Buy an island for £350k... but you must wade across an estuary to reach it

Buying your own private island off the Welsh coast does not necessarily require a lottery win, but waterproofs are a must if you are to negotiate low tide back to the mainland.

Ynys Gifftan, a tidal island, sits in the picturesque Dwyryd Estuary just a stone's throw from Portmeirion in Gwynedd.

The 17-acre island comes with a Victorian stone farmhouse that was inhabited until the 1970s but is now in "need of extensive renovation", according to Carter Jonas estate agents in Bangor.

Archives recount how former occupiers in the 20th Century used to remove their shoes to wade back and forth to the mainland.

The guide price has been set at £350,000, just above the UK average house price of £300,000.

Ynys Gifftan was gifted to landowner Lord Harlech's ancestors by Queen Anne in the 1700s and its name translates into English as Anne's Gift Island.

During high tide it can be accessed by boat, but during low tide a short walk is required across tidal sands to the mainland.

Surveyor Elis Jones said: "I don't think we have ever sold an island before.

"There has been a lot of interest. It certainly is different."

Jones said they would be organising accompanied viewings on the island, which was also formerly used for grazing sheep.

Anyone viewing the island has been warned by the agents to "take care and caution throughout inspections and to remain vigilant at all times for their own personal safety", given the potential risks "including the access route, terrain and tidal conditions".

Hugh O'Donnell, from Carter Jonas, said the island was "a truly unique opportunity for a buyer who appreciates its exceptional location and potential".

"We expect interest from buyers looking for an exciting lifestyle project in one of Wales' most beautiful coastal landscapes or someone who is looking for their very own secluded haven," he added.

A listing on the Rightmove website described the island as set in an "expansive and unspoilt landscape with uninterrupted panoramic views" across the coastline and mountains in Eryri National Park.

"The land has become overgrown in places and would benefit from grazing and general land management to restore it to its full potential and productivity," the listing adds.

The Royal Geographical Society's Discovering Britain guide advises anyone who wishes to visit the island to check the tide times, as it is only available on foot for up to three hours either side of low tide.

"The island is completely cut off and impossible to reach at high tide without a boat. Yet, on the ebb tide it only takes five minutes to walk the 400-metre route to the island," the online guide states.

It also cautions that there are two river channels that flow between Ynys Gifftan and the mainland.

"If you reach these and they are too deep to cross, for safety, you must turn back," the guide adds.