I live on Scotland’s remotest island, I’ve no regrets but there’s a bizarre rule

PEOPLE living on Scotland’s most remote island have lifted the lid on their life there and why they are never lonely.

Foula, a tiny Shetland isle, only has around 15 homes on it.

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The stunning island has been branded a great place to live by locals.

It has a primary school, wool shop, holiday lets, a ferry terminal and even an airport but it doesn’t have a pub.

And there are a number of ways of island life that those on the mainland would struggle to understand.

Sheila Gear, 82, was originally from Oxford but has lived in Foula for the past 61 years and said she will never leave.

She said: “It’s very beautiful, very dramatic – the scenery.

“It’s very interesting if you’re interested in the natural world, wildlife and so on.

“There’s always something interesting going on because we have the northern lights, very strong winds, and hurricanes occasionally.

“We also have totally calm beautiful days, there’s a lot of contrast in life here.”

And she said living on Foula is never lonely:

“Most people live on small islands, it’s just they don’t have seas all around them.

“But where you live you have your house and home, the places you go to and people you meet at work, and your friends.

“But it’s not a large number – if you actually counted it up. It’s probably not much more than what we’re mixing with.

“Because sometimes we get a lot of people come, say there’s a cruise ship and in comes 200 people and you meet them, but you’re not actually living with them, you’re just meeting them and joining them for the day, then going home to your island.

“If you’re in a city, you might go somewhere very crowded and you’re meeting or seeing and maybe interacting with 100 people, but you’re not having a close relationship with them any more than we are with those who come here.

“Living in a city can be lonelier to tell you the truth.”

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Her grandad bought the island in 1900, and she went on to marry a Foula local after spending holidays there.

She has raised a family on the island and said it is a great place to bring up her kids and grandchildren.

But one baffling tradition means no one on the island is able to give birth.

Due to a lack of hospitals, and until recently, a nurse, pregnant residents must leave for Shetland around two weeks prior to giving birth.

“You never know whether you’ll get stuck in or out!”

This tradition is longstanding but before residents had access to an airport, they would have to leave by boat a whole month before giving birth.

Foula has been without a nurse for the past two years, but thankfully, one has just been appointed.

Sheila’s daughter Penny, 54, who has stayed on Foula her whole life said the new nurse brings “a great sense of security.”

But she added that getting stranded is sometimes a risk, saying: “Foula is a very weather-dependent island. You never know whether you’ll get stuck in or out!”

But Sheila doesn’t believe this to be an issue: “We’re not cut off anymore. When I first married, it was quite common for the island to be cut off for a month.

“We always keep a store of food. We might run out of one specific thing like chocolate, but we don’t run out of something to keep us alive.”

“There’s not much nightlife here. There just isn’t that opportunity to meet people who aren’t family.”

Education is also good on the island, with there being just five children at the local primary school – who are all cousins.

But when they have to go to high school, they must leave Foula and board at a school on the mainland.

Penny said: “Foula is a good place to raise kids.

“We have a very good school. There’s only a small amount of kids so it’s almost one-to-one teaching. 

“Right now there are five kids to one teacher so it’s very good quality. 

“It’s well-resourced, in a good position for education and the kids can grow up in the countryside and everyone knows everyone.”

“I never felt lonely because you always had the whole island to play on – the island was our playground.”

But she admitted there are some drawbacks to the remote life for younger people on the island.

She added: “There’s not much nightlife here. There just isn’t that opportunity to meet people who aren’t family.”

But her oldest son Robert, 27, says Foula is where he wants to raise his family.

He met his girlfriend on Tinder and said no child growing up on Foula is ever lonely.

“I’ve sailed the world on merchant ships and seen thousands of horizons, but if I had the choice, I’d still choose Foula.”

Robert said: “I always had kids to play with. I never felt lonely because you always had the whole island to play on – the island was our playground.”

His work has taken him all over the world but he still returned to the tiny Shetland isle he calls home.

Now he does odd jobs around Foula in winter and works on the ferries in summer.

He said: “I’ve sailed the world on merchant ships and seen thousands of horizons, but if I had the choice, I’d still choose Foula.

“You can drop in and out of civilisation – you feel connected with neighbours and the community.”

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