The remote island that is thought to have played host to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex this summer – and gave their children, Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, their first taste of their great-grandmother the late Queen Elizabeth’s beloved Scotland – remains off the tourist map for most of us, and harbours a chilling cinematic past. The largest of the country’s ‘Summer Isles’ archipelago, Tanera Mor – meaning ‘Great harbour island’ in Old Norse and Scottish Gaelic, sits just off the north-west coast, in the mouth of Loch Broom. For tourists, spying the island’s misty silhouette from the mainland or sibling islands is as close as they’ll get to it these days, for Tanera Mor is now strictly invite only. Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, are said to have been invited to enjoy the Highland beauty by its owner, billionaire Ian Wace, who has quietly been transforming this remote Scottish idyll since snapping it up nine years ago. Harry and Meghan, pictured on a previous holiday, are said to have spent time on the ‘secret’ Scottish island of Tanera Mor with children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, five, this summer The isolated 800-acre island – which is now invite only – is thought to have been the inspiration for Summerisle, the fictional setting for 1973 folk horror film The Wicker ManThe family’s first visit to the UK in four years saw them apparently take up Mr Wace’s offer to spend a portion of their summer holiday exploring the island the co-founder of hedge fund giant Marshall Wace paid £1.7million for in 2017. In previous decades, it was possible to rent one of a few holiday homes that were on Tanera Mor, which then had just a few public facilities, including a cafe and a post office. Access would have come via boat from nearby Achiltibuie or Ullapool. The appeal for those who made the journey to the 800-acre island with no roads? Untold solitude and the chance to explore a beautiful, craggy coastline including picturesque Mol Mòr Bay and 124-metre-high hill Meall Mòr, which translates as ‘Big Lump’.Some might have made the journey thanks to its characterful literary connections too. Summerisle, the fictional setting for cult 1970s folk horror film hit The Wicker Man, was thought to have been inspired by the isolated Scottish location. The original film, starring Edward Woodward and Britt Ekland, was based on David Pinner’s 1967 novel Ritual, which documents the arrival of a police officer, Sergeant Neil Howie (Woodward), on Summerisle in search of a missing girl. In the story, the enquiry is derailed by the detective’s discovery that the island is in the throes of Celtic paganism, having abandoned Christianity. The pretty island – the largest of Scotland’s Summer Isles in the Inner Hebrides – is now owned by billionaire hedge funder Ian Wace, who is thought to have invited Harry and Meghan to the remote isle Closed off: Only select people can now visit the island, which once had holiday properties on it (Pictured: A scene from The Wicker Man, which starred Edward Woodward as a police detective investigating a missing person case on the island of Summerisle) The island is now home to The Tanera Project, described as ‘a charitable restoration and regeneration effort’ kick-started by hedge funder WaceElsewhere, pioneering ecologist Sir Frank Fraser Darling lived on the island during the Second World War and penned two books, Island Years and Island Farm, about his time on it. Now, island life centres around Mr Wace and The Tanera Project, described on the official website as ‘a charitable restoration and regeneration effort in the Northwest Highlands’.Those who reside there are described as ‘staff, contractors, volunteers and academic collaborators’.Partner charities are allocated visits for those who are employed in the public services and volunteering places are also available, with applications made online to help with island projects from gardening to joinery and path-building.The final category is perhaps where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex fit in, described as ‘Private groups whose ethos and intentions are sympathetic to the project’s purpose’. A noted philanthropist, Mr Wace has been friendly with Harry and William for years. Mr Wace’s then-wife, former model Saffron Aldridge, 57, bonded with Meghan, 44, after the US actress moved to Britain to live with Harry. In 2019, the year after Meghan married the prince, Mr Wace and Ms Aldridge joined the couple for a Cirque du Soleil performance at the Royal Albert Hall.Meghan, it was reported at the time, appreciated that Ms Aldridge was ‘a straight talker’. The women’s mutual interest in fashion also helped. Mr Wace and Ms Aldridge split in 2023 and have since divorced but remain friends.The Sussexes are believed to have travelled to Scotland from Northamptonshire, where they stayed with Earl and Countess Spencer at his ancestral home, Althorp. A spokesman for the Duke and Duchess said: ‘This is not something we would comment on.’ A spokesman for Mr Wace also declined to comment.