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Banjo And Ros Grand Island Hotel - Season 1 - Episode 01: Home
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00:0217 miles off Scotland's west coast lies the island of Mull and off the coast of Mull lies
00:08the much smaller island of Ulver. Seven miles long and two miles wide there are no roads instead a
00:16maze of footpaths accessible only by ferry from Mull. Once home to over 800 people today just 16
00:26remain outnumbered by an abundance of wildlife at the center of the island stands all of a house
00:34an enchanting yet abandoned stately home waiting for something or someone to save it
00:48today two intrepid Australians have arrived determined to bring all the house back to life
01:09they have left their former lives on Mull to pour their hearts and life savings into restoring it
01:16to its former glory our vision for this is to be the grandest little hotel in the Hebrides
01:28I think that mold will just wash off stress
01:44we're home we're home do you love it yes I love it oh this is the lobby of our hotel
01:55is that not wild yeah it is we've taken a massive punt with
02:00we've put everything on the line to do it because we kind of believe that we can turn this into
02:06something special
02:07the alternative the alternative is that we're in an office doing nine to five and we know we don't want
02:12to do that
02:13inside 27 rooms lie locked in a quiet war between grandeur and decay there's holes in the roof there's holes
02:21in the ceiling and there's no water no power no heating
02:24everything every inch of the house is covered in something but believe in the destination
02:31I do believe in the destination Dale so just jump on
02:34yeah buckle up it's gonna be a ride
02:39years of neglect have left this listed masterpiece in a state of significant disrepair banjo and roll will need to
02:47simultaneously restore the crumbling structure of the building alongside orchestrating a grand interior
02:54the library the library smell that Dan but also books and this room when a guest walks in needs to
03:03feel expensive now it feels dank
03:06the drawing room will be transformed into an exotic orangery so this room I love the showstopper isn't it oh
03:14my wow oh my gosh
03:16there's mold growing everywhere on the other side of the building the beating heart of the house
03:24we'll have our farmhouse kitchen our salamaria charcuterie
03:28and I've always wanted to do cured meats
03:30upstairs the luxurious guest bedrooms
03:33we'll get rid of the dead bird
03:35yeah and ensuite bathroom
03:37this room is listed
03:39for what demolition
03:41we'll have a spa where you can get a seaweed wrap
03:45like that's amazing
03:47this is doing my hardest
03:48the plan is to transform six key areas in a push to get the hotel operational before winter
03:56it's going to be decadent
03:58it's giving opulence
03:59it's giving grandeur
04:01the fires will be roaring
04:03the bedrooms are sumptuous and warm
04:05and there I am ready to greet them
04:08welcome to the Grand Island Hotel
04:18that is crumbling before I ask
04:20sinking our money into this building
04:22trying to save it
04:23trying to etch a living out of it
04:25it's an unusual way to invest your money
04:26and then like at the end of the day
04:29you know this isn't even a house either
04:32we'll never own this
04:33in 2018 the island made history
04:37backed by the Scottish Land Fund
04:40the people of Mull and Ulver came together to buy the island
04:43ending centuries of private ownership
04:46their mission was bold
04:47to breathe life back into the island
04:50and to shape their own future
04:51now the island and its properties
04:54are run by a charitable trust on Mull
04:59on the board there are six people
05:02we've got some crofters
05:04we've got some business people
05:05and we've got some retired people
05:07that's me
05:10Banjo and Ro have got over house on a rent and repair lease
05:14so they don't pay any rent while they're doing the work
05:17wait we're not going to own this house
05:19we're renting it off the board
05:20so this is like the world's biggest rent-ovation
05:24yeah
05:25I think it's a risk but the reward is too great not to try
05:29since the community buyout
05:32Banjo and Ro have been the only souls daring enough
05:35to tackle this formidable restoration
05:37for seven years
05:39the locals have observed Ulver house slowly rot
05:42powerless to intervene
05:50my name is Rudy
05:51I'm the ferryman on the Isle of Ulver
05:53and I've lived here most of my life
05:55to see it laid empty for so long
05:57has been a bit upsetting to see
06:00and from what I can see Banjo and Ro have enough energy
06:03to take it on
06:04so I'm really pleased for them
06:07the trust had professional surveys done
06:10to renovate the house
06:12and the quotation was £2 million
06:15we've got £150,000 of our own money
06:18that's to live on to invest in this place
06:22oh wow
06:22yeah
06:27actually no
06:28change remained a decent incremental
06:29without getting money
06:31yeah
06:32good luck to them
06:33it's a massive job to take on for anybody
06:36and you have to be mad to think you can do it
06:41there's beyond no going back once this is signed
06:44it's a legal document binding us to the responsibility of that house for the next 25 years
06:51we're leasing the building for a reasonable price
06:55because we're going to be investing our own money into repairing that building
06:58in addition to that
06:59once we have an established business
07:01a percentage of the profit that we make
07:03will then also go back to the trust
07:05which will then in turn go back to the iron
07:07but I didn't know we had to repair the roof
07:09of course we've got to repair the roof
07:11replace all the chimney flushing
07:13yeah
07:13have you looked into septic tanks?
