Living on the edge.
Posted: Thursday, 11 October 2007 |
Well I live right on the edge of this country.
A typical day is probably typical for people all over Britain. I get up and get the kids ready for school. At 7:50 I head for work while my oldest catches the bus to Lionacleit on a neighbouring island. Of course... before I leave granny comes down to look after my youngest before he sets off on the bus to Paible School.
I work on Benbecula and return home near the same time as my eldest just before 5. My youngest will have hopefully prepared dinner, if he is not busy with after school activities... a long list from football to fiddle with a bit of shinty in between! Making dinner is his current money making scheme.
After dinner we do normal family activities, like cards and board games, then we have some telly and computer time.
I would say a pretty typical day for most of us.
EXCEPT! We have fairly quiet single track roads to drive on... although I have been known to feel the start of road rage if I have to stop for more than 15 cars coming the other way on my 20 mile journey!
We have spectacular views along the way enjoying the beautiful hills, heather, bays, beaches and oceans. We see stags, deers and fawns as we follow the road... hopefully not too close!?! We are always picking out the birds along the way from owls, hawks, buzzards and eagles... yes plural. The Gloden Eagle is a regular visitor but we also see the Sea Eagle. In fact the last time my young son went fishing at sea they saw the Sea Eagle and left some mackrel for it on the shore. Oh! I can't forget the sheep and cattle.
We are also blessed with great schools. Paible provides and provided such a great education for both my children. With small classes and staff who are interested and care about the children. They have all the latest technology there and have loads of activities going on all the time. My kids have thrived in compesate classes, where they share the class with other year groups. My daughter enjoys being in the big school now she is in third year and Lionacleit provides another great school with small classes, good facilities and teachers.
Yes we have extreme weather but my family certainly enjoys the dry sunny weather right along with the howling gales. In fact as long as it is not too strong a gail we like nothing more than watching the waves crash in at Scolpaig.
We have our problems but we try to work together as a community to overcome them. Oh! I nearly forgot, granny really does not like the seagulls visiting her birdfeeder!
I have gone on a bit, but then I do love where I live!
A typical day is probably typical for people all over Britain. I get up and get the kids ready for school. At 7:50 I head for work while my oldest catches the bus to Lionacleit on a neighbouring island. Of course... before I leave granny comes down to look after my youngest before he sets off on the bus to Paible School.
I work on Benbecula and return home near the same time as my eldest just before 5. My youngest will have hopefully prepared dinner, if he is not busy with after school activities... a long list from football to fiddle with a bit of shinty in between! Making dinner is his current money making scheme.
After dinner we do normal family activities, like cards and board games, then we have some telly and computer time.
I would say a pretty typical day for most of us.
EXCEPT! We have fairly quiet single track roads to drive on... although I have been known to feel the start of road rage if I have to stop for more than 15 cars coming the other way on my 20 mile journey!
We have spectacular views along the way enjoying the beautiful hills, heather, bays, beaches and oceans. We see stags, deers and fawns as we follow the road... hopefully not too close!?! We are always picking out the birds along the way from owls, hawks, buzzards and eagles... yes plural. The Gloden Eagle is a regular visitor but we also see the Sea Eagle. In fact the last time my young son went fishing at sea they saw the Sea Eagle and left some mackrel for it on the shore. Oh! I can't forget the sheep and cattle.
We are also blessed with great schools. Paible provides and provided such a great education for both my children. With small classes and staff who are interested and care about the children. They have all the latest technology there and have loads of activities going on all the time. My kids have thrived in compesate classes, where they share the class with other year groups. My daughter enjoys being in the big school now she is in third year and Lionacleit provides another great school with small classes, good facilities and teachers.
Yes we have extreme weather but my family certainly enjoys the dry sunny weather right along with the howling gales. In fact as long as it is not too strong a gail we like nothing more than watching the waves crash in at Scolpaig.
We have our problems but we try to work together as a community to overcome them. Oh! I nearly forgot, granny really does not like the seagulls visiting her birdfeeder!
I have gone on a bit, but then I do love where I live!
Comments
Typical day = Extraordinary scenery! I can see why you love where you live it looks gorgeous!
Anne from Moving to Lewis soon!
None of us like gulls visiting the birdfeeder, because it discourages some of my favourite snacks.
