Anyone live on a remote Scottish island by any chance?

[Gillian76]

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?

Oh yes, bensmum does too come to think of it.

sori dont live on an island ut do live in aberdeen. There is now fare reductions for flights. Did training with girls from Lewis and they never seemed to feel that it was isolated. I would like to move to an island for the children but agree that as teenagers can be difficult. We live 15miles form Aberdeen in very smal village and out teen complains. hths :)

Which of the outer Hebrides are we talking about??

The Nicolson Institute in Stornoway is a high school.

\link{http://www.calmac.co.uk/islands.html\Calmac routes} has timetables and fairs also.
\link{http://www.western-isles-property.co.uk/\Western Isle Property} if you haven't already looked.

"At the last census 70% of islanders were Gaelic speakers and it is used throughout the islands everyday." Although everyone aprt from some of the older residents speak fluent English.

"The town of Stornoway has a population of over 6000 and the islands as a whole hold over 26,000 people."

"We now have two companies which come to the islands with the latest releases. The most unusual is the 'Screen Machine' - an articulated lorry which folds out into a very impressive modern cinema and transforms into a 100-seater picture house! "

\link{http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.high.st/stornoway/Stornoway_high_street.jpeg&imgrefurl=www.high.st/stornoway/&h=472&w=776&sz=76&tbnid=jPAYRP5iE-h6PM:&tbnh=85&tbnw=141&hl=en&start=14&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstornoway%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DG\Shops in Stornoway}

no idea about any of this but just remember on '7 up 2000' there was a boy who lived on one of these islands and when they asked him what heaven was like he said'just like this but higher up'.
how many of our kids could say that aabout where we live?

\link{http://www.hiprocomposites.com/Stornoway-UK-last%20stop%20before%20Atlantic-1.jpg\Local Bus}
\link{http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.archipelago.nu/SKARGARD/ENGELSKA/HEBRIDES/stornoway.jpg&imgrefurl=www.archipelago.nu/SKARGARD/ENGELSKA/HEBRIDES/HEBRIDESSTART.HTM&h=315&w=496&sz=58&tbnid=ULvTGhDV0VVBIM:&tbnh=80&tbnw=127&hl=en&start=39&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dstornoway%26start%3D20%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Dactive%26sa%3DN\Stornoway}

I don't live on an island, but I spent my teenage years in the Highlands (nearly). We didn't live on a train line, and my father (whom I lived with) isn't a big traveller. So, we were stuck in that small small town. Days out to Inverness were few and far between, and if you've been to Inverness recently you might not understand why it still depresses me, as it's really improved in the past few years.

I was an intelligent teenager, I wanted to see things and do things and know about stuff in general. Where I grew up was safe and rural, we ran about a lot as kids, it's beautiful. But my god as a teenager it was hellish.
You might get lucky and fall in with some interesting, educated people. More than likely your kids won't - and the standard in Highland secondary schools isn't high. And there just aren't the people to choose your friends from - everyone knows you and you know everyone and if you don't like that group of people, then tough. Of course if you do, then great.
I spent my teenage years being fairly depressed, I knew I was being thwarted and I couldn't do anything about it. There was always this vague undercurrent of "stop being so sensitive, stop being such a smartarse, who do you think you are?" - I had friends and a social life and I managed to make that not include giving any of the local boys blowjobs (quite an achievement in comparison to my friends) but none of it was "me" - I had to act a lot to be accepted. All of this disappeared the moment I left home, on my last day of school.
If you want a very realistic picture of a life like this, then watch \link{http://open.bbc.co.uk/catalogue/infax/programme/GFGA283R\Campbeltown,} a documentary that got a lot of complaints from the locals but was really a very sadly accurate protrayal of life in a small town in rural Scotland. (I cried, it was so accurate.)
Please please, if you do go, please keep an eye on your kids. If they seemed miserable, to want a bit more from life, would you be prepared to move?

Pruni - I live near Campbeltown and
although the program was an accurate portrayal of teen life here it was accurate for only a proportion of teens and was, I feel, rather one sided. There are a lot of teens here involved in award winning pipe and brass bands, sports, dancing and some of them dont get drunk every weekend. I loved my childhood down here and enjoyed my teens despite being relatively well behaved. There are pros and cons to living rurally - there is more freedom and safety for kids, usually lovely scenery and a strong sense of community but not the shops and activities of larger towns and cities - it very much depends of the type of person you are as to whether you will enjoy that type of life and I would say that teens will get on well rurally if they are imaginative and confident rather than the 'follower' type. Gillian, I hope everything goes well whatever happens.

Well it seems he would be in with a reasonable chance. We have decided to think it over and make a decision be the end of the week. He has 2 weeks to apply.