07:15how much they are?
07:16no
07:16I haven't
07:18have you?
07:19husband
07:19oh my gosh
07:20please
07:26it's all the sewing room
07:28okay stop
07:29I can't
07:30I can't
07:32it's a lot
07:33it is a lot
07:33it's a bit scary
07:34it's a bit scary
07:35but we can look after it
07:36we can be custodians of it
07:38and then it can hand over to someone else
07:39that's history
07:40and I think that's important
07:41and I think it's a great thing that we're a part of
07:43yeah
07:46it's going to be okay
07:47it's good
07:48it's great
07:48it's great
07:49it's great
07:51it's great
07:53it's good
07:55I love you
07:56I love you too
07:58with the paperwork signed
08:00Banjo and Ro can move in
08:02and the work can officially begin
08:04in a house with no heating
08:06water
08:07or electrics
08:08they've prioritised
08:10the library
08:13it's the kind of room that I've always dreamed of
08:16this
08:17is going to be magic
08:18yeah no I think we should keep it simple
08:20I don't know
08:22like imagine if
08:23Michelangelo's boss said
08:25you know what let's dial the vision back a bit
08:27I bet he didn't have a supportive partner either
08:30but honestly
08:31am I
08:32are you not there imagine
08:33whiskey
08:34lit up
08:35and then a gorgeous
08:36big bar
08:37statement
08:38green marble top
08:39okay I do like green marble
08:42I know you love green marble
08:42yeah yeah that's why you put that in there
08:44the library will be reborn in high gloss black
08:48set against an earthy green lime wash on the walls
08:52at its heart a bold unapologetically theatrical bar
08:57around it mohair armchairs and vintage furnishings
09:00will create a room where guests will lose track of time
09:04and perhaps themselves over a wee dram
09:06the whiskey library
09:08I want to put a high gloss lacquer finish on it
09:14so it's almost like a mirror
09:15I'm talking shiny
09:17the only thing is if you do that high gloss
09:19yeah
09:20like gloss shows up everything
09:22because it's all bubbled and blistered
09:24yeah so you will need to sand that back to nothing
09:28so this can't have a speck of dust
09:31or any bumps
09:32so to put the high gloss on
09:34it needs to be like day one new
09:36there's a lot
09:37and that's before I've even added all my furniture
09:40I need to pick fabric
09:42I need to reupholster all my lounges
09:45I think we do have actually quite clear and defined roles
09:47I'm going to be head of manual labour
09:49and
09:50and building and construction
09:52building and construction
09:53waste management
09:54electricity
09:54water
09:55yeah
09:56I'm the chief imagination officer
10:00yeah
10:04While the plan is to transform rooms one by one
10:07over the next few months the urgent structural issues
10:11with the house must also be resolved
10:13it might be summer now
10:15but winter is coming
10:16there is an urgency to it
10:18because the reality is
10:19it's about to get harsh
10:20and it's almost going to come to a grinding halt
10:22the insurance will be crippling
10:24that if we can't get this house
10:26wind and watertight
10:28bottom line is the house needs to be wind and watertight by winter
10:34to make all the house wind watertight and habitable
10:38Banjo and Roe must tackle the essentials
10:40they must repair the roof
10:42and replace any rotten windows
10:45install a working plumbing system
10:48to reinstate running water
10:50and rewire the entire house
10:54their first task is the electrics
10:56and luckily the island has its own resident electrician
11:02who's also a local deerstoker
11:07everything in the house will get wired back to here
11:10yep
11:10and this will be the main hub
11:12heating electrics
11:13gives you a proper plant room to function
11:15I don't want to put you on the spot
11:17how long Jack and the job will take
11:19for the ground floor?
