You can now buy a private island for the same price as a London flat

Sick of desperately trying to claw your way onto the London property ladder?

Tired of squirreling away every last penny of your salary into a negative-interest savings account only to be told you’re still 30 grand short of the deposit for a studio flat in Croydon?

Well, for the princely sum of £950,000 – aka the cost of a one-bedroom flat in Battersea – you could have your own private island.

Granted, the island is Rudh-A-Chruidh off the West coast of Scotland, so you’d be rendering your Oyster card obsolete, but that’s a small price to pay for a three-bedroom house with its own sauna, wood-burning stove, underfloor heating and, oh yeah, helipad. To be fair, we don't imagine a helicopter commute is that much more expensive than a Zones 1-4 travelcard.

The property was placed on the market yesterday by estate agency Savills, which describes the island as a “rare opportunity”.

“Rudh-A-Chruidh sits proudly above Oban Bay on the west coast, with breathtaking views of the Sound of Kerrera and beyond,” says head of Savills residential Andrew Perratt. “Not only are the interiors stylish, and the house and grounds beautifully designed, opportunities to enjoy sailing, fishing, the countryside and its amazing wildlife are endless.”

OK, so it’s not exactly within walking distance of Ofsted-recommended schools, transport links or local amenities, but on the plus side it would make an absolute peach of a secret lair from which to launch your evil plans for world domination.

You know, swings and roundabouts.