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This is a short tale about a dream
that came true and how it grew out of a child's fascination for islands and wild
places. It illustrates what can be achieved with a positive approach coupled
with enthusiasm, a supportive family and good friends.
Coming from a background of very limited means I spent my childhood developing a
creative imagination where a car exhaust box would be a machine gun and a rolled
circle of mowing grass would make a good island. I never imagined in my wildest
dreams that one day my island dream would come true; that I would have my own
island set in crystal clear waters where seals dive for fish and dolphins glide
through the waves. But after 40 years of hard work, help from an exceptional
employer and friends old and new, and a bit of luck in reading the right
newspaper at the right time, I now own a little Scottish island set in one of
the most beautiful parts of Scotland and cleanest environments in the world. It
really is a place of perpetual peace where time is only measured by sunrise and
sunset; it is my unchanging place in a rapidly changing world.
I didn't have a wealthy family benefactor, didn't win the 'Pools' or get the
right six on the Lottery. My professional job, while well paid, did sufficient
to support my growing family but it never looked like producing sufficient spare
income to support the extravagance of buying an island. So for most of my life
my dream remained a dream despite a rather fanciful flirtation with a guano
covered 'Rock' 80 miles north of the Shetland islands in the 80's.
How things can change even without a massive win on some gambling exploit or a
windfall from a forgotten relative...and when people believe in you.
Having had to start work at 16 it was always my aim to have some time later in
life to pursue the odd dream before I 'drop off the log'. Following a reasonably
successful career as a Civil Engineer my chance came at 52 when a slightly top
heavy management structure needed a trim and I was fortunate enough to be
allowed to finish my formal career and chase a dream. Two weeks after agreeing a
settlement I was reading a national paper that was advertising six islands for
sale in the beautiful Western Isles (Outer Hebrides). After a couple of phone
calls a constructive discussion or two with Jane, my wife, soulmate and best
friend (all rolled into one), I booked a trip to see them. I finished work on
the Tuesday night and over the next 36hrs I travelled 1600 miles, saw six
islands, visited 10 visitor centres and shared a splendid meal with old and new
friends, drank an odd bottle of wine into the bargain topped off with a wee dram
- or two.
Twenty months and one change of island later I had bought the beautiful Isle of
Sgarabhaigh, a small but very special island. Its name, when translated from the
Gaelic, means 'Cormorant Island' and appropriately enough the island has its own
colony of cormorants as well as sea otters and a colony of seals which 'pup' on
the island every autumn. It has many other species of bird which visit and breed
over the year and porpoises, dolphins and whales can be seen in the crystal
clear waters that surround the island.
When forty years worth of creative dreaming are turned into reality there is a
fair possibility that the reality will fall short of the dream. In this case the
reality has far surpassed any aspiration I deserved to have in either my youth
or my dotage. I consider myself very privileged to be the custodian of such a
very special little island; it really is 40acres of heaven.
In order to make the island purchase work financially, I put into action a plan
that I had thought through many times over the years. It involves sharing the
island with like-minded people who may not have the same opportunity as myself
to make their island dream come true.
Having visited Sgarabhaigh for the first time with a very good friend who is
half Scottish, half Irish and who has the same love of wild places and all
things Celtic, I knew from his look of wonder that sharing such a beautiful
place was both viable, but more importantly, justified as it is a special place
and should be appreciated.
I had in the later stages of my professional career done some work on
Sustainability where the three principle factors of environmental protection,
economic development and social regeneration are balanced to produce a positive
impact in a local area. Through sharing the island and giving people a real and
legal interest in Sgarabhaigh it is likely that they will develop an interest in
the wider islands, visit and enjoy the place and through visits support the
local economy. Equally important is the potential for people to connect socially
with the kind and welcoming island people and to build strong social links
across nations.
Consequently I have created a package that provides a legal 'Holding' in the
island and that can be passed down the ages thereby sustaining the interest and
connection with Sgarabhaigh, the islands and its people. This interest should
grow as the families grow and if in 300 years a parent is passing on one of my
presentation boxes to their child, with its passport, film, seals, maps and
mineral and organic link to Sgarabhaigh along with their own family details
compiled over the years, I will be more than gratified.
So, I have bought my island and more than satisfied my dream but I hope I have
made it possible for others with less disposable income to enjoy having their
own island and a unique family heirloom. I would also like to think that I have
also made some small contribution to the local community through increased
awareness of the islands and increased visitor numbers to repay, at least in
part, the kindness and friendship we have been shown during our visits. I am
currently aspiring to holding a cross clan 'Gathering' in the islands in 2010
but that depends on the level of interest in joining 'Friends of Sgarabhaigh'
and the imagination of the people that join. I am also working on our first
piece of currency based on the form of a James I silver sixpence, made from pure
silver and modified with key linkages to the project. I hope the family that is
'Friends of Sgarabhaigh' continues to grow down the ages and that it protects
the environment of the island, brings friendship acr!
oss the world and supports local economic regeneration. |
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