Thanks for all your thoughts, girls. Keep them coming! :)

schneebly I just couldn't disagree more with you on "imaginative and confident rather than the follower type'!!
In my town, you were shunned for not following the herd. Pisstaking, bullying, being marked as gay or lesbian (with no evidence, just a lively interest in something that wasn't the norm amongst the young people in the town)...I know these are normal-ish for teenagers but it extended to the older generations too. And there is no escape from those people, you see them every day in school, you meet them and their parents every day (unless you never go out) and you can't have a social life with anyone else, because there is no-one else to hang out with. I saw a schoolmate get hassled almost daily for years because he'd admitted to liking George Michael. Even the teachers joined in with the jibes about being gay.
I found that having a bit of imagination about me made me a target so I toned it down. (I agree about confidence though.) Sadly I didn't grow up in a home where it was encouraged much either, which didn't help. It's nothing to do with being a 'follower'.
I'm sure that documentary was one sided but it was also astonishingly accurate for what it was.

Have read Miaou's intro about her living on Muck. If anyone sees her around, can they point her over here? Is she away atm?

yes, she's away atm but think due back soon, hth xx

I lived in stornaway for a while

SS, not a million miles away from there!

Just seen this thread Gillian, but just off to bed! Will contribute some thoughts to it tomorrow

I live in Gairloch, not an island but almost as remote as one! I'm on the coast, almost level westwards from Inverness, so an hour and a half for a supermarket for me, but Stornoway has one and a hospital, so really they are more civilised than me and I'm on the mainland. Also off to bed but will check back 2m. Miaou prob more informative tho as I have only visited and stayed on the islands as a child.

You around Miaou?

nicnack2 where do you live? We also live 15 miles out of Aberdeen with a complaining 12 year old.

Hi Gillian, sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this thread.

We don't live on an island now but live in a fairly isolated community which is probably akin to were you are going in terms of facilities.

Things to consider - what kind of person are you? If a mooch round the shops, a meal out, a takeaway, trip to the cinema is your ideal way to spend your free time, then you will hate it. If your kids are used to lots of varied after school activities then they won't like it either. Although these things may sometimes be available, the choice will be limited and in order to enjoy that kind of lifestyle you have to be prepared to look to yourselves for ways to fill your time - eg cycling, swimming (if near a pool), library, take advantage of whatever is offered locally.

On the plus side, sense of community is generally very strong. I have lived here in Ardgour for about 15 months now and have made a lot of good friends - just get involved with what's going on and you soon get talking to people - unlike bigger cities people are generally interested in making time to find out about you and welcome you (IME).

Your kids are at an age where they haven't got to the stage of being dependent on lots of extracurricular activities so that would work to your advantage. We have been insistent with our two dds that they learn how to amuse themselves (hobbies etc) rather than expecting things to be laid on for them, and it seems to have worked - there isn't an awful lot to do here but they are never bored.

Shopswise - expect to find it difficult to get things like kids shoes and maternity clothes, fancy foods like sun-dried tomatoes etc, and during the winter you might find yourself cut off from the mainland (or yourself stuck on the mainland) when the boats can't sail so you need to think ahead and stock up on food etc (we found a huge freezer was essential when on our little island). Internet banking is advisable. Food will be more expensive there too, and you will clock up expenses in travel and b&b to get to the mainland which needs bearing in mind.

Tbh I think that if you prepare your kids well then living in an isolated community is no bad thing. There are lots of teens round here and they are all content with life (that's from talking to both them and their parents).

Anything else you want to ask, feel free!

Thanks Miaou. Have been thinking about this all week. We have decided to apply and see what happens.

I think the thing that worries me the most is the family aspect. We have most of our family within an hour's drive here and we would probably go down to seeing them a couple of times a year if we moved.

Money is a worry too. At the moment, I have a part time job bringing in about £4-500 a month. To begin with at least we would have to do without that. I know the cost of living will be a bit higher but I wonder how much that will be offset by the fact that we won't have as many shopping trips, days out, etc as we do now. Don't get me wrong I am not one for retail therapy as such but quite often I go shoppping for a couple of items and end up spending more than I intended! This is not something I think I would miss and neither do we have many nights out or trips to the cinema.

The aspects which are attracting me are the slower pace of life, the sense of community you mentioned and schooling.

We are very excited and terrified at the same time. After 30 years of town living it will be a huge change!

Hi Gillian, Not in Scotland but I lived for 3 years on Sark and 2 years in the Isles of Scilly. Very different islands but the issues were basically the same on both.

Do you mind everyone knowing everything about you and if they don't them making it up. The lack of anonymity can be wearing and privacy will be difficult if not impossible. Can you live with a limited group of people to socialise with and get on with people you don't necessacerily have much in common with. Can you make your own entertainment or do you need cinemas and other options? Expect a high level of alcoholism in the population....the old chestnut about x (insert population of island) alcoholics clinging to a rock. (What else is there to do!!!)

But I loved island life and I'd do it again tomorrow, the kids have a freedom they don't have on the mainland, it's lovely to walk into the pub and know everybody. |We had some wild parties and because people from different backgrounds and ages all socalise together you get to know a wider variety of people than you might in a city. To top it all you get to live in a spectacularly beautiful place away from pollution and traffic woes.

ooh booge well put. I would say your experiences mirror mine exactly.

Let us know how you get on Gillian - feel free to ask more things as they occur to you