11:21yeah
11:22but even if it's not
11:23oh yeah
11:24okay
11:25four weeks
11:26what?
11:27for the ground floor
11:28like I saw some money fly out the window
11:30yeah yeah
11:31well definitely flying out the window
11:39it's cold
11:41it's just cold at night though
11:42you know
11:42that wind is howling through those walls and windows
11:47now might be a good time to talk about the budget
11:50like their roles
11:53I think it's kind of going up in smoke
11:56we're kind of hemorrhaging money
11:58we want to get
11:59you know the baseline stuff done
12:01but that's all hidden
12:02and then by the time
12:04you know it comes to make it look nice
12:07you've got no money
12:08we have to be so careful with every penny
12:11that flies out the door
12:13yeah
12:14and I've bought a couple of new shirts
12:16couple of new shirts?
12:18well
12:19I can't be walking around naked
12:22everything that we can possibly
12:24do ourselves
12:26needs to be done ourselves
12:27if we don't get this where it needs to be
12:30to be able to start generating some sort of income
12:33it's a dead end
12:34it's a bloody scary thought
12:40definitely no more new shirts
12:49Banj wants some sort of like
12:51glazy polishy finish on this
12:53that's going to make it really really shiny
12:54problem with that
12:55is any imperfections in the wood
12:57is going to show up
12:58so the wood has to be smooth as glass
13:00we're going to sand all of this down
13:02because we don't have power at the moment
13:04we're limited in how we do it
13:05so I've got
13:08like old school hand sand
13:09or I've got paint stripper
13:11so I'm going to test both
13:12and see which works
13:13safety first
13:22whatever this lacquer was
13:23that was previously on it
13:24has like split and crackled
13:26but it's quite thick
13:27and what I don't want to do
13:28is sand the wood
13:29because I'm going to end up with these pockets
13:30and these divots
13:31I'm going to try the paint stripper
13:33I've never used it before
13:34yada yada yada
13:35apply a generous coat onto the surface
13:45okay it's been about an hour
13:46I don't know
13:47it looks like it's changed colour
13:48so I'm hoping that
13:49that's because it's come off
13:52okay
13:53oh my god
13:55are you joking?
14:00that's bloody amazing
14:01that's a game changer
14:03I definitely didn't buy enough
14:06like that didn't
14:08yeah
14:12Originally built as the seat of the laird
14:14the head of the Macquarie clan
14:16who once owned the island
14:17Ulver House has been rebuilt over the centuries
14:20and its constant presence
14:22has become a defining landmark
14:24linking the island's past and future
14:27for a wee island
14:29Ulver has a whole lot of history
14:31and I really want to get a sense of that
14:33I've invited the local mime artist
14:36historian and podcaster
14:38Alistair
14:39and his sidekick Andrina
14:40to record a little episode of their podcast
14:44The aim of this episode is to explore the context
14:46and history of Ulver
14:48in relation to kind of the world around it
14:50were there any significant visitors
14:51that were associated with the Isle of Ulver at all?
14:54Well yes of course
14:55Queen Victoria came here in the 1840s
14:58Captain Cook
14:59he discovered Australia
15:00and then we've got Sir Walter Scott
15:02Yes
15:02and he did a lot of sailing round here
15:04Well of course
15:05the island was the stronghold of the Macquaries
15:08So Lachlan Macquarie
15:09born here in Ulver
15:10in the late 1700s
15:12goes to Australia
15:14and is now regarded as the founding father of the country
15:20It's just crazy
15:22like Lachlan Macquarie set up my hometown in Australia
15:29And he came back in disgrace
15:32Well I mean
15:34he did lose his money
15:36he loved to drink
15:36and married his cousin say
15:38It's quite overwhelming
15:40how many people have passed through here
15:42Beatrix Potter holidayed on Ulver
15:44Wordsworth, Keats, Walter Scott
15:47they've all stepped foot on the island
15:50I want the hotel to feel like us
15:53but it has to feel like it's on Ulver
15:55Getting that balance right is tricky
16:03I like to build a room around the things that I find
16:06so I'll go to salvage yards, second hand shops
16:09and what I find will help me build the room
16:16OK I've got my eye on this
16:18When I'm searching for treasure
16:20I'm always trying to find something that I think belongs in a space
16:24I'm waiting to find that wow piece
16:26Yeah I've got something you might be interested in
16:29Yeah
16:32So this is quite interesting
16:34It's a plan
16:36It's an old legal document of some kind
16:38and as you can see it's the Isle of Ulver
16:42Wow that's beautiful
16:43That's the old house
16:471771 to 1835
16:48Wow
16:49Oh Colonel Macquarie of Ulver
16:52I lived in this tiny town in the middle of nowhere
16:55and he found that town
16:56Really?
