Why a small Scottish island is now closed to tourists on Sundays

A small island off the west coast of Scotland is to effectively close every Sunday after an unexpected surge in tourists.

Ulva only has 16 people living there, but it took a starring role in Banjo and Ro's Grand Island Hotel - a programme focused around interior designer Banjo Beale and his husband Ro Christopher trying to redevelop a stately home.

Since then tourists have started flocking to the island, taking locals by surprise. The demand has been such that the Ulva Ferry company, which runs a service between Mull and Ulva, has announced it will now halt Sunday services.

Island resident Andy Primrose told BBC Scotland News the influx of visitors had helped local businesses.

Ulva is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Hebrides.

It once had about 800 people living there, but now only 16 people call it home - including TV presenter Banjo, who has hosted the likes of Scotland's Home of the Year, and his husband.

Earlier this year Banjo & Ro's Grand Island Hotel aired on BBC Scotland, focused around the interior designer attempting to restore dilapidated mansion Ulva House.

The Regency home was the former residence of the first Governor of Australia, Lachlan MacQuarrie, but had been decaying for several years until the couple decided to try and convert it into a boutique hotel.

Since then, more and more tourists have headed for the island, with the operators of the Ulva ferry - which goes between Ulva and Mull - saying there has been "unprecedented interest".

They posted on social media: "None of us could have predicted how significant the increase in the numbers of visitors would be, so to give ourselves, the Boathouse [restaurant] and fellow islanders the chance to recharge and prepare for the week ahead, we have made the difficult decision not to open Sundays this summer."

The ferry operator added that anyone who had already booked a break on the island and planned to leave or arrive on a Sunday in June, July or August would still be helped across.

It takes around five minutes to cross a narrow strait between the two islands to reach Ulva via the foot passenger-only ferry.

Fittingly, when Banjo himself took on the restoration challenge he told the BBC that he hoped "maybe it will have some people come and stay - hopefully".

Locals on the island say that is exactly what has happened.

Andy Primrose, who runs a small hostel on Ulva, said the bumper year had boosted small businesses on the island.

He said: "Around the Boathouse, where the ferry comes across, it's a lovely location and is always a focal point - there are more people than usual.

"But from my personal experience it's not overbearing, it's not too much [people] because a lot of people are benefitting from the increased tourism."

However he told the BBC's Lunchtime Live programme he understood why the likes of the Ulva Ferry were looking to close on Sunday.

"It all comes down to capacity. All these businesses are based on individuals and there's only 16 folk here, and some of them are children. There is a natural limit to what you can do."

The island has no roads, meaning people get around either by walking or by using vehicles like quad bikes.

In 2018 the island was bought by a community group, after the then owner, Jamie Howard, decided to put the estate on the market.

North West Mull Community Woodland Company said the aim of its purchase was to "bring about social and economic development" of Ulva for the benefit of the community now and for future generations.

These plans included repopulating the tiny island. At the time only six people lived on the island, but that number has since risen to 16.