If you are a drunken bum you will fit in fine. On numerous occasions I have seen the locals go into the local shop for a bottle of spirits. They usually collected the first bottle around 9am only to return at approx midday for the afternoons supply. Come 6pm in the shop again for the evenings supply as well as plenty of fags.
Sounds hard to believe and I must be making it up but its true. The islands have a really bad drink problem. In fact it is so bad that the local health board do not know which age group to target first! Visit Stornoway on a Friday or a Saturday night to see 10 year olds totally drunk. When the young islanders are in this state they decide who can make the biggest pavement pizza (puke) and then go in for more drink.
The older brothers or sisters buy the stuff for the young ones. I know of even some parents that encourage their children to drink to excess and buy the booze for them!
As for drugs its freely available. I know of even a registered doctor on the island that's rumoured to be supplying his son with weed at the Nicholson Institute. This information was passed to me by a fellow pupil at the school as they were even offered some weed by the boy.
Even head teachers are found to be drunk and committing crimes click here. Crimes maybe detected by the local police but they are very choosy who the actually prosecute. Even local Police officers have been accused of alcohol theft from teenagers. Read the report on the BBC website click here
Yes these issues happen on the mainland I agree but remember the Western Isles has a population of only 26000 give or take a few. Due to the very nature of the place and the lack of Police Officers the place is a free for all. Just check out your car insurance quote mine was more expensive due to the number of drunk drivers. Check out UpMyStreet stats to compare with the rest of Scotland click here.
Not quite as peaceful and idyllic as the locals will have you believe is it?
Hebridean Life - Local Customs
One of the greatest obstacles you will come across are the local customs to do with the Sabbath. Most of this they use the excuse of island tradition, heritage, etc. Funny thing is is most of the people that voice there opinion live on the mainland and like the locals that travel to the mainland do not obey the Sabbath when away. Surely obeying the Sabbath is a religious thing to do with following a way of life and not based upon the physical location where you choose to live?
Here are a few things that will be frowned upon on the Sabbath (Sunday) if you live away from Stornoway and choose to live in a more rural location on the island. The further it is from Stornoway the more likely you are to be snubbed by the locals and treated as an outcast.
No washing out on the line, no grass cutting, no car washing, I know of one person who was told to stop their cockerels from crowing and to make sure they did not have their wicked way with the hens.
Childrens play parks shut and displaying large notices "Respect the Sabbath", local supermarkets/ shops closed (drove out an incomer for opening the village shop on a Sunday so the local villagers could get a pint of milk etc.) , sport centres closed, no Sunday sailings to or from the mainland, visitor attractions all shut.
The only petrol station open is in Stornoway but if you travel by plane you can at least catch a flight to escape. Infact nearly any places you would expect to be open on the mainland will be shut on Sunday on the island. Not very good for the tourist industry that the islanders rely so heavily on.
Next exciting post coming soon!
Here are a few things that will be frowned upon on the Sabbath (Sunday) if you live away from Stornoway and choose to live in a more rural location on the island. The further it is from Stornoway the more likely you are to be snubbed by the locals and treated as an outcast.
No washing out on the line, no grass cutting, no car washing, I know of one person who was told to stop their cockerels from crowing and to make sure they did not have their wicked way with the hens.
Childrens play parks shut and displaying large notices "Respect the Sabbath", local supermarkets/ shops closed (drove out an incomer for opening the village shop on a Sunday so the local villagers could get a pint of milk etc.) , sport centres closed, no Sunday sailings to or from the mainland, visitor attractions all shut.
The only petrol station open is in Stornoway but if you travel by plane you can at least catch a flight to escape. Infact nearly any places you would expect to be open on the mainland will be shut on Sunday on the island. Not very good for the tourist industry that the islanders rely so heavily on.
Next exciting post coming soon!
Hebridean Life - Weather
The weather, can only be described as appaling. It is almost always raining and when it isn't the dreded midges decend over the island in a microscopic plague that makes the great outdoors almost unusable.
In five years I can remember only two summers where it was dry and sunny. I can also only remember only having to scrape the car windscreen twice in the same period. The wind that blows straight off the Atlantic is mighty cold even in the so called summer season and certainly pegs back the temperatures you see on the weather maps and means usually you have the heating on all year round.
A great local weather site can be found here. It shows life data feeds as well as weather records for the island. To visit Eoropie weather click here
On your relocation visit don't let the islanders fool you into thinking they have great summers as they are few and far between, mostly its very wet and extremely windy.
In five years I can remember only two summers where it was dry and sunny. I can also only remember only having to scrape the car windscreen twice in the same period. The wind that blows straight off the Atlantic is mighty cold even in the so called summer season and certainly pegs back the temperatures you see on the weather maps and means usually you have the heating on all year round.
A great local weather site can be found here. It shows life data feeds as well as weather records for the island. To visit Eoropie weather click here
On your relocation visit don't let the islanders fool you into thinking they have great summers as they are few and far between, mostly its very wet and extremely windy.
Hebridean Life - Thinking of relocating?
If you have ever visited this part of the UK you will find it very beautiful place but if you choose to move their the island shows it's true colours for which it has a very unpleasant side to it...
First and foremost you will not fit into island life if you are not born and bred there. If like many of us that think that hebridean life will be great forget it if you are English or even mainland Scot. They hate you and are not afraid of voicing their racist opinions for which the equally biased local constabulary do nothing to keep the islanders in check. It may take you a few years to see it happen to you but it will happen. Once the islanders let their guard down you and any siblings you may have will be on the receiving end of island racisim.
If on the otherhand you are the kind of person that is willing to bow down to the locals and encourage their self righteous attitude (Americans are very good at grovelling) then you will fit in perfectly.
If on the otherhand you are a free thinking, generates their own income and have good idea's then think of looking somewhere else!
First and foremost you will not fit into island life if you are not born and bred there. If like many of us that think that hebridean life will be great forget it if you are English or even mainland Scot. They hate you and are not afraid of voicing their racist opinions for which the equally biased local constabulary do nothing to keep the islanders in check. It may take you a few years to see it happen to you but it will happen. Once the islanders let their guard down you and any siblings you may have will be on the receiving end of island racisim.
If on the otherhand you are the kind of person that is willing to bow down to the locals and encourage their self righteous attitude (Americans are very good at grovelling) then you will fit in perfectly.
If on the otherhand you are a free thinking, generates their own income and have good idea's then think of looking somewhere else!
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