The appeal and the foundation
Mo B's GoFundMe page proposed establishing a "self sustaining community" on Hildasay. The island was being offered for more than £350,000, with a closing date of noon on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, according to the Rightmove listing from eXp UK.
"I guess it's one of those if you don't ask you don't get scenarios but I've seen a lot more ridiculous requests than this," Mo B wrote. "Just needing a little generosity to get this project going and help me on my way to one day help as many people as possible."
The Bukhari Foundation is a nonprofit religious organization based in Agra, India. It describes its work as supporting communities through education, humanitarian relief and social enterprise. Its website says it runs madrasas and Jamias to promote Islamic education, supplies free meals to madrasa students and relies entirely on donations and charitable contributions. Whether the foundation authorized Mo B's appeal is not clear.
Other interest in Hildasay
Shetland real estate agent Kelvin Anderson announced the sale in September, drawing considerable interest. Fundraiser Chris Lewis was among those who considered buying Hildasay. He and his dog Jet had stayed there during part of the pandemic lockdown, when their coastal trek was put on hold.
Lewis received substantial support for a purchase but ultimately urged his supporters to fund what he considered a more worthy cause: "robotic legs" for a friend with muscular dystrophy.
Boat access and off-grid utilities
The sale listing puts Hildasay's size at approximately 110 hectares (267 acres). Accessible only by boat, it has a private pier used as the main landing point, two freshwater lochs and one traditional stone-built bothy.
The bothy has no mains electricity connection. Earlier owners supplied power with a small wind turbine and a diesel generator; buyers would need to investigate and arrange their own off-grid supply. The listing also says the existing water supply and drainage require confirmation.
Hildasay once supported a small community. Historical records cited in the listing put its population at about 30 in 1891, when granite quarrying and herring curing were important activities. A small railway carried granite from the quarrying areas. Traces of those industries remain, and the island is known for its distinctive red and green granite.
Earlier religious island purchases and bids
Religious groups have pursued other Scottish islands, with differing outcomes. In 1999, the Catholic order known as the Sons of the Most Holy Redeemer paid £200,000 for the 183-acre Papa Stronsay in Orkney. The monks established Golgotha Monastery there so they could celebrate the Latin Mass.
A more recent proposal for Torsa in Argyll did not advance. A controversial Islamic preacher sought £3.5 million through a fundraiser to buy the island and establish a Sharia law-based Islamic "homeland."
Former GB News host Calvin Robinson subsequently made a competing attempt to purchase Torsa, saying his bid was "for Christendom." That effort also failed. Robinson moved to the United States in 2024 to become a priest.
