An island life for me !

Do you want to join an island community or build yourself a home in magnificent isolation on the mainland? Don’t be daunted by the logistics, when it comes to living on islands or in remote rural places, we’ve been doing it for centuries . . . we’re exper

IF YOU can comply with all the planning permissions, building warrants and regulations, and you have the money, you can build anywhere; it’s a simple fact of life. That includes the remotest spot you can find on the West Highland mainland or the islands. There are islands that would be offended if you called them remote. Do not forget that in Argyll, with its many peninsulas, and Lochaber’s wild mountains there are places on the mainland that it can take longer to reach than an island with a ferry service. Remember that people have lived here for centuries; people in this part of the world know how to get to remote places – and how to get very large loads to remote places. We’ve had plenty of practice. Do not just take our word for it; take a walk along to the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry terminals at Oban or Kennacraig. You will see the skilled deck hands loading builders’ merchants’ lorries laden down with materials and roof trusses bound for Mull and Islay and from there onto Jura or Iona. Many of you will have quietly cursed under your breath and reversed back to a passing place to let a lorry carrying earth moving plant go by, on its way to dig out some new foundations. It is easier, for example, to get planning permission to build on a plot in the communities of Tobermory on Mull or Bowmore on the Isle of Islay than a remote mainland spot which is in the middle of an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) where you will find yourself having to provide reports on environmental impact to bodies like SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency). You might have to prove that there is a need for a house in this particular spot or there could be residency conditions linked to employment. No community ever stands still; new houses or renovations and extensions are always taking place. Early contact with the council planning department will always pay dividends, especial- ly the pre-planning guidance on offer. Islands and remote rural communities are desperate for new families. Your children might mean the difference between a closure or an extra teacher for a primary school. The different areas have different incentives to help make this happen. Utilities can be expensive and take time to install in a remote location; but nothing that cannot be solved with an innovative approach to waste water disposal, a good quality private water supply and system (it will need to be tested and approved) and the many alternative types of power generation available today. There are some excellent examples to be found all over this region; many of them award-winning. Just don’t be naïve when it comes to the extra expenditure of cash and time - but one of the ways you can help keep this as low as possible is to be thoroughly, thoroughly organised. You have to be right first time, or face a day-and-a-half ferry journey, or an 80-mile round trip on single-track roads, to return the wrong part for the right one or pick up extra materials, while the weather closes in or workers have to wait. Don’t even let the lack of a ferry service

worry you; transport companies here have boats and vehicles that can get anywhere. You will see a ferry timetable tucked on the dash board of many a builder’s van along with the obligatory old copies of the Daily

Record and a few used paper coffee cups and crisp bags. Everyone has got the CalMac app on their mobile phones. Ferries do not just take you to islands; they will also cut your journey time on the way to mainland peninsulas at Corran Ferry, in Lochaber, and Portavadie to Tarbert in Argyll. One obvious piece of advice is make sure that the majority of the build project takes place during the summer timetable when there are more ferries running, often earlier and later in the day – a blessing for your logistics. If you are transporting materials and people yourself, remember to book well in advance during the height of the tourist season and on days when major events like Highland games and agricultural shows are taking place. You will also have the advantage of longer daylight and (hopefully) better weather.

Land

If you already have a plot then one of the hardest parts of the job is over. If you are searching for a plot always check the ease and cost of connecting to utilities in this location. Make sure that you have a right of access; some roads can look public but are in private ownership and you might have to cross someone else’s land to get to yours. Also make sure that you are not in a black spot for mobile phone reception (not uncommon) and that you can pick up a satellite signal or are in range for Freeview for terrestrial broadcasting. But that said, you will be pleasantly surprised by how many islands and remote communities do have superfast broadband thanks to government investment.

Materials and design

If living on an island with a stunning sea view or in a remote rural spot is your dream remember that by your very choice you will almost certainly experience West Highland and island weather at its most enthusiastic. Design and materials should be used accordingly and that does not just mean your home. Your garden will need hedging, shrub screens, and plants that are salt spray, deer and rabbit-proof.