Pros and cons of life on an island

Discussion: Hiya,

Thought I'd post my questions & concerns on living on such a remote island (South Uist or Eriskay). My husband and I want remoteness - as in long stretches of gorgeous *uninhabited outdoors* like beaches or hills, small community, peace and quiet. We already know about gales, rain, dark Scottish winters. Our biggest concerns are the difficulty of purchasing certain goods and the long, expensive ferry trip to the mainland. We haven't visited yet but will do so next spring and by the photos I've seen there are no trees or gardens which we'd miss dearly.

Any comments appreciated.

Thanks Eoghan and Tom for your quick replies. It's good to know there are lots of Rowan trees and gardens. My husband is a keen gardener and one of the biggest things we'd miss about where we live is our gorgeous garden. It's quite pretty and usually quiet where we live (on Loch Long) but although I'd call it semi-rural, it's just not remote enough. What beaches we have are nothing compared to the Hebridean beaches.

We are *semi-retired* and both only work part-time, so no rat race to escape from. We would not work at all if we moved there. As far as I can tell from online estate agents we'd have a nice tidy profit from the sale of our house and purchasing one there....so we'd just enjoy being retired.

I'm very good at online shopping so I'm sure I could get most of what I need that isn't in the shops. I'd also like an occasional trip to Oban or elsewhere probably every 6 weeks or so.

We will definitely make a trip next year. May sounds like a good month for it. Oh, and I'm already used to evil midgies!

Hello Annie,

I will keep this short and sweet. In binary fashion.

You have clearly identified the good points of Uist, however you have raised some concerns. You will need to visit otherwise these concerns are just bullet points on a list.

Indeed, there is no M&S, Harrods, Woolies and the such like, there are numerous local shops, supermarkets and local fare.

If you need to buy anything there is the Internet. The calmac fares are reasonable enough for the odd tour, and there are few trees, other than an abundance of Rowan [mountain ash] and planted conifers.

I think what I am trying to say is, if you are trying to escape the rat race or 'chill out' then I would not worry about the trees or gardens. Between the scenery of the mainland and the Isles, there is no contest. I am sure you will enjoy planting your own trees and watching them grow.

In summary, There may be a sacrafice to pay in terms of what you are used to, but I am postive that within hours, your 'cons' bullet list will be in the bin.

I hope you have a great trip,

E

Hi Annie,
I think you have high-lighted most of the pros in the first part of your post.
As for purchasing goods you'll be surprised by the very varied selection offered by our local shops and stores....failing that all the larger mainland stores are only a phone call or online purchase away.
Hopefully your concerns about ferry crossings will be resolved in the near future but I must say that the Lochmaddy to Uig crossing is still reasonably cheap and is only a 1hr 40min trip.
There are also quite a few keen gardeners here who keep lovely gardens as you will see when you visit.