Living on a Scottish island

[Keeplookingforwards]

Tell me about living Island life!!!!!

How is Island living?
Would you recommend it ?
Up sides and down?

The best and worst ?
COL is it massively higher than say rural highland mainland
Is everyone friendly to “outsiders”

Would like as much chat/info as can muster lol

Not really an AIBU but here I am 😊

I don't live on a Scottish island but have family who do.
Getting on and off the island can be problematic. There's no airport and no bridge. Everything comes by ferry and if the ferry is cancelled (Caledonian Macbrayne have all the main routes and their fleet is ancient) then you risk being caught out.
Fuel is more expensive. Its generally expensive through the Highlands anyway. Again, the tanker comes over by ferry- and has to be on the ferry on its own.
Not all online companies deliver to the island...or charge a premium.
BIL has often had 3 or more part time jobs as there's not enough full time work.
A friend of the family had to be air lifted to Glasgow when in labour because she needed an emergency c section.

I think how welcome you will be depends on the island, what you will be doing work wise and how well you integrate into the community. Are you going to contribute to island life?

CoL is much higher - island shops are more expensive and there is more fuel poverty as heating will be electric, oil or solid fuel. You've also got to factor in needing to travel for shopping, medical treatment, dentists etc - depending on the island.

You need to factor in ferry crossings which won't run with bad weather (which can be for a while!), or for some islands book out in the summer making it very difficult for islanders to leave/return at short notice.

If you have children you also need to consider that not all islands have secondary schools so high school age children need to board Mon-Fri on the mainland.

Some islands in the Western Isles have Gaelic as their main language, and Lewis in particular observes Sundays.

The islands in winter are very very different to in summer. A lot of folk can have a romantic view of them - they are beautiful but life is much harder than on the mainland. If you're serious then visit at all times of year. Also be sensitive to the fact that the islands and Highlands have massive problem with affordable accommodation for younger people due to second homes and holiday let's.

It’s cold and windy.

Often not friendly to outsiders.

Some things will vary by which island.

But yes the COL is higher as people have already mentioned.

Winter is miserable, just wet, windy and dark.

People love it or hate it.

People fit in or don't.

Some people move up and never leave.. Some people move up and are gone within a year.

You need to be okay with wild weather. 60+ mph winds are not uncommon, and I've seen 100+ mph winds.

Your best bet is to go and spend some time there in winter, as long as you can manage, and see how you feel.

It depends what island, some are welcoming, others not so much. Second home owners are often shunned where I am and it’s made clear by the locals to them they’re not welcome.

As others have said ferries can be problematic in autumn and winter which can impact fresh supplies. Summers can be chilly wet and windy some years, it’s not as romantic as people think. Winters can be harsh and with little daylight hours.

No washing out on a Sunday and very little is open on many of the islands on a Sunday.

No washing out on a Sunday and very little is open on many of the islands on a Sunday

That's pretty specific to the Western Isles I would say. Nobody cares when you put your washing out in Orkney or Shetland, and there's plenty going on. Especially today, its the last day of the Shetland Folk Festival. There's loads going on today!

SIL lives on one. Seems OK until the ferry stops running and/or you need serious medical treatment.

Hi thanks for your thoughts . Im
no stranger to living in challenging areas /rural with tougher climate.
i think I was wondering if there is anything I’ve missed when going through my thought process .
What I don’t know I’ve re searched.
Very good point about the crossing in peak season I hadn’t thought of that .

You mentioned “am I going to contribute to island life “ can you explain what you mean by that please ?

I think my post is mainly to see from a perspective of someone living there and how it’s like day to day .
It’s definitely the community side of life I’m interested in hearing about in an honest way and also if it’s much worse than say the highlands.

What do you pay per litre of fuel at the pumps ?

Why are the people like that though?

Isn’t anyone entitled to live where they choose ?
Nobody owns and Island

Well it depends. Bute will be very different from Barra….

