Ulva Church

Ulva Kirk

About Ulva Church

Ulva Church sits at the heart of Ulva’s landscape and history. Designed by Thomas Telford, it is a Parliamentary church completed in 1828, and one of five such churches on Mull and Iona. Its story reflects both Ulva’s past and the way the island has adapted over time.

As noted by the Mull Historical & Archaeological Society, much of the church was converted into a community hall in the mid-1950s, with alterations made to the building to support its continued use.

Internal Photos of Ulva House (2018)

  • Entrance lobby

  • Dinning room

  • Main sitting room

  • Loft

  • Loft 2

  • Master bedroom

  • One of the bedrooms

Finding a future

Since Ulva came into community ownership in 2018, a wide range of work progressed across the island. Early focus was on areas where action was most urgently needed — including residential property improvements and gradual upgrades to essential infrastructure such as the pier and water supply.

The church remained part of island life throughout, with residents looking after the building as best as they could, but unfortunately due to the lack of capacity and funds, the building has deteriorated over the years and faces long-term challenges around condition, maintenance and sustainability.

Like many historic churches in remote locations, bringing Ulva Church back into meaningful use requires careful thought, community involvement and realistic planning.

This work fed directly into the development of the Stòras Ulbha project, which secured over £1.5m in funding and advanced to an early delivery stage. However, external pressures including COVID, Brexit and rapid increases in construction costs ultimately made the project unviable within funding constraints.

Following this, an alternative approach identified by the study was explored: a hospitality-based use through a long-term lease model, allowing the building to return to active use while remaining in community ownership.

A formal tender process was undertaken to identify suitable tenants, from which Ro and Banjo were selected based on their proposal, experience and long-term vision for the building.

Bringing the building back into use

Following detailed discussions, the lease was signed in June 2025. The charity, as landlord, agreed to deliver a defined package of essential works, including:

  • asbestos removal and management

  • repairs to the flat roofs

  • reconnection of electricity.

Ro and Banjo have taken on responsibility for the remaining external and internal works, including the full fit-out required to turn the building into a functioning hospitality business.

Their experience of taking on Ulva House has also featured in the BBC Scotland series Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel.

Delivering this project has been a collaborative process, requiring coordination, problem-solving, and flexibility — particularly given the challenges of a remote island.

Support that made it possible

The essential works, which the charity was responsible for, were carried out over the period of 6 months, between June 2025 and December 2025, and could not have been possible without the support from:

  • The Scottish Government’s Community Ownership Fund

  • Historic Environment Scotland

  • The Waterfall Fund

  • Development Trusts Association Scotland.

The local fish farm, Bakkafrost, have provided free freight transport throughout the project and for many years across Ulva more widely. Support of this kind makes a significant difference to delivering projects for a remote island like Ulva.

The project has involved a wide range of contractors, consultants and specialists, including local construction firm as principal contractor for the physical works package, alongside surveyors, architects, utility providers and tradespeople who have helped move the project forward.

Projects of this scale inevitably create periods of disruption on a small island, and the understanding and practical help shown by residents has been instrumental.

Project funded by

Today

Ulva House has now entered a new phase, with tenants Ro and Banjo leading the building’s next stage of redevelopment and bringing it back into active use.

The long-term aim is for Ulva House to:

  • provide high-quality accommodation

  • create local employment

  • support Ulva’s economy

Although there’s significant work ahead, after years of planning, development work and enabling repairs, Ulva House is now moving forward with a clear and deliverable future.

Support this work

Projects like Ulva House are only possible through a combination of external funding, practical support, and a huge amount of time and effort from the people involved along the way.

As Ulva is community owned and managed by a charity, investment into buildings, infrastructure and long-term development depends heavily on continued funding, partnerships and donations

Donations help the charity continue caring for and improving the island — helping ensure Ulva remains a living, working and growing community.

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