BBC Scotland orders remote island renovation series from Hello Halo

Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel

BBC Scotland has ordered a six-part factual series about a couple’s attempts to transform a derelict mansion on a remote Scottish island into a stunning hotel.

Banjo and Ro’s Grand Island Hotel follows interior designer Banjo Beale and husband Ro as they take on their biggest design project, turning a derelict mansion on the remote Isle of Ulva in Scotland into a boutique hotel.

Made by Hello Halo for BBC Scotland, filming begins this month and will continue through to October, with the series set to air next year.

Situated 150 metres off the west coast of the Isle of Mull in Scotland, Ulva used to have a population of 800, but now just 14 people call it home.

At the centre of the island stands Ulva House, a once enchanting Regency home, the former residence of the first governor of Australia, Lachlan MacQuarrie. However, in recent years, Ulva House has been abandoned, falling into disrepair until the local community bought it in 2018.

The series will follow the trials, tribulations, design dilemmas and community spirit it takes to bring Ulva House back to life and turn it into a must-visit getaway.

The executive producers are Wendy Rattray and Joff Wilson for Hello Halo and Steve Allen for BBC Scotland. The series will be directed and produced by Joe Sharpe.

Allen said the show “will provide pure escapism for our audiences.”

Allen added: “Combining the nation’s love of interior design and renovation, this series will be full of emotion, skill and heart. Set among a stunning Hebrides backdrop, the weather might not always be warm but the welcome to Ulva will be.”