Entrepreneur plans for 'high-end escape' holiday destination on Torsa Island
‘The opportunity to buy Torsa Island was luck and timing’
A Scottish entrepreneur, who previously set-up a company creating liquid hops for brewers, now has plans to support jobs, promote biodiversity and create a holiday destination on Torsa Island, which he bought last year, in Argyll and Bute.
Colin Wilson, from Linlithgow and a chemistry graduate of the University of Edinburgh, came up with the idea of making liquid hop extracts for craft beer and started his own business, Totally Natural Solutions (TNS).
TNS broke even by year three. It grew annually to reach £8.2 million in turnover in 2024, and increased headcount to 45, including the appointment of Colin’s wife Eileen to manage HR and communications. Clients included global brewing groups such as Asahi and Molson Coors, with brands such as Madri and Stella Artois Unfiltered, and craft brewers including Brewdog, Fierce Beer and Northern Monk. TNS also tapped into the ‘no and low’ alcohol sector through its HopInspiration(R) range and supplied key ingredients for Guinness Zero.
TNS generated interest from potential acquirers and selected global conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) as its purchaser in 2024 for an undisclosed sum. Having completed a two year handover to ADM, Wilson has now moved back to Scotland and has bought Torsa Island, 30 minutes from Oban across the Cuan sound.
Colin said: “The opportunity to buy Torsa Island was luck and timing. It is a magical, unspoilt nature paradise.
“Our vision is to blend rewilding, conservation grazing and regenerative agriculture on the island. We're putting our sustainable development plan into action with the aim of delivering local employment on the island, maintaining biodiversity and creating a high-end escape from the modern world, within striking distance from Glasgow and Edinburgh.”
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