The most unusual homes of the year: a cave house, a 'hobbit home' and an off-the-grid Scottish island are among 2016's quirkiest homes for sale

Take a tour of Britain and Ireland's most unusual homes listed for sale this year...
1/60

A listed fortress on a remote private island, a Hobbit-style home hidden in a hillside and a sprawling country estate with its very own private theme park are among the most unusual homes listed for sale this year.

As house prices continue to climb in the capital and surrounding UK regions for the seventh consecutive year, home-hunters are getting more creative with space than ever, with many of the country's architectural gems being converted into wow-factor homes.

If a respite from city life is what you're after, where better to spend your self-imposed exile than a remote, off-the-grid island hideaway off the western Scottish mainland, or a former Norman castle in Hereford with moat - and dungeon - that's sure to deter any unwelcome visitors.

Or, for the price of a share of a one-bedroom apartment in the capital, a tiny former toll house near Bristol has been converted into a compact one-bedroom home for sale for £110,000 - complete with thatched roof, triangular garden and unique circular floorplan.

"We’ve seen more people looking at our unusual listings than ever before," says Miles Shipside, Rightmove director and housing market analyst. But it's not just the biggest and most luxurious homes that have captured our attention.

"While the majority [of Rightmove's visitors] are looking to find the home that best suits them, there are a number who are just curious to see what other people’s homes are like, especially the strange ones.”

“Properties like forts, castles or some that are just really strange inside always grab the attention of home-hunters."

Take a tour of the most unique and show-stopping homes we've seen listed for sale this year in our gallery above...