a remote island. Especially a place with the character of Davaar Island.
