Quote from: Lori Dee on November 06, 2025, 06:25:40 PMCongrats, Tills!
That is wonderful news. Will you be building on it, or is it ready to move in?
C'mon, girl. We need details! 😄
Haha love this!
It's what they call 'turn-key' ready. So I can move in now.
I did hum and ha about a project, either in Scotland or Ireland but at 61 I just didn't think I had the energy for that. Especially because I want to pick up my quill and get writing again following my brother's death last February. I'd like my energy to go to that. If I were 20 years younger I'd have maybe gone for a build or a renovation.
But it's also about where I wanted to be and the kind of community. The town has a population of 4,000 and a big arts scene with music and literary festivals. Not that I like the designation 'trans' but I won't be the only one on the island (I checked!). Like a lot of the Scottish Highlands it's a strong SNP area, Scottish National Party, who are generally left-of-centre progressives and pretty liberal. The town has coffee shops, bistros, and groups like ornithologists who I shall join. And ramblers too.
There is no road bridge: it's a true island. So you take a 30-minute ferry but the transport links are actually excellent. Amazingly, and this was a factor for me, it has a hospital with 24-hour A&E.
So ... it's a beautiful apartment in a 140-year old listed building. It has proper wooden floors which are lovely and sash windows (which are still double glazed) and in one direction looks across the sea to the Highlands. In the other direction it looks over a garden with trees and bird life. There are sea eagles around and occasional golden eagles. Red squirrels are on the island too.
It rains there a lot there
The day I viewed the apartment it was sluicing down but I like the rain. And on clear days the views are simply stunning. One of the rooms is north-facing and it should be very possible to see the Northern Lights from it from time to time.
I've realised that I'm a Norse girl. My favourite countries are Norway and Scotland, and now I'll be coming home.
So there you go. You did ask
To be truthful, thank you. It means a lot to me that you asked.
xx
