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Original poster

Anyone live on a remote Scottish island by any chance?

58 replies

Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 12:13

DH is considering applying for a job in the Outer Hebrides.

In actual fact he used to live there pre-marriage and kids and loved it. He is applying to the same school he worked in before but in a more senior position.

Part of me thinks it will be a fantastic opportunity and for the children (schooling, safety, etc) I think it would be a great move.

I am worried about the practicalities however. Does anyone have experience of living on an island?

OP posts:
KBear · 19/05/2006 12:14

Take me....

Miaou used to I think.

expatinscotland · 19/05/2006 12:15

thank God, no! costs a fortune to get the ferry out to those places, FA to do, midgies, lack of affordable housing for all the holiday homes out there, kids have to bog off elsewhere for higher education, etc.

but they seem to be very popular w/the English for some reason and are mostly populated by people from that region.

Gem13 · 19/05/2006 12:17

Miaou did. Doesn't anymore. She wrote quite a bit about it on here. Try an archive search.

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 12:23

I'll have a look and see what I can find.

OP posts:
UglySister · 19/05/2006 12:24

What does the OTHER part of you think? Only part of you thinks it´s a fantastic opp..

I would think v hard about if the isolation will suit you and how you will like doing out without big shops, cinemas, theatres, etc. EVen if you don´t go out much now, I think it helps to know that there is dtuff out there for you and for the kids to do.

DON´T go if it won´t suit you as you will only resent your DH.

expatinscotland · 19/05/2006 12:28

don't forget, a lot of these places don't have amenities like broadband or digital services. AND, healthcare can be hard to come by as well.

themoon66 · 19/05/2006 12:29

You don't say how old your kids are. We live in rural north lincolnshire and that was remote enough when DD reached the age of 12 and wanted a bit of independence such as going round shops with girly mates on a saturday morning (no buses here and 14 miles to nearest town).

DS is now 14 and moans continually about why do we have to live in this dead place. Its not fair bla bla.

A remote island would be hell on earth with teenagers.

VeniVidiVickiQV · 19/05/2006 12:29

Im pretty sure schneebly does. Or her DP works somewhere like that.

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 12:32

I just found Miaou's thread. the island is bigger than Muck and as fas as I know there aren't the same power problems. They do have broadband etc and there is a small hospital.

The other part of me is worried about how I would cope without big shops, etc. Also being away from our family (they are within an hour's drive atm) and having to make new friends...

OP posts:
Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 12:34

Children are 6, 4 and nearly 3.

OP posts:
VeniVidiVickiQV · 19/05/2006 12:36

ah....not a remote island....\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1700&threadid=172566&stamp=060512074502\greenskeeper}

joelalie · 19/05/2006 12:44

It's my dream Smile. Sadly it's DH's nightmare....so unlikely to happen. However I second what Expat said about schools - you need to find out whether your kids would have to go off island for school - on Mull they used to have to go to Oban during the week and come back to the island for the weekend Sad. But there's a school on the island now. I don't think there'd be a problem with broadband etc these days - assuming you're talking about Harris or Lewis rather than a smaller one?

The only thing I found odd about the Outer Hebrides was the lack of trees. Took me a while to get used to that. If you are going to live in or near Stornaway the kids might not feel any more isolated than near any other town on the mainland.Also bear in mind that things are quite a bit more expensive due to relying on good 'ole Cal Mac to ferry everything over from the mainland. There are lots of things to weigh up.

Ah well...[sigh] not going to happen for me unless I ditch DH.

expatinscotland · 19/05/2006 12:55

It's also windy.

A lot.

And when the kids get older they'll be off like shots.

Trust me. I work w/many islanders who left as soon as they were able for lack of work, stuff to do, etc.

Dunno why, they're very attractive to the English for some reason, these islands.

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 13:54

But look on the bright side - Next Directory deliver there!

OP posts:
ja9 · 19/05/2006 14:03

oh, gillian... i would just hate that. a holiday there is one thing, but moving there. i'm sorry, but the thought fills me with absolute dread. dh from the highlands (about an hr north of inverness)and i'm not even sure i could cope with that, although that would be so much more 'civilised' than outer hebrides...

gscrym · 19/05/2006 14:11

My friend's jus returned from a 6 month stint in MAllaig and her DH applied for a job working on Rhum. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when he didn't get it as although it's beautiful up there and she loved it, it felt too remote after a little while.

Someone else was looking at going up there to work recently. Can't remember who.

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 14:12

He's only applying at the moment. A far cry from getting the job and moving up there I suppose, but just want to think about it from all angles.

OP posts:
ja9 · 19/05/2006 14:17

places like the outer hebrides often struggle to recruit promoted staff in schools... if he applies, he surely stands a good chance of getting it.

tamum · 19/05/2006 14:18

I think what would make a difference for me would be what mainland town the ferries went from. If you could easily get to somewhere like Oban I think that would make life easier, whereas if your nearest port was Ardrossan..... Broadband would be important for me too, but I think most of the bigger islands have it now, don't they?

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 14:20

Oban is about 6 hours away. About 1.5 hours from Skye and closer to Stornoway.

He has a friend hw is callping tonight to find out a bit more about the "politics" and what kind of chance he stands.

OP posts:
tamum · 19/05/2006 14:22

Sorry, I realised it was a long way from Oban- just an example of a town that has a reasonable number of shops and so on. I've never been to Stornaway.- what' it like?

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 14:31

Never been to Stornoway but I think there are some larger shops. Stornoway being on Lewis is still an island town so I don't know how much more it would offer. We are not talking M&S here!

Tbh I am not big into shopping but suddenly you wonder at the thought of that "choice" being taken away.

Also worry that the kids will hate us, even though it would be largely for their benefit.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 19/05/2006 14:41

Why does it seem a lot of the teens from these places go goth? Not that there's anything wrong w/that, but man, EVERY student we have coming out of Orkney, Shetland, etc. is a major goth.

Thought it was just the Scottish islands till I met up w/another US expat who lives in the Isle of Man whilst we were in Ireland. Her daughters had both gone goth and were bored outta their minds, which was sad b/c Man's a REALLY beautiful place.

Hey, if it suits you, go for it! But last time we took a ferry out to Colonsay from the mainland I just about died of shock b/c it was over £100 Shock.

Have driven to Ireland for cheaper.

Original poster
Gillian76 · 19/05/2006 19:24

Bump for any evening island dwellers :)

OP posts:
WideWebWitch · 19/05/2006 19:28

Susanmt lives on a remote Scottish island, I don't think she's here any more but you should find some stuff if you search