A GLASGOW care home magnate has snapped up a picturesque Scottish island for the bargain price of £2million.
A GLASGOW care home magnate has snapped up a picturesque Scottish island for the bargain price of £2million.
Sam Poddar and his wife Sunita are the new owners of Little Cumbrae, off the Ayrshire Coast.
It is thought the couple paid at least £1m less than the asking price of £3m for the 700-acre isle, which has been on the market since 2005.
The price included a nine-bedroom Victorian mansion, four cottages and a 250-year-old lighthouse.
The couple, who own care home chain Lambhill Court Ltd, said they would consult with the local community about plans for the island.
Their daughter Arti, 25, who helps run the business, said: "We thought it would be an incredible opportunity to buy a place so rich with history and beauty.
"We have no commercial plans at the moment but we're thinking of how we can open it up to visitors in a safe way."
Little Cumbrae lies around a mile north of Arran and a 10-minute boat ride from Largs.
Its rugged coast is home to a colony of seabirds.
The Poddars bought it from Worcester developer Steve Worrallo who has owned it since 2002 and had planned to turn it into a millionaire's playground.
In 2006 offers from three rivals were turned down.
The island was once the playground of kings and earls. In the 1300s, King Robert II came to hunt on the high moors.
