Gwyneth Paltrow, as a media Stunt, once spent three days on a desert island in Belize. In the way of these things, she took the brief to Robinson Crusoe extremes,
packing just a sack of rice, three oranges and a mosquito net. Despite the depriva­tions, she clearly enjoyed her adventure.
"I can understand people who get stuck on a Caribbean island and never want to return," she wrote. Now, we're told, she's looking for a Bahamas island of her own.

When Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy were the epicentre of the inter­national jet Set and their Ionian island Skorpios its HQ, a private island was just another desirable accessory, in the same category as a chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce, a town house in Belgravia or a Yacht in the Med. But those were days when the press was discreetly deferential and we all slept more soundly in our beds.
Today, fuelled by more complex requirements, the Demand for islands has never been higher, and though the chief driver of his rarefied market remains prestige, other factors now fuel the passion for a personal domain surrounded by sea. A defence mental­ity has undoubtedly taken hold. "Concerns about the quality of life are very significant in my clients' search; says Farhad Vladi owner of Vladi Private Islands, the world’s leading island estate agency.“ They worry about privacy, international terrorism and global warming."

Robert Devereux, brother-in-law of Sir Richard Branson and Chairman of Babington House, the fashionable Somerset members' Club, might be considered an expert in "quality of life" and Eilean Shona, the 2,000-acre private island he bought off the west coast of Scotland, has certainly improved his own.
"Robert Louis Stevenson had a theory about why men liked islands. He felt it was all about security and the womb. Eilean Shona provides me with a wonderful Sense of peace, protection and wildness, a calm­ing remoteness girdled by water"
Devereux leads much of his life in the midst of the social scene, where the need for protected privacy has taken on a new com­plexion since Greta Garbo was able to shoo off photographers with a gently expressed desire to "be alone". Those who step into the media Spotlight in the 21st century are forced to accept a relentless tail impossible to shake off - except on a private island.

In a landmark case earlier this year, the Press Complaints Commission upheld the view of celebrity model Elle Macpherson that He11o! magazine had violated her privacy by publishing pictures of her on Mustique, the exclusive Caribbean island once loved by Princess Margaret. The Commission judged Macpherson was enti­tled to be left alone because of the nature of the destination she’d chosen.
Though "The Body" was only temporarily resident in this fashionable resort, many celebrities sec island ownership as a more permanent solution to their hide-and-seek existence. If and when Paltrow finds her own escape, she'll be joining fellow Stars Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nicolas Cage and Mel Gibson, who have all recently acquired glamorous, ocean-barricaded homes.

But those of little interest to the mass media are also arriving at the decision that island ownership can provide a refuge from some of modern life's more waring anxieties. Certainly, concerns about international terrorism have had an impact on where island buyers are looking, and Canada and New Zealand, as peaceable as they are beautiful, have become increasingly popular locations.

"What is the worst thing that can happen?" says Vladi, who himself owns an island in each of these countries. `A terrorist attack on a nuclear level is my bet. So you want an island where the winds are in your favour. In New Zealand the winds come from the South Pole, which is perfect."

The idyllic security of New Zealand has certainly driven up local prices - Pakatoa Island, for example, 45km from Auckland by sea, is on the market through both Vladi Private Islands and Coldwell Banker Morrison's Private Islands for NZ$35m (about £12.9m). Situated in the Hauraki Gulf, this 60-acre island has two beaches, a nine-hole golf course and a 1965 wooden­cabined holiday resort (currently unused).

On a more mundane level, if you're look­ing for protection from day-to-day thuggery, a private island clearly represents the ultimate in gated developments, as businessman Alec Pettigrew found when he decided to relocate his family from Hong Kong six years ago. "We originally bought a house in South Africa, but decided it was too dangerous. Then we started to look in Thailand. When 1 saw this island in Phuket, 1 felt here, at last, was somewhere my children could run around wherever they liked:"

So that others can enjoy the same peace of mind - as well as a high level of personal comfort - Pettigrew is now the visionary behind the development of Barama Bay, a three-mile-long island next to Phuket with 20 estates and 28 residences for sale from £1.5m (through Aylesford International), and facilities including a boutique hotel, a spa and a marina.

