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

The Western Isles are regularly cited as being the most content place in the UK. Of course there are problems here - alcoholism, some suicides etc - but I think most people are pretty happy. The quality of life is good here. Although food and fuel are a wee bit more expensive than the mainland I think you end up spending less money because there's less to buy. When I go to towns or cities money seems to fly out of my purse!

Very strong community spirit. People know their neighbours really well usually.

If you live here you get a discount on the flights. It can still be expensive though.

I don't go to pubs very often now. I think there are fewer child-friendly pubs than on the mainland. It's not so much a thing that people do as a family. Women are fine though. Women are definitely allowed in pubs.

On Sundays non-religious people eat, drink, watch tv, read, Internet, go for a walk, have sex, chat, play with their kids. I'd think some religious people do some of that too. It's very peaceful on Sunday. Nothing is expected of you which is nice.

Is your winter full of colds and flu the same as the mainland, or do you think there are less bugs?

Well I suppose there are fewer people so presumably there's not as many bugs. I really don't know. Latterly I lived in a very remote place on the mainland so I don't have much to compare it with. When I lived in cities i didn't have my own private germ factories kids so I didn't know that humans could have a runny nose for 11 1/2 months.

Great thread OP. I used to live on Lewis and DD was born in the hospital in Stornoway - it made me laugh when you said they kept you in and it was like a spa as I agree. I brought my hospital bag in with all the usual nappies, cleaning bits etc and it went unused as they would whisk her away and bring her back all freshly bathed and changed!! Wonderful.
I am surprised they still chain up the swings, I thought that may have changed now. Great to hear they have a cinema there now!!

Can you see the northern lights regularly?

I had no desire to visit until reading this!

Some lovely houses in rightmove!!

Yes, northern lights fairly regularly. Conveniently they turn off the street lights at night so you don't get much light pollution. Because why would you want street lights in the dark?!

Reading back I haven't even said about the amazing things like the Callanish Stones (better than Stone Henge) or the art galleries or the Carloway Broch or the surfing or Harris Tweed or the gin!

How did I forget about the gin?!

Just come for the gin!

Oh. A word about houses. They are loads cheaper than the mainland but they aren't cash cows. You won't double your money or anything. Houses cost roughly the same now as they did 10 years ago. People buy them to live in not to sell three years later for £100k more than they cost. Lots of people build their own house because land is also very cheap.

Sounds wonderful
It gladdens my heart to hear people buying homes as homes.
I think the daylight being so long in summer might weird me out a bit.

I know kids are germ factories but I did hope the illness rates would be low, given its not densely populated.

It sounds amazing and I think we will definitely visit in a few years when our youngest is bigger.

I haven’t got over that you can’t see Canada. Gutted.

Do teens that go away to uni/college come back?

Do you really not lock your front door?

I live in the Outer Hebrides too, about three islands south of the OP by the sound of it.
The further south you go, the less the Wee Frees (very strict protestants) are in evidence. In fact, by the time you get to South Uist and Barra, most of it is Catholic and much less (forgive me OP) uptight.
I personally don't lock my front door because it doesn't have a lock. DH lost the key about 10 years ago and removed the lock, although there is an inside door which could be locked if required.

Depopulation is a serious problem because so few young people return to live after college or university. And there are something like 2 single men for every single woman.

Hi OP, I lived in North Uist for a year and loved it :) beautiful part of the world, if not a bit windy!

I used to spend all my summer holidays in a small island in the outer Hebrides. Many a fond memory of spending hours on the beach and looking for crabs in the rockpools! My Grandparents used to shout us to come inside when the church van would go past as they didn't like to see us playing outside. Also the excitment of the bakery van coming over once a week and getting a cake as a treat!

Don't lock the doors. What if someone needed to get in? I had a terrible moment a few months ago when a very expensive piece made by Dh (artist) went missing and I was momentarily convinced that someone had actually stolen it. I subsequently copped myself on a figured out that it had been taken by the gallery where he exhibits. It would have been good if they'd told us they were going to take it but very handy that they were able to fetch it themselves. Also very handy for delivery drivers/the postie.

This thread is very interesting, especially about the Heavenly Dancers! I would love to see them in real life, please tell us more about them

www.google.co.uk/search?q=isle+of+lewis+northern+lights&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-gb&client=safari#imgrc=SyspKJ42G0PmdM:

Are there any jobs where people are in demand? You mentioned supply teachers, any others? Are wages roughly the same as on the mainland?

If you want to fly away, is norway quite close to you? It sounds amazing, whats your nearest mainland airport?

Norway is very far away. The Outer Hebrides are west of mainland Scotland. Orkney and Shetland are to the east and so much closer to Norway.

Inverness is the nearest airport for most of the Hebrides. There are flights from the Hebrides to Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Inverness every day.

Teachers, doctors, physios, care workers. I've seen adverts for all sorts of jobs. It is tough though. Dh ended up setting up his own business.