Advice for potential incomers....

Discussion: Greetings in 2011! and Hello! as I am new to this forum....

My partner and I are visiting over Easter and are considering relocating to Uist for 6 months - year. We are still in fact finding stages and are wondering if we might be able to find work. We are both artists and I currently teach community arts classes and workshops in schools. My partner is a cover teacher in a secondary school. We can turn our hands to most things and have had a wide variety of jobs in the past!

Is there an up to date source for job ads in the western isles? Any other info on life in N /S. Uist would be much appreciated.

All the best, Kate

perhaps the more residents we have on the island the more work that could be found to cater for them, when the poulation was larger there was plenty work for all (if they wanted it) there is always a job available for people that want it and as the island population is falling we need people from all areas and walks of life to support the community for however long they stay !! each person will bring something to the island including money to the local economy in some way

Well we have! and don't miss our mainland life one bit.
It's fair to say our move was a long time in the planning
and many visits here first including the winter!
as to the work situation i would not be so bold as to comment
as our circumstances are different to yours but I will add
that have seen numerous adverts for shop staff and there seems to be a fair few European workers here doing different jobs!

Would be great to see some art classes in South Uist as there seem to be very little, there seem to be plenty in North Uist but it can be a bit of a journey especially in the evenings.

I say go for it always good to see more people moving to the islands!

Kate,

Welcome to the site. You should contact Andy Biddles, a gentleman who has just completed a move similar to the one you are intending to make.

He is on the site and can be contacted privately in the members section.

Wish you all the best.

Eoghan

I confess to being a little confused as to why 2 people would consider relocating to an area that they clearly know little about, for a period of 6 months or longer.

Obviously I do not know where you have come from, but most people moving to Uist will experience a huge change from their lives elsewhere.

The area is beautiful yet fragile and employment is scarce. It seems unfair that people should move into an area for a short while and take away potential employment from local people who have and will continue to live there all their lives....if they can. Many many families are broken up as one or more of them are forced to move away from the area to find work elsewhere.

I would urge you to think seriously about taking work away from local families to satisfy some whimsical notion you may have of living (albeit briefly) in such a fragile area.