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What would you pack for a year on a beautiful Scottish island alone.

84 replies

FredaFrogspawn · 04/12/2019 16:50

Ok it is just hypothetical.

If you had a year alone on a Scottish Island in a small Croft, with unlimited firewood for your little stove, what would you pack? No internet or roaming data.

I’d bring dry pasta, tinned tuna, lentils, chickpeas, canned white cheese, olives, rice, tahini, Long life lemon juice and milk, coffee beans with a hand grinder, teabags, flour, yeast, jam and marmite. A case of white wine and a couple of bottles of gin. Mustang and cress seeds. Micro salad seeds and some kind of mini greenhouse. Mung beans to sprout along with the lentils. I’d hope to end the year a bit slimmer than it started without too much sugar.

I’d bring a couple of cases of good books, a mixture of classics and contemporary prize winning world literature. Reference books on etymology, flora and fauna, and the Encyclopaedia Brittanica. Oxford English Dictionary. I’d want to end up knowing more!

I’d bring thick blankets and a tent to camp around the island in the summer. Binoculars. A microscope.

Lots of paper, pens and a variety of art materials. Strong glue and card. I’d try crafting using natural materials found around the island.

A huge collection of music and something to listen to it on.

The comfiest bed and chair known to man.

A hundred jigsaw puzzles.

Body lotion and basic fitness equipment.

A mountain bike.

OP posts:
MeTheCoolOne · 04/12/2019 20:36

Blimey, your remote island is going to look like it has an Amazon Warehouse on it with all this stuff. 😅

I'd take all the stuff everyone has already mentioned minus some of the more random stuff.

I think a dog would be the best thing to have.

I'd also take woodworking tools and plenty of normal DIY tools.

Could I take a tv with lots of DVDs.

A kite would be nice.

mumwon · 04/12/2019 21:23

ps you could signal with torch or bonfire using Morse Code (I could do SOS but can't remember anything else - we are going to need big cottages) & imagine having a cold bathroom - Oh god - we do have proper heated loos inside the house dont we & bathroom & hot water (shudders at thought of cold bathrooms & no loos)

Winterdaysarehere · 04/12/2019 21:45

Jon could send a raven...

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MrsAmaretto · 04/12/2019 21:48

Well I live in Shetland and I just use Tesco delivery or Amazon Prime. Don't have many trees though......

mumwon · 04/12/2019 22:04

thinks - I wonder how many mn we have on Shetland? (excuse us @MrsAmaretto Grin)

lljkk · 04/12/2019 22:18

warm clothes & waterproofs!! Walking shoes.
A lot of good books.
Good camera.

ParkheadParadise · 04/12/2019 22:21

A years supply of whisky.

BikeRunSki · 04/12/2019 22:22

Books
Wine
Walking boots
Camera

I did 6 weeks in Raasay once.

FredaFrogspawn · 05/12/2019 01:44

I watched the first Fair Isle programme - thanks for the recommendation. It’s a charming watch.

However, everyone knows everyone and it is quite different from my scenario - opposite in fact - they were saying how you couldn’t do anything without everyone knowing. And how important it was to be a close knit community, as everyone had a minimum of about three roles such as boat crew, teaching assistant or Fair Isle knitter.

My island has no one else on it at all.

OP posts:
StarlightLady · 05/12/2019 01:55

Vibrater Wink.

MoaningMinniee · 06/12/2019 22:17

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiant_Islands I read the book about this breathtaking empty nowhere place a couple of years ago.

OctoberLovers · 06/12/2019 22:23

Waterproofs. Welly boots

Gloves. Hat. Scarf. Thick socks. Cosy blanket

Camera / battery charger

Chocolate

Big soup

Tea, Coffee, Sugar, dried milk if couldnt have the real deal, Bottled water

Pasta and jar sauces

OctoberLovers · 06/12/2019 22:23

And sweets.... Lots of sweets :) 🍬

IdblowJonSnow · 06/12/2019 22:29

Wellies and a full length raincoat!
A shaggy dog.
An excellent camera.
A hammock for the odd nice day.
Wetsuit.
Tons of books.
Hot water bottle.
Personal chef. I absolutely despise cooking.

missmeg3leg · 06/12/2019 22:44

Lots of the above, plus.....

most comfy mattress & pillows known to man
wind turbine & generator
my vinyl collection & player
Year supply of various cheeses

TooExtraImmatureCheddar · 06/12/2019 23:08

A boat so I could go back to the shops as required.
A goat for milk - long life milk is disgusting and I expect I would be too far away to want to go by boat to the nearest shop very often. I can milk a goat.

Huge numbers of books.
Whisky.
Lots of lovely clothes (totally with Velveteen on that one!).
Tea and a huge mug.
Chickens - I’d get Dad to teach me how to butcher one before I went. And I’d collect eggs.
A fishing rod. If this is a Scottish island hopefully there would be mussels too.
Writing paper (For writing a novel, naturally).
A phone to talk to my family endlessly!
Swimming kit.
Can I really not have the internet? If the Fair Isle has it why can’t I?
A dog.

TurnipToffee · 06/12/2019 23:59

I was also going to say a dog - can't believe so many have suggested the same!

PomBearWithAnOFRS · 07/12/2019 03:54

Assuming unlimited fresh water as well as the fire wood, I would take 150 litres of Jim Beam, 300 litres of cherry pepsi, 6 bars of soap, 2 hot water bottles, 35 packs of tena lady, 12 pairs of pants and socks, 6 pairs of pajamas, all my woollies, my cast iron grill and camping "green bucket" that holds all my cooking stuff.
Also about 100 books, my knitting needles and yarn, and colouring books and pencils.
And food, but that's a whole other list Xmas Grin and would depend on what was available to hunt or forage, and if I could resupply or if it had to go with me and last the year.

SunsetBoulevard3 · 07/12/2019 04:25

I remember Castaway.I loved that programme and I wish they’d make another programme like that.
All of the above plus a first aid kit and a dehumidifier.
I would spend my time reading every book I haven’t read. I’ve been reading about a man who spent ten years living in a rural Croft without running water or electricity. He took loads and loads of books and read solidly. All the Greek classics etc and all of Shakespeare. Much of the time he was alone. He couldn’t drive. That is challenging.

SunsetBoulevard3 · 07/12/2019 04:27

I used to envy Gavin Maxwell of Ring of Bright Water fame. Somehow the appeal of that sort of life is less than it used to be.

anxioussue · 07/12/2019 04:47

Kindle
Midget repellent
Art supplies
A boat

ChrissyHynde · 07/12/2019 05:06

Has anyone mentioned anything like first aid equipment?

FredaFrogspawn · 07/12/2019 07:13

Dog is a brilliant shout.

And first aid kit? I should have thought of that. I suppose thinking of this as a social experiment, I imagined in my head that in a medical emergency, there would be a way to get help.

I guess a couple of cats would be nice too as long as they were friends with the dog.

Goat idea is great! You could bring a cheese making kit too. Do goats produce milk all year round? I have no idea.

Chickens an excellent idea too although I would hypocritically find it impossible to slaughter an animal I had cared for, even though i eat meat,

Mussels another good idea. And kale would probably grow quite quickly even in those conditions. A poly tunnel might helps with other fresh veg.

OP posts:
FredaFrogspawn · 07/12/2019 07:14

Actually cut the cats out - they’d eat the baby puffins.

OP posts:
SunsetBoulevard3 · 07/12/2019 16:35

@ChrissyHynde

Has anyone mentioned anything like first aid equipment?

I just did!