Miss Hoolie’s Iconic Balamory Green House Goes on the Market
An iconic piece of television history has gone up for sale on the Isle of Mull. The instantly recognisable green house from hit children’s TV series Balamory – Miss Hoolie’s cheerful seaside home – is on the market with Oban Estate Agents, Bell Ingram for offers over £225,000.
Officially known as Beul An Atna – Gaelic for “Mouth of the Sea” – the Tobermory property has been home to local resident Matthew Spence, now in his 80s, for nearly four decades.
“I’ve lived here for 38 years,” says Mr Spence. “I came to Mull from Glasgow when I was just 15. At the time I thought it was the end of the world – all my aunties and uncles had left the city, my father was from Mull, and everything was changing. But the island changed me. I found hobbies like badminton, I learned to shoot, and although I went back to Glasgow sometimes and they looked at me as if I was daft, after a couple of years I fell in love with the place.”
Mr Spence trained as a butcher before joining the army. When he returned, even though his parents had moved to Oban, he knew his heart belonged on Mull. And in 2002, his family home was given a new lease of life – becoming one of the most famous front doors in Britain.
“About 21 years ago someone came to the door and asked if I’d like the house to feature in a children’s TV show,” recalls Mr Spence. “My wife at the time said yes straight away – anything to do with children, we had none ourselves – and we just fell for it. When the kids started coming, she took on the job of replying to all the letters. In summer, two busloads of children would park across the road every day. She loved it. Even my wee dog loved it – the kids used to post sweets through the door. He turned from a Jack Russell into a wee barrel!”
The house quickly became a pilgrimage site for families, and Spence remembers the joy it brought: “Great to see the actors back this year filming the latest series. They came to the door and I had a big cuddle with PC Plum. It was a great experience – children came to the island just because of Balamory.”
But the house holds even more personal memories. “The garden was always busy with children. They’d ask to pick flowers for their Granny – and you’d see the flowers lying at the end of the road, never making it there,” he laughs. “Sometimes there’d be half a dozen kids in the house with their carers – it was a full house. I’ll be sad to leave. Looking back, I get emotional. You never realise how much you collect until you start packing.”
For families who grew up with Balamory, this sale marks a rare chance to own a colourful slice of TV nostalgia – and for Mull, it’s the closing of a much-loved chapter.
Bell Ingram Estate Agent, Andrew Fuller comments on the sale: “It’s a real pleasure to bring such a well-loved home to the market. As a resident of Mull, I know just how iconic the green house is – it’s part of the island’s story. While it’s bittersweet to see it change hands, this sale marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for a property that holds so many happy memories.”
For more information on the sale of Beul An Atna, contact Bell Ingram Oban on 01631 566 122, or email andrew.fuller@bellingram.co.uk