Fisherman on why there is no
If you could choose where to live during a global pandemic, being the only residents on a picturesque island would surely be near the top of the list.
For Ian Mcwhinney and his family, that scenario is a reality. But even they haven’t escaped the far-reaching clutches of Covid, with their sources of income taking a hammering even before the UK went into lockdown.
Ian, wife Jess and their three children, 14-year-old Iona, Isla, 11, and five-year-old Finlay, live on Dry Island, a serene four-acre stretch of land accessible by footbridge and boat off Gairloch on the northwest coast. The tiny but beautiful island has been in Ian’s family for hundreds of years, and the 53-yearold continues to fish there, just like generations of his ancestors. But with most of his sales coming from the European market, that part of his business has dried up. “Much of my fish goes to France, Italy and Spain, and they all closed down long before we did, so I was affected from February,” he explained.
“The overseas market might pick up around Christmas, which is traditionally a good time for fishing, but shellfish is relatively expensive and people are watching their pennies just now, so I can’t be sure.
“Because the Highlands weren’t badly affected by the pandemic, it all took on a surreal feeling. The children were happy being outside in the beautiful weather, going swimming and out in the canoes or going for walks. We’re lucky we have room to roam here and they also knuckled down to home schooling. They had a good time of it, but I was stressed about money.”
Unlike his forefathers, Ian doesn’t rely entirely on fishing to make a living. The family has three holiday homes on the island which they rent out. And he also operates shellfish safari boat trips, where he takes small groups out to catch a supper of langoustines, crabs and lobsters.
“With declining stocks of fish, I decided to diversify,” Ian said. “I’ve been doing the shellfish safaris for about 15 years now and I believe it’s a unique trip in Scotland. People like to know where their food comes from nowadays, and in our case it’s not food miles, it’s food metres. I’ll