Strange tale of writer who f led home in New Zealand ... for Skye
HIS most famous work involves an angel and a devil joining forces to stop the apocalypse, so author Neil Gaiman ought to have a firm grasp on right and wrong.
But the best-selling writer behind Netflix hit Good Omens stands accused of behaving badly after he defied Scotland’s lockdown rules by travelling halfway round the world – just to get away from his wife.
Writing on his blog, Gaiman admitted covering more than 11,000 miles from New Zealand to his house on Skye so he could ‘isolate easily’ after he and his wife, the singer Amanda Palmer, agreed they ‘needed to give each other some space’.
The 59-year-old science fiction and fantasy author described how he flew ‘masked and gloved’ from Auckland Airport to Los Angeles and then on to London before borrowing a friend’s car and driving to Skye.
The revelation has not only stretched the definition of ‘essential journey’ to its reasonable limit but also infuriated officials on the island. They have been warning owners of second homes to stay away for fear of them spreading coronavirus.
Only essential journeys are permitted under lockdown rules in Scotland, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stressing the message north of the Border remains ‘stay at home’.
Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster and MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber said: ‘What is it about people, when they know we are in the middle of the lockdown, that they think they can come here from the other side of the planet, in turn endangering local people from exposure to this infection that they could have picked up at any step of the way?’
Gaiman’s blog post coincided with a virus outbreak at a care home in Portree, on Skye, where the death toll reached ten at the weekend. In all, 30 residents and 29 staff have tested positive for Covid-19 at Home Farm care home.
Mr Blackford added: ‘To descend on this island at this time, when we have a serious outbreak, which has resulted in such tragic circumstances – it pays scant respect to the families of the bereaved and the people who live here.
‘Can I just remind anyone else thinking of coming to the Highlands, this is against the regulations. We will welcome all to the Highlands when it is safe to do so. For now, stay away.’
In his blogpost on Thursday,
‘I flew masked and gloved’
Gaiman wrote: ‘Hullo from Scotland, where I am in rural lockdown on my own.’
He said he was in New Zealand with his wife and son Ash until two weeks ago, when the country went from level four of lockdown – which it had been on for the previous five weeks – to level three.
Gaiman wrote: ‘I flew, masked and gloved, from empty Auckland Airport to LAX, an empty international terminal with only one check-in counter open – for the BA flight to London. Both flights were surreal, especially the flight to London. Empty airports, mostly empty planes. It reminded me of flying a week after 9/11: everything’s changed.’
After landing in London, he used a ‘masked car service’ to reach a friend’s house where he was loaned a spare car with a box of groceries in the back.
‘I drove north, on empty motorways and then on empty roads, and got in about midnight, and I’ve been here ever since,’ he added.
He said his family were looking forward to being together again once the world opens up and travel gets easier, and that ‘Amanda and I are still very much together, even with half a world between us’.
He insisted that he and Miss Palmer, 44, who has spoken before about their ‘open’ marriage, were not getting divorced and the couple posted a joint letter, signed ‘Neil and Amanda’, saying they intended to ‘sort out our marriage in private’.
But Gaiman has been criticised on social media for making the journey. One person wrote: ‘It is still lockdown here in Scotland... would love to be able to visit my family and friends... but can’t and won’t. Sorry but this is not on.’
Another wrote: ‘Whilst I appreciate you’re going through relationships drama, I would have hoped that your common sense wouldn’t have eluded you. Scotland is in lockdown, no unnecessary travel.’
Gaiman responded: ‘I’m currently a UK taxpayer and on the Scottish voting rolls. I went home.’
He has owned the house on Skye for more than a decade after falling in love with the island, which is home to some of his wife’s ancestors.
It was among the locations used for the film version of his book Stardust, which starred Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.