Many of the incomers are up one year and gone the next. They're not used to the very harsh and dark winters. Don't judge the island by what you see during two weeks in June. People are friendly if you expect them to be that way. Cost of living is higher but many things are subsidised by the Scottish government, so you don't really pay the full cost. Obviously fuel is a consideration because you're going to use more of it. And, like any rural area, internet can be a problem, but it's fine if you're near an exchange or a town. Don't expect the lifestyle to be 'throwback' - it's as up-to-date as anywhere else in the country.

How do you prepare for those obstacles ?
Do you fill a freezer before the worst of winter arrives. ?

Second home owners are dealing with that in most places especially since the nc500 it’s very hard for long term residents . Highlands and Islands .

IM not a stranger to those conditions

I think the idea of the ferry or lack of it limiting your options it takes the control Out of your hands .

I suppose the only real issue with that would be an emergency situation. But there is also flights I suppose .

If i could live on Mull I would be a very happy person. Give me cold and winter. And all that great stuff.
A world of Great MH being there ime.

Ooft, sharp intake of breath and a head tilt and nod at the last sentence.

I meant that if you, for example, work in the school or medical services, have children so you get to know people, are someone who's friendly and gets involved in things you are more likely to be welcomed than a second home owner or someone who comes in and tries to change things or doesn't make an effort to integrate into island life.

It all depends on the island and even the community you settle in.

Winters are brutal and even the summer can be challenging.

You need to be organised for when the ferry doesn’t get in and there is no fresh produce.

Also, do you have a medical condition which requires regular hospital treatment as this may not be available on the island you chose and if you do contact something serious such as cancer, you will be treated away from home and loved ones.

you have children you need to consider schooling. Depending on where you live, they may need to be away from you during the week.

You will need to be able to drive and have a car and make sure you have fuel.

Again depending on where you live, you could be subject to power cuts that on occasion last days.

Oh and did I mention that winters are brutal!!!!

Why are the people like that though?

Isn’t anyone entitled to live where they choose ?
Nobody owns and Island

Except they do. Some of the smaller Scottish islands are privately owned or community owned. Some are owned by conservation charities.

Because island communities are fragile and young people often have to move away because of lack of affordable accommodation or jobs. Without them an island dies. If someone new is coming in they may well have more money so can outbid a relative or young person who grew up on the island for accommodation. That young person or family may have to leave the island or be in completely unsuitable housing for years. That can make people resentful. I think you really need to appreciate this if you want to successfully move to an island.

Surely you have the nous to see why there may be resistance to newcomers in such isolated and entrenched communities?

People are, at heart, tribal. You will see it in small insular communities. God knows you see enough of it in cities where groups gather in specific areas to live with people like themselves

Sure people can live where they choose - but those who have been there since time immemorial may choose not to welcome outsiders! New people won't understand how things are done, the unwritten Social Rules, and may come across as arrogant and/or patronising.

"I suppose the only real issue with that would be an emergency situation. But there is also flights I suppose."

If you mean passenger flights, not all islands have airports and obviously flights can also be impacted by bad weather. If you mean you have an emergency medical situation, yes there are air ambulances but you are more remote and there will be times these can't fly. It depends again on the island - some have small hospitals, others only have visiting GPs.

Yes I realised after I’ve typed that it may be to do with housing .
I wouldn’t be a second home buyer .
I wouldn’t be taking something and putting nothing back .
Id think I had just as much to give the island as anyone else .

Theirs is not always flights and not always even a ferry. It can be weather dependent. I have a friend on Shetland and there are times when there is no fresh food in Tesco at all for days and days because the ferry isn’t running. Then the ferry runs and the Tesco lorry gets over but still no fresh food as it’s now out of date as the lorry has been sat at the ferry terminal on the mainland for days. Yes for a proper emergency you’d hopefully be able to be helicoptered out but guess there could be circumstances when even the helicopter can’t fly.

You mentioned “am I going to contribute to island life “ can you explain what you mean by that please ?

if you don’t understand on a fundamental level how people can contribute to the communities that they live in, then I think you’ll struggle to be honest.