16:57Yeah
16:57Wow
16:57Yeah
16:58So he travelled a long way from Ulver
17:02Yeah he certainly did
17:03to get to the bush in Australia
17:05And so did you
17:06Yeah exactly
17:07Gosh that's a good looking piece of history
17:10Alright we'll take this
17:11Good stuff
17:13Banjo has found that link to the island's past
17:16that he was looking for
17:17And through one of his contacts
17:19he has also secured a statement piece
17:22which will truly transform the room
17:24into the whiskey library of dreams
17:27Oh that's beautiful
17:29And this is a beast
17:31It's pretty impractical
17:32But you know that feeling
17:34you've just got to have it
17:35I don't know if Roe will have that feeling
17:37I'm just gonna
17:38I'll get it back to Ulver Ferry
17:41My job's done
17:42Roe has to get it in the house
17:46You're not telling me you don't like this
17:48I love it
17:49What a beast
17:49It's a beast
17:50It's too big
17:52I just don't know
17:53I just
17:53You're not a visionary
17:55No I'm a practical person
17:58Well the window will just have to come off
17:59How did you even get it here?
18:01I drove it
18:03I picked it up
18:04I got it in the back of a truck with a bloke
18:07Well you'll be getting it in the back of a boat
18:08and the back of a tractor
18:09Yeah
18:10and the back of a
18:10How are we ever gonna get it up to the house?
18:12When you think that I'm just on the road buying little fluffy cushions
18:14No I don't
18:15I'm making power moves here
18:16This was a bargain
18:17It was a beast
18:18I couldn't say no to it
18:19It's coming
18:20Why can't you just
18:21I just
18:22I know you don't mean it
18:23I just feel like sometimes you make things harder than the
18:26Like you add layers
18:28What have you got here or no?
18:30Just a little delivery
18:32I was not part of this decision making process
18:36Doable
18:36What about go?
18:37See?
18:39He's a yes man
18:40That's what we need more of
18:41You're encouraging the behaviour Rory
18:45Yeah you got up this end
18:51Bloody hell
18:52A wee bit more
18:55Here we go
18:56You missed
18:57Hey
18:57I didn't think you'd get it on
18:59I didn't think you'd get it on
19:00Let's see if we can get across first
19:11See right?
19:13Tell me who
19:15Who am I?
19:17Without you?
19:21My back side
19:24Hey
19:25It's big
19:26Yeah I know it's bloody big
19:27Is it too big?
19:28Yeah of course it's too big
19:29We have to take out a window
19:30Are you joking?
19:32Yeah
19:32Yeah
19:32Yeah
19:34Yeah
19:34Hey
19:35You beauty
19:37Thanks so much gentlemen
19:38I've done it again
19:40Oh shit
19:42So annoying
19:45Because he's right
19:46That's perfect
19:48Hey
19:49Hey
19:51I did it
19:52Good job
20:11To balance that really shiny black gloss
20:15I need the room to feel a bit more grounded
20:18We need to bring it down to earth
20:20So I want to put this wash on the wall
20:22And Lydia is an incredible decorator
20:29She has got this gorgeous lime wash effect
20:32That's going to add a touch of romance to the space
20:35If in doubt go darker
20:37Darker
20:38Moodyer
20:38Because this kind of has to kind of talk to the black
20:41Richer
20:42Richer
20:43Warmer
20:43Richer and warmer
20:45Yeah
20:45Both of the things I wish I were
20:47Yeah
20:50So I'm just doing this in all directions
20:52So the texture's good for that lime wash look
20:55So you can roller it
20:57And I think you get a bit more out of the colour
21:00If you've got this kind of two-dimensional brush look
21:04It's going to create the mood that I want in that space
21:07I want it to kind of feel like you're under a canopy of trees
21:16I want to have the room finished for Ro just because he just wants one room finished
21:21That he can just sit in and be clean and relax
21:26I don't want people to feel that we're just coming here and ripping the soul out of the place
21:32We're trying to bring the soul back into the building
21:37We're kind of custodians of this house
21:40So Anne, the president of the board
21:43She has all the books for the library
21:45She's going to come and deliver it
21:47And she's going to sit
21:49I'm nervous for her to see this
21:51Because she
21:52You know, she kind of has trusted us as caretakers of this house
22:00And first thing I've done is paint the beloved library black
22:04So I'm a bit worried what she might think
22:06I'm desperate for their approval
22:13The library, newly restored, stands ready for Banjo's eclectic vintage furnishings
22:20Oh, my guillemot
22:23Oh, my marble side table
22:25Oh my gosh
22:28You'd kill me
22:30Do you like my feather?
