I don't like to be beside the seaside: Viscount besieged by ravers sells up

It has been described as the ultimate retreat, a house on its own island with wild, rocky coastal views of Cornwall from every window. The only intruders are the seagulls, the whipping winds and crashing waves.

But, to bastardise a famous saying, one man's ideal island is another's "hellish" rock.

This week the former Tory whip, the 4th Viscount Long, 77, and his wife put their unique three-bedroomed home on the market, for offers in excess of £750,000.

Only accessible by a 90ft walkway modelled on the Bristol suspension bridge, and surrounded by the sea at high tide, it is spectacular. It has been a tea garden, a chicken farm, and, under the ownership of Lord and Lady Long, an exclusive bed and breakfast.

Locals insist Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited his friend Sir Oliver Lodge, the man who invented the spark plug, there, when his son was in residence. They cannot reveal whether its rocky environs inspired the Sherlock Holmes creator on a dark, windswept night.

The early 20th century property is also one of the most photographed in Britain - a regular on postcards - for its rarity, its beauty and the fact that it is bang in the middle of one of the most popular party playgrounds in Britain - Towan Beach in Newquay - once dubbed Britain's Benidorm.

"It's brill, isn't it? Great views," said surfer Adam Leishman yesterday. "Yeah, it's definitely worth three-quarters of a million. I am going to start saving now," the teenager added.

But Lady Long was less than impressed with her transient neighbours. So outraged was she by all-night parties and naked revellers around the bonfires that she established the ironically named NAG (Newquay Action Group) three years ago. Backed by equally "appalled and frightened" residents, she set about getting rid of the "yob culture".

At the time, the couple - who bought the property six years ago - undoubtedly seeking a tranquil retreat - pleaded with the council to protect them from the "drunken louts". They set out their concerns in a four-page letter headed "Another night of hell in Newquay" and complained of screaming "ravers" with flaming pieces of wood. Others broke into their garden.

Police now insist the worst of the partying is gone, following the introduction of an alcohol exclusion zone. Estate agent Richard Addington, of Savills, explained surfing was now a sport for the "extremely well off" so Newquay had gone up in the world.

Gentility was not immediately evident, however, amongst the amusement arcades, body piercing parlours and "Sex Machine" T-shirt emporiums yesterday.

The headline on local newspaper the Newquay Voice read: "Police resources severely tested as holiday crime figures show a 17.5 per cent increase."

The paper's editorial seemed less than impressed with the impending departure of its titled residents.

"Well what about news that, having turned Newquay into a rather chic (?) place to live, the Longs are abandoning The Island on Towan Beach!" said the newspaper, pointing out that NAG may have been successful in turfing out the party animals but also attracted a lot of damaging publicity.

"Hopefully, the new occupants of The Island will appreciate the other side of Newquay and be prepared to forgive the excesses of a boisterous seaside town for the sheer pleasure of living here," it added.

Lord and Lady Long were unavailable for comment yesterday but estate agent Martyn Rohrs insisted that their property had the most spectacular views.

"It is like your own little world. On the sun terrace on the other side all you can hear are the crashing waves," he said.

Peering out over the bay yesterday, secretary Lynne Andrews, from Derbyshire, was unconvinced: "In high winds getting across that bridge would be a bit dicey," she said. Her husband Les, 51, a self-employed mechanic, agreed: "For three-quarters of a million you would want a bit more privacy, a bit more land. You couldn't even wash your car."