Island: a mass of land surrounded by water; anything isolated, detached, or surrounded by something of a different nature

Island life. It’s a funny old thing: sometimes so very different from mainland life and sometimes not so very different. The contrasts are easy to pick out – the sea and beaches that surround us, the space and beauty of an uncluttered, minimally populated [by humans] environment, the clear sharp tang of our salt air. The lack of a city, with all its attendant shops and facilities, to drive to. The time and effort it takes via ferry or plane to get to anywhere else. The wild maritime climate. These are the big things, the easy differences to spot.

Yet, even through all of life’s routine mundanities – shopping for food, taking the kids to school, visiting the bank – there is always some aspect or turn of events that reminds me of the remoteness of my location [though, as I think a Lewisman famously commented, ‘Remote? Remote from where?’]. 

It might be that a huge wave breaks across the pier to soak me through, just as I approach the shop door. Or perhaps it’s that my bank only visits the island once a fortnight and I find it so hard to remember which Tuesday the van will be here that I no longer bother to go at all. Or it’s the happy realisation that my young sons are quite safe to walk the two mile coastal road home from the school bus drop off point, with nothing more daunting than a brisk breeze and nothing more threatening than a rain cloud on the horizon. Or the delight of riding my horses along endless pristine beaches without seeing a soul.

Dead Right is a collection of the middle two of six years in which I wrote a weekly column for The Scotsman, depicting island life from my very own personal perspective, as I brought up three sons and an increasing array of other animals.

Depending when you read this, you may find some articles in here, or you may find blankness. Bear with! I’m adding in my articles on a weekly (ish) basis as I retrieve them from cyberspace and dust them down. Start with Fine That, and if you are feeling frustrated at the lack of new material to read, give me an email nudge.