I live in the Outer Hebrides AMA

[WeeFreeWhiskyGalore]

We chain up the play park swings on a Sunday

No Waitrose/Asda/Amazon Prime/deliveroo

On a clear day you can see Canada (if you squint...)

A four bedroom house sells for £130k

No one locks their doors

There's definitely no heatwave here

I used to live on the (Scottish) mainland where in the winter minus 10 or even below was normal. It rarely gets to zero here so it feels very easy. It is very windy though.

If you're religious you would be going to church twice a day. Prayer might be 30/40 minutes. Service would be an hour or more. Not all day. But it would be pretty prominent I'd say!

I would consider moving to the outer Hebrides in the future.

Afaik there is a shortage in my field so Work would be sorted.

What is the attitude to incomers (Scottish)?

How long before someone isn’t a newbie?

Does it snow in winter?

Does everyone have a chest freezer?

Is it too cold to keep a pony in a field?

Do you get annoyed at the passing places roads?

Should more be done to encourage more tourists?

Would atheists be shunned?

How much religion is there in school?

Are there beginner Gaelic classes?

Do all the children talk in Gaelic?

Are all the schools Gaelic medium?

What are the class sizes in primary and secondary?

At secondary are there a shortage of specialist subject teachers?

Do you have mains gas?

What is your phone signal and broadband like?

When was the last time you saw a non white face?

Do you have a big garden?

Is there a long wait to see a gp?

How far do you have to go for outpatient appointments?

Did you give birth at home or if in hospital how far away was that and how long were you gone for?

How long does it take to drive/ferry from one end to the other?

Do you get a choice of dentists?

Are there community busy bodies who know everyone’s business?

Do you every get bored/lonely?

Do people tend to have big families?

Tesco
Coop
Boots
Superdrug
Mackay's
Iceland
Edinburgh Woolen Mill
Jewsons
William Wilson's
Autoparts

Everything else is a local business.

Do you speak Scottish Gaelic?

Well I think you've covered it for all of us, sevendown

Is there a cafe? Restaurants?

Is there a drinking culture, or is that frowned upon?

Is Gaelic your first language? My grand family came from Lewis, I'm fascinated by island life.

Last saw non white face last night at a wedding. Loads of them in fact.

Atheists are fine as long as they aren't being dicks about people's beliefs. I'm one myself.

Doesn't snow very often. Actually did in January though. Maybe a new thing.

Everyone has a freezer.

Everyone has a big garden by mainland standards.

Ponies in fields I have seen.

Double track roads are normal.

Plenty religion everywhere.

Plenty Gaelic everywhere. It's a choice. All schools have Gaelic and English. Class sizes vary. There's most likely composite classes but within a year group it would be something like 10 at most.

Shortage of supply teachers at secondary.

No mains gas.

Broadband and phone signal fine. Loads better than Highlands of Scotland. Probably not as good as London or wherever.

Hospital is 11 miles away. I had an emergency section. I was thinking to leave on day two but they like babies so kept me in for another day. They're unbelievable. It's like a spa. So kind and gentle and caring.

Have you read The Ice Twins?

If we came for a holiday, what should we definitely do?

Excellent restaurants but not very many.

Not a choice of dentist. But there is one!

Everyone knows everyone's business.

Big and small families.

I speak Gaelic. It's a bit rusty but as the kids are now learning I'm getting better.

Drinking is definitely something we do!

Ice Twins is a new one on me.

You should definitely come and you should definitely sit on an empty beach and breathe.

Everything else is optional.

lovely, interesting thread

Ever been to St. Kilda?
Where do you go on holiday?

Why would you be “an arse” and not flexible in “living with folk” to want to use publicly funded amenities on others’ Sabbath?

Suggests that the local government authorities pay MUCH too much heed to the church.

Are there any catholics on the islands? My Irish catholic FIL said he pretended to be Protestant northern Irish when he went to visit due to fear of being lynched or something if people knew he was catholic.

Is there much for teenagers to do?

When you lived on the mainland did you live in a city or the country?

I grew up in the Inner Hebrides live on the mainland now in the Highlands but didnlive in a city for many years. For this asking about the weather the mainland is muuuuuch colder. We do cold well up here. Lots of the Islands get their mild weather from gulf streams. I hadn’t seen snow until I was at school.

I haven't been to St. Kilda but I'd love to go.

There's lots of dancing clubs, sports clubs, beaches, hills, drama groups, lots of music events and groups so I suppose there's things for teenagers. Mostly teenagers like being with their pals and scowling at their parents so that's available everywhere!

Timely! There’s a job vacanacy my husband could apply for on North Uist at the moment so been googling Hebridean life! (He’s a GP)

I suppose I have a "right" to use the play park. No one would come and tell me off. But why would I do that when I know it would upset my friends and neighbours? It's important to them that their holy day is respected and the peace of the day is not broken. Well that's fine. I can do that. If my kids need to batter about they can do it far from people. There's plenty space. I'm not going to mow the lawn or have a noisy party either. It doesn't put me up nor down to not do these things. It would offend people so I don't.

As it happens quite a lot of the play parks are paid for and run by the community so nothing to do with the council.

The shops aren't open either. It isn't a big deal. Just shop on the other days.

Barra and South Uist are predominantly Catholic. Benbecula, North Uist, Lewis and Harris are Protestant.

Come! It's great!

I think it is just what you are used to not having the park opened on a Sunday is totally normal for you kids are not locked away they can play at home ☺