22:32Um, no
22:35I wonder what grandpa's going to think of the first
22:37Hey, he's not going to
22:38Oh, grandpa
22:38Uh-oh
22:43Elsewhere, the electricians have begun the daunting task of rewiring the property
22:47And a temporary generator breathes life into the library once more
22:52Brilliant, brilliant
22:56Wow
22:58What?
23:00That's lovely
23:01Nice
23:15I'm thinking Anne might think the library's going to be a lovely little subtle restoration job
23:21But it's a full-blown makeover
23:23So I don't know what she's going to make of it
23:27Hello!
23:30This is the first time someone from the Trust or the island has actually come in and had a look
23:33at what we've been doing
23:35So it's a little bit nerve-wracking
23:38Let's keep an eye on the books, Banjo, because I don't want them to get damaged
23:43They're over a hundred years old, some of them
23:45Oh, really? Almost as old as you
23:47Oh, thank you
23:48Just kidding
23:52Come in
23:55Hi Anne
23:56Hi Anne
23:57Hiya
23:57Oh!
23:59Hello, hello, hello
24:00Oh, yeah
24:16Oh, and look at the fire! Oh, it's gorgeous!
24:26It's lovely
24:27And the lovely shiny black on the bookcases
24:30That is just so chic
24:36I mean, it's not exactly the library maybe you're expecting
24:41No, I mean, I was quite a surprise to see that
24:44I'm surprised, but not in a bad way
24:46I love it
24:47Well done!
24:48Oh, you like it?
24:49I love it!
24:50Oh, phew!
24:53You've even got a library ladder
24:55Wow!
24:56You've bought us a present
24:57What's this?
24:59Well, this is part of a complete set of Sir Walter Scott's Waverley novels
25:05It's on handmade paper
25:08They're not that precious in terms of money, but they're precious in terms of the story
25:14Yeah
25:15Not only that they tell us a book
25:17Yeah
25:17But of what they say about the people who lived here in the past
25:21So these were here in the house before
25:23Yes
25:23So they're coming home
25:25Yeah, they are
25:26I love that
25:26We have got gaps to fill on the bookshelf, Anne
25:29Okay
25:30So these will go perfectly
25:31Yeah, okay
25:34It was very emotional
25:35To see what they've done with the room and the bar on one side and the books on the other
25:40side
25:40That's a nice touch
25:42There's bound to be somebody who says, oh, I don't like this, it's black
25:45And oh, why has it got a bar in it?
25:47There's bound to be
25:48There's bound to be
25:49Especially from the older residents
25:51The people who have been here longer
25:54So we'll just have to wait and see
25:57Plan with a bit of drink first and get them in then
26:03That's the first step in opening the grandest little hotel in the Hebrides
26:11That's the first place
26:12Okay, Rose, switch it on
26:16Switch the generator on
26:24Our New Islanders have successfully completed their first room
26:28Secured a temporary source of power to the house
26:32And have begun to gain the trust of their new neighbours
26:35A new chapter of island life has officially begun
26:40Oh, how lovely
26:43Cheers
26:46It feels like this is just a little haven amongst the chaos
26:51There's so much dust and noise all out there
26:56We've built a little sanctuary
26:58I'm exhausted
26:59I'm wrecked
27:00I think you did an amazing job
27:03I think we did an amazing job
27:05I'm blown away
27:06But look at it, it's just lovely
27:09Feels like the library this home always deserved
27:14You do a very good job of making something new feel like it's always been there
27:18And this is what this feels like
27:23No
27:26It's the generator
27:27That's the generator
27:28Has it got enough fuel?
27:29No
27:30Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
27:36It's hard to get by just to fall a smile
27:43Oh, baby, baby, it's a wild world
27:48I'll always remember you
27:50Like a child girl
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