Globusz^® Publishing 

It took several weeks to conclude the purchase. There had been no further contact from the previously interested parties, but I learned that two others from abroad had made enquiries. However, neither had proceeded further. It was of course, essential that I arranged a visit to the island before I signed the contract, and I made arrangements immediately.

It was not a pleasant day that I chose. The rain fell incessantly during the journey north. I stayed at an unexceptional bed and breakfast, and spent the next day looking round the town in the drizzle and arranging for a boat to take me across to the island first thing the following morning. My reason for wishing to go to this uninhabited island, now up for sale, must have been obvious, but the boatman’s prime need was to convey to me that given the poor weather there was no guarantee that we would actually complete the crossing. Even if he did succeed in making the landing, then the length of time he would be prepared to stay there would be governed totally by the weather and tides. “It could — he said — be for less than half an hour.”

As it happened we did get away in the early morning. There was a blustering wind with huge, dark, rain clouds scudding across a grey sky. Nevertheless my boatman was not discouraged and even predicted the day should improve. It would have been too much to assume that he would not be curious as to the purpose of my visit and by way of a number of innocent general comments from him I found myself telling him my reason for wanting to see the island. He was politely non-committal but I felt it was my first opportunity to get valuable information of the type I would not get from any estate agent. I enquired gently how he felt about the island being evacuated. As we strained against the strong headwind I noticed his weather-beaten face line with what seemed to me to be an effort to choose the right words to express his sorrow.

“It was always a hard life you know” — he said. “There was not much fresh food apart from the birds during the last years. But the islanders didn’t want to leave. It was the bairn, you see, They were down to the last child, poor lass, she was having no formal education, and what with the increasing sickness and that, it was deemed that it would be cruel to let them stay. But you know, it’s ironic, they are just as sick now, living on the mainland, as they ever were. Being isolated for their lifetime, they’ve no resistance to infection.”

We stared silently ahead into the mist; the island was not visible.

“Could people still live there?” — I enquired.

“Well, I suppose they could but there’s not many about here that would want to. It would need a miracle now to see it happen and there’s not many miracles here these days.”

“There’s water on the island?” — I asked.

“Aye, there’s good fresh water on the island, and plenty around and up there above us as you can see, and there’s an electric cable from the mainland just below where we are now. Would you be wanting to live there then?”

It was not an intrusive question; it flowed from a natural interest in his world.

“Maybe”— I volunteered. “What would people think?”— I added. He paused, it was a long pause, the diesel engine throbbed, and the rhythm was unchanging.

“I think they would think that you were off your head and that you had too much money to waste. They would wonder what sort of a person you could be, to sit out there all day with nothing to do.”

I wondered how much I should reveal about my intentions. It was too early of course but I felt an empathy with him and confessed.

“No, I’m not a recluse or a bird watching ‘twitcher’ or someone like that, I’m thinking of re-establishing life here with anyone who is prepared to take the risk with me. A new community in a new age.”

There was another long silence as he grappled with conflicting emotions. Previous Lairds on several of the other western islands had not been popular with the locals and now a new owner such as I, and a southerner at that, would undoubtedly have extra hurdles to mount. We sighted land quite close and within minutes, as we approached the jetty, two seals dozing on the cold rocks were disturbed by our passing. They stared at us for a moment annoyed at the intrusion and shuffled lazily before sliding into the sea. Then there was the grating sound of the boat meeting the inclined gravel of the island beach.

“The weather is improving — he said — so you will have a good few hours. Would you like to be alone or have company?”

“I would be very pleased if you could show me around, I have a lot to learn.”

We trudged up the hill and were soon approaching a long line of cottages in various states of repair.

“As you can see — he said — this is the old high street. It’s not that long ago that it was de-populated and so most of the crofts are structurally good but some are in a pretty poor state inside. Best preserved is the Laird’s house up there on the hill.”

The grass around the crofts was a brilliant fresh green and I could see that same green extending up the hill towards a cliff top. He pointed out some ancient narrow strips of cultivated land that lay abandoned nearby.

“They are known as lazy beds”— he volunteered.

“Why lazy beds?”— I asked.

“It is an old name. They may be so called because only part of the land was used as crop bearing, the other part being given over to the drainage ditches.”

“How about animals?”— I asked.

“Its not bad grazing and the island has had sheep in the past. Some islanders had their own cow for milk but that was a long while ago. Rabbits were plentiful at one time but they seem to have almost disappeared now.”

We rested on a grassy bank. I removed some food and drink from my rucksack which I offered to the boatman. He took it thankfully. We noticed the sun breaking through causing shafts of sunlight to illuminate the calm silver sea around. It was a wonderful experience.

“You like it then?” His steady voice broke through into my mind and its ramblings.”

“Yes, Yes, I think I do.” I did know something of Scotland from previous holidays. But this was different, it could not be regarded as anything like a holiday, it could be my future. The view was vast, the colours were continually changing, the air was pure, and the silence was unique. The moment seemed like the dawning of a new era, but I did not express it like this to him.

“Perhaps it could work, perhaps with the right people, the right attitude, the right amount of good hard work, a fair allowance of good fortune, perhaps it could work.”

“Aye”— he said softly. “You will need a lot of all that and a mite more as well.”

I noticed that there was no further suggestion that I was ‘off my head’ and I was further encouraged.

“Will you show me the water source?”— I asked.

As we walked further up the hill past the spring and a placid lake the overall size of the island became more apparent to me. Blue sky was now visible and the panoramic view through 360 degrees revealed the whole island and the mainland shimmering in the distance. I felt ‘on top of the world’ and it was not just visual.

We trudged on over the grassy hill to a point where we could view the almost sheer drop of the cliffs to a beach several hundred feet below. Sea birds wheeled around screeching in their quest to find food and space on the narrow ledges. He identified the various species for me and I resolved to become more acquainted with them in the future.

It was late afternoon when we cast off and returned to the mainland. It had been an informative day for me and I could now focus on finding the answers to tangible tasks. I thanked my guide to whom I paid my dues with a generous tip feeling already that he was more a friend, someone who had the interests of the island in his heart. As we parted I said: “I’ll hope to see you again.”

“Aye.” He said with a grin. “I’ll put a good word in for you. You’ll need that as an Englishman, and a good deal more!”