Publication
How a broken ferry turned tourists into a community
WHILE the country basks in blazing sunshine and blue skies, I’m in my waterproof trousers, waiting at the ferry pier in the hopes a boat will turn up to take some very wet passengers home. The island is shrouded in the kind of mist that soaks you...
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Unexpected side of life on a Scottish island
THE ferry wasn’t due for another hour, but a passing small cruiser meant the island had day trippers already wandering the village. My hands were stained with blue paint, my glasses peppered with speckles as I brandished a roller brush to the ceiling...
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What a baby class taught me about island ferries
ISLA the masseuse arrived on Monday afternoon, on a ferry that had caught the wind just right and had made it into port early. I, however, was running late. I’d spent the last half hour making my house vaguely presentable – cats out, rug vacuumed, toys...
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A week of island life that changed everything
MY first day officially back at work came without much fanfare. No grand return, no ‘welcome back’ party – just me, my comfy shoes, and a to-do list the length of my arm. It felt like muscle memory, and yet at the same time, everything was...
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What six months of motherhood and habits on a remote Scottish island have taught me
SOME say it takes six months to solidify a habit. Six months of routine, dedication, and willpower. Well, I think motherhood might be my favourite habit yet. My son, Cailean, turned six months old on Friday. His cheeks are chubby and red from early...
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There’s a distinct lack of cars on the island
RUM isn’t a place built for cars, at least not in the way the mainland is. The roads we have are tracks at best, and I’ve written enough about my own city car for you to know that cars here don’t tend to last. Visitors can’t simply roll off the ferry...
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I’ll never again take for granted the act of having a cup of tea and a slice of cake
I’LL never again take for granted the simple act of having a cup of tea and a slice of cake brought to my table. It’s been several years since the Isle of Rum had a summer teashop. Like others like it, Covid forced its closure a few years ago, and...
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Out here on Rum, a granny’s visit is special
ON this wild Hebridean isle, summer doesn’t begin with a heatwave or a stretch of good weather; its arrival is signalled with a timetable. A ferry timetable, to be exact. The end of March brings with it Calmac’s shift to its summer timetable, and for...
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‘You have to rely on the kindness of others here’
IT was 5pm when I realised we didn’t have heating or hot water. I was drawing Cailean’s bath, excited to try out a new bath seat that had arrived on the boat the day before. My four-month-old is a bit dramatic when it comes to bath time: the room...
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‘HE LIKED TO DO NORMAL DAD THINGS’
IT’S 25 YEARS SINCE THE DEATH OF BIG COUNTRY FRONTMAN STUART ADAMSON, HERE HIS DAUGHTER KIRSTEN RECALLS THE MAN SHE KNEW
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Life on Rum: a car service can take four days
THE waiting room I’m in has three leather sofas, a kettle, and the faintest smell of diesel. I’m in Fort William, and the sun has begun to set, and I hear the ‘honk’ of my car from the garage next door. At least I know it’s passed that part of its...
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Why the snowdrops tell me I’m finally at home on Rum
THERE are snowdrops in the garden. Just a few, mind you. They’re sitting next to my gas bottle, bundled together beneath the kitchen windowsill, sheltering from the rain. I’m sure the sight of snowdrops isn’t very fascinating to everybody. They bloom...
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Even car batteries and mothers need time to recharge
THEY say Rum is where cars go to die. It’s not said unkindly. It’s simply a fact of island life, and my own island is no exception. The Isle of Rum is beautiful, but it is also exposed. Salt-laden winds barrel in from the sea. Rain arrives sideways....
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A ferry’s bell becomes a call to community
ON Saturday morning, I can hear a faint bell in the distance. It’s 11.15am, and though the ferry isn’t due in for another 25 minutes, its presence is unmistakable – and I’m late. The village sits so quietly, so peacefully in the morning that the...
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A sleepy walk brings a moment of magic
AT three in the morning, under a moon bright enough to cast shadows, it can feel as though you are the only person awake in the world. The February Snow Moon hung low and shone bright, bleaching the blackened sky with an almost icy blue glow. I...
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The three trees and the view that anchors a life on Rum
THERE are three trees that I can see from my living room window. I couldn’t tell you what kind they are, but they each carry a distinctive shape. The first is the tallest, its branches sprawled on each side like shoulder blades. I saw a buzzard...
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I stepped back into work with a baby in my arms
THERE is something oddly calming about swaying softly while talking through a business cashflow. I’m aware that’s a strange thing to write, but my first KIT day or ‘keeping in touch’ day - from maternity leave arrived this week, with a baby tucked into...
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Sick days on a remote island: illness with a newborn
GETTING sick used to feel like an excuse to slow down. It was a free pass to park yourself on the couch, drag the duvet in, and settle down for what would be a long day of sniffling and feeling sorry for yourself. It came with permission to just...
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