Even more than manmade threats, glo­bal warming has had its impact. "We've talked about climate change, but now it's imminent," says Vladi. "Some islands in the Pacific are preparing to evacuate; we now concentrate our business in loca­tions well above sea level, such as Brittany, Scotland, Scandinavia and Ireland."
Farmer Sean McDonnell is sure the sea will never submerge the shores of Illanteige Island, the 81-acre emerald plot he bought 33 years ago near his County Mayo home. "It's got a lovely climate, with wonderful clean water and clean air. You never have to worry about flooding and you can be completely self-sufficient and private, but still only half an hour from an international airport."

Fortunately, for those looking for the ulti­mate escape route, buying a private island is getting easier. Improvements in international transport, including scheduled airline or private jet, and new technology - solar and wind generators, desalination plants and prefab housing - have combined to make even the remotest island a workable option.

But buying an island is still not like buying a house in the country. Although it's possible to surf the world's supply at the touch of a computer key and jump on a jet to view your prospective purchase, good freehold islands remain a rarity. At any one moment, there are only a few hundred available worldwide. And those looking to tick all the boxes - privacy, elegant accommodation, ease of access, stable politics and clement weather - will generally have to bide their time.
"Islands off the Spanish or French coast, in Long Island or the Caribbean are extremely hard to come by. It's not the price - because those who can afford it tend not to worry about money - it's the fact that there's such a limited supply," says Vladi. "Island owners never sell."

Robert Devereux explains the intensity of the island bond. "I only spend a month or so on Eilean Shona each year, but it's not just a holiday thing. In my mind, it's 52 weeks of the year. If 1 went bankrupt, Eilean Shona is the last asset I'd part with."

Prices can certainly reflect the rarity. According to Forbes magazine, the top islands for sale last year all came with hefty sales tickets: £20.1m for Isla de sa Ferradura, a 14-acre island off the coast of Ibiza in Spain; £17.7m for Cerrralvo Island, a 35,000-acre island off the coast of Baja, Mexico; and £12.7m for Caritas Island, a four-acre domain with its own stone man­sion, just off the coast of Connecticut.

But those on smaller budgets can find islands at significantly lower prices. In Scandinavia and eastern Canada you can still buy a substantial getaway for
about £200,000. Central America also offers some enticing bargains, particu­larly in Belize, Panama and Costa Rica. And buyers are keeping a close eye on the Pacific, where governments in the Solomon Islands, the Marshall Islands and the Philippines have been considering liberalising their land-ownership laws.
Whether you're looking near the Arctic or near the Equator, island purchase can be considerably more complex than its carefree, castaway image would suggest and Cheyenne Morrison, head of Coldwell Banker Morrison's Private Islands in Australia, recommends renting before you buy. "You test drive a car, so why not take the island for a spin?"

Technicalities, such as whether the host country is happy with foreign invest­ment and, more specifically, whether the island comes with unencumbered freehold, archaeological permits and the right to build, will also be of the utmost importance. "Always buy through a licensed real estate agent and get the best legal advice you can," advises Morrison.

Island ownership is not for those who care too passionately about their daily outgoings - these are high-maintenance affairs. Indeed, one potential buyer gave up his island dream when he realised that helicoptering in the necessary building materials would cost £2,000 an hour.

"Everything has to be imported, right down to the stainless steel screws," says George Damianos, president of Damianos Sotheby's International Realty in the Bahamas, which sells some of the world's most coveted islands. "Plus, there's the problem of staff. If you don't own an island you can lock up and leave, you have to find help willing to stay on the island who know about generators and are happy to do without a social life:"
Some island owners, of course, defray their costs by subletting to a rarefied clien­tele - Devereux rents out the eight-bedroom Eilean Shona House for £7,000 a week - but others decide to buy where at least part of the burden is shouldered by someone else. At Barama Bay, for example, owners of the private estates will be offered fully monitored 24-hour security and be met at the airport and delivered to their own private jetty.

It's fortunate, considering the outgoings, that private islands have tended to outper­form the mainstream property market - in the Bahamas, for example, many islands have' gone up by as much as seven times in the ' past five years - but resale is rarely speedy. "The difficulty is ensuring you reach the right audience," says Damianos. "You can probably sell an island within six to nine months, but it's an international market and you have to know how to reach the buyers."

Leafleting the Academy Awards would undoubtedly be a good starting point - or perhaps the next G8 summit.