Flying Cat from lurking by Birdfeed Station
Thanks flying cat, that certainly made me laugh!
Living on the edge from Sollas
Sounds nice, looks wonderful. How many people live in North Uist? How long does the ferry take to get to Harris?
mjc from NM, USA
YAAAY! Im famous cool blog mommy fazel says hiya!!!!
NADINE!!!!!!! from N UIST
The population of our 14 mile long island was 1600 in 2005.
Living on the edge from North Uist
The ferry to Harris is 45 minutes from the island of Berneray. The ferry from Lochmaddy to Skye is 1hr45min.
Living on the edge from North Uist
Kids......... dont spend your school holidays on the computer! Get yourselves outside! It's sunny outside after the stormy morning!
Living on the edge from North Uist
i got a ds!!! Yay!!!!! went for a long cycle yesterday!!!
Nadine!!!*** from n uist
No it's no use. I've tried catfully to restrain my curiosity, but I have to know...WHAT is a ds??? Purrleeese put me out of my misery.
Flying Cat from not digital sands
At this rate (grumblings from an old geezer), Nadine will have to take English as second language. Yaay! yay! yikes ....# Wasn't it the Beatles who started the whole thing: yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah ?
mjc from NM, USA
I can solve all the mystery about language and DS. My daughter Nadine is with her dad in Holland. Having just turned 13 and not understanding the concept of the island blog she decided to send me messages via this site dont ask me why since we do have phones and we talk on them too! We even have personal email accounts?!? DS is a wee game consule her dad must have bought her. So I hope that solves the questions, and actually that wee girl is excellent at english, winning prizes and getting her short story published. I just assume when that age group gets on anything electronic they start using text language?!? Ehh the youth of today!
Living on the edge from North Uist
Heel goed, Nadine. Where did you go cycling? The Netherlands is awfully nice and welcoming, is it not? I used to take the bicycle by train to some forlorn destination, and then, depending on how the wind was blowing, take off with the wind behind me, picking up the train back to the Hague later that day. If you are still there this spring, when the tulips are blooming, a bicycle ride along the dunes from Scheeveningen (near the Hague) to Keukenhof can be highly recommended.# Oh, and never mind the noises from old geezers, you can continue to communicate with your mum and the rest of the ibloggers to your heart's content. Tot ziens.
mjc from NM, USA
I like "Yay" It's a great word. You can extend it for emphasis...and the Beatles were just aping another society somewhere else with their 'yeahs'...
Flying Cat from Holland - Beach Boys' best ever album
"Yay" is definitely old Norsk, used, my grandma told me, by berserk Viking numero uno on strange looking vessel whenever he spotted a croft ripe for plundering. "Yay," said he "I may as well get to it before the laird does!" Nothing to do with the Beach Boys (of Kokomo delight).
mjc from NM, USA
Wow! Be careful or you will have hordes of incoming newbies wanting all that good air and storms and eagles. Not to mention flying felines blowing in from Orkney, world first!
Barney from Swithiod not so beautiful
It's not very likely Barney. I'm a short-haul cat...I might make it over to Shapinsay or Sanday, but Oot West is a flight too far in more ways than one...
Flying Cat from in knox
as an orcadian from hoy originally i thought home was hard to beat but as a regular visitor now to lochmaddy i think its gorgeous on a nice day . the sands at berneray are like something from the carribean .well at least until you open the car door and discover the temperature difference .bonny place indeed.
orcadian exile from renfrewshire
Loved browsing! My paternal g.g.grandfather (Morrison) was from Sollas. I've been on a thousand sites trying to find info on my ancestors and their journey to Canada but keep running into brick walls. Is there a church in Sollas that might have records that would help me?? Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
karen Morrison MacNeil from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia Canada
there is the church of scotland at sollas
rachel taylor co durham from from northuist
thinking of jacking in the rat race and moving to N.Uist with my family. Boy 13, Girl 10. We are all very excited to change our lives. Tell me what the children would love there. Also are locals accepting of "foreigners" - it takes about 20 years to be considered a local here in Devon! My husband is from Inverness, but we are all english! Also, how does the weather affect transport as hubbie will probably be working in Inverness.
tracy from devon
Finding Solas
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