Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel lands on BBC iPlayer: a gay couple take on a derelict mansion makeover on small Scottish island
First aired on 5 January 2026, the programme follows the happy couple as they attempt to bring Ulva House back to life as a bustling hotel
By Aaron Sugg
Interior designer Banjo Beale and his husband, Ro, are taking on a tiny Scottish island with just 16 residents, as they set out to renovate a crumbling mansion into a boutique hotel.
The married couple, originally from Australia, have left their home on the Isle of Mull for the remote island of Ulva to film a six-episode home makeover series, Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel on BBC iPlayer.
First aired on 5 January 2026, the programme follows the happy couple as they attempt to bring Ulva House back to life as a bustling hotel with their beloved dog, Grampa.
Just 150 metres off the west coast of Mull, Ulva is one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Hebrides. Access is via a foot-passenger-only ferry, with the crossing taking just five minutes.
“Big, crumbling mansion and hoping to turn it into our home” – Banjo Beale on the Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel BBC series
In the first episode, the couple turn their attention to the hotel’s library. As the self-proclaimed “Chief Imagination Officer”, Banjo envisions a dramatic whisky library complete with rich furnishings and a statement bar.
Banjo said in a statement: “We have taken on what’s called the repair lease on the old laird’s house on the island.”
He continued: “We are renting this big, crumbling mansion and hoping to turn it into our home — and maybe a hotel, if we ever get there.”
“It’s a fun thing to do” – Ro Beale on the mansion renovation in Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel
Ro added: “If we can live in a great place, do some renovations, make some money, and see some of the profit go back into the community, then great – it’s a fun thing to do.”
Banjo later reflected: “The reality is a lot muddier and messier, far more stressful, and more expensive than you can imagine.”
Ulva House is situated on the south side of the island and dates back to 1777. The original building was replaced in the early 19th century and rebuilt again in 1955, using the same footprint and similar dimensions, following a fire at the site of the 19th-century house.
“This is my biggest project so far” – Banjo said outlining the scale of the Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel project
Banjo admitted the project would be his biggest challenge yet: “This is my biggest project so far, with an absolute nightmare of a client – myself. With no roads and no real idea how we’re going to pull it off, it’s going to be my boldest adventure yet.”
Filmed during the summer months, the couple are racing against time to make the house fit for the harsh winter conditions. Failure to do so could leave them facing a crippling insurance bill once the Hebridean winter sets in.
Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
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