If the crofting life, a stunning landscape and idyllic beaches far from the madding crowds appeal to you, then your dream can come true on Colonsay.
The Inner Hebridean island’s community development company is seeking a family to move into property it acquired with the help of cash from the Scottish Land Fund (SLF).
But whoever takes up the opportunity at Ben Sgoiltaire must be fully prepared for all the challenges of remote island life.
To take just one example, lifeline ferry services across the West Highlands continue to be blighted by disruptions from vessel repairs and considerable delays for new vessels.
It’s a long way from the nearest drive-thru
The remoteness could be a novelty that quickly loses its allure as the reality of life far from your favourite drive-thru kicks in.
And then there’s the extra charges usually involved in buying stuff from the mainland.
But it’ll almost certainly be the perfect new home and lifestyle for someone.
Population boost hoped for
Colonsay Community Development Company (CCDC) was awarded £395,000 to purchase a four-bedroom house and accompanying croft.
The funding is aimed at supporting the island’s primary school.
A family moving to the island will boost the number of children in the school, as well as the working-age population.
Describing its croft tenancy as a “rare opportunity”, CCDC said it was looking to hear from people with the “adaptability and enthusiasm” needed to take on the challenges of year-round island life.
CCDC director Darragh Keenaghan said: “We’re grateful to the Scottish Land Fund for recognising our determination to create new opportunities for families and young people to live on Colonsay.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for a resilient and enthusiastic family looking to become crofters and make a future here.”
Island’s primary school and nursery now have just five children in total
The island’s only school, Kilchattan Primary, has seen pupil numbers fall to critically low levels in recent years.
It currently has just two children in the school and three in nursery. They play together in a little gang of five, with ages ranging from four to seven.
Welcoming the SLF award last August, Darragh said attracting more young people to live and work on the island would help to create a more balanced demographic and year-round population.
CCDC project co-ordinator Lizzie Keenaghan, Darragh’s wife, said: “The resident population varies seasonally, but we tend to go with a figure of around 125.”
‘Gem of a school’
The local headteacher, Kim Bentley, described Kilchattan as a “gem of a school”, adding: “At the heart of it is the belief that relationships are fundamental to learning.
“Our approach is child-led and play-based, with plenty of time spent outdoors.
“Being a small school we’re able to follow children’s interests, while delivering key skills across the curriculum. We take pride in our welcoming and friendly ethos, and are looking forward to growing our school community.”
CCDC would like to see the croft actively worked, ideally with a small business.
Another director of the local development company, Dannie Onn, said: “Our existing community-owned crofts have been opportunities that have brought in people of working age.
“And Colonsay’s primary school supports a number of jobs within the island community.
“Being able to offer an affordable way for a family to become crofters here fits with our vision of sustainable community development, growing our workin- age population and creating opportunity for enterprise.”
Lure of Hebridean croft was just too good to refuse for Darragh and Lizzie
Darragh and Lizzie are themselves relative newcomers to Colonsay, having jumped at the chance to bring a croft back into purposeful use.
After a summer internship in Alaska on an organic vegetable farm many years ago, Lizzie realised she wanted to do something similar – just a bit closer to home.
Darragh, who has a masters degree in environmental sustainability from Edinburgh University, got the same kind of yearning while he was living and working on a small farm in Beauly.
The couple had put adverts in newspapers looking for a few acres and spent time traveling around Scotland seeking the right place before the Colonsay offer came along.
It’s now a real family affair
The were offered a tenancy in 2019, renaming their new home as The Wee Croft.
Lizzie’s parents also moved there and the family managed to turn what was once a neglected croft into one that is providing for their family and the wider community.
With more than 20,000 crofts in Scotland underpinning a culturally important way of life in the Highland and Islands, it is the Crofting Commission’s mission to ensure tenancies are in the hands of people who will put them to purposeful use.
Lizzie told us the new crofting tenancy on Colonsay is the result of a decision by “valued members” of the community to relocate.
She added: “CCDC is so grateful for their choice to pass such a wonderful asset onto the community as an opportunity for a family.”
How much can you earn?
Asked what kind of income the incoming crofters might expect, she said: “It all depends on diversification, and the croft plan that potential tenants put forward.
“The croft is 11 acres, and has been active with a grazing flock and some vegetables.
“Most modern crofters have other work, and in an island setting many people have more than one part-time job. Working remotely is also a possibility that’s becoming more common.”
Colonsay, between Isla and the south of Mull, is 2.5 hours by ferry from Oban.
The new tenancy of the croft can start as soon as this spring, with the “comfortable” four-bedroom home available to rent.
Full details and an application form are available from CCDC by sending an email to Ben.Sgoiltaire@gmail.com
Applications will remain open until March 23 2025.
Pros and cons of life on Colonsay
CCDC is run by volunteer directors and part-time staff.
Lizzie said: “We are supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise to work towards repopulation and rural regeneration, through the creation of opportunities for housing, employment and enterprise.
“As an island community we have strengths and challenges.”
Strengths include “a fantastic little primary school, stunning beaches and GP practice”.
On the downside, she highlighted a “fragile working age population and challenges with mainland connectivity”.
Conversation