When Eilidh Carr went to study in Aberdeen, there were more people living in her student halls than were resident on her home island.
She enjoyed her time there studying photography – and crucially it gave her the skills to start a business she loved (more on that later).
But the stark population factoid was one of many reasons she ended up returning to her childhood home.
Since then, Eilidh has carved an island life for herself that sounds like a dream.
In my head, finishing work in your cute wooden gift shop on a Saturday afternoon in August then taking off in your van for a few days on the beach only happens in films – and even then just in places like Hawaii.
But, weather allowing, Eilidh has managed to combine beach life, van life and a busy self-made business on the tiny but beautiful island of Berneray.
Ten years on from starting Coralbox in a two-berth caravan, Eilidh talks us through how she got here and shares a few days in her life.
Coralbox Berneray: The story so far
Eilidh was born and brought up on Berneray (population 122 in the most recent census).
It’s roughly two miles by three miles and connected to North Uist by causeway and South Harris by ferry.
With builder dad Andy and mum Christine, life was good – but she reached an age where she needed to decide what to do with her life.
She said: “When you live in the islands, there isn’t much further education – so you have to go away.
“A lot of people don’t come back until they’re a lot older, if at all.”
Eilidh went north to Stornoway to study Gaelic – but then made the move to the mainland to follow her passion.
She gained an HND in photography at what is now Nescol in Aberdeen.
She said: “There were more people in my student halls than lived on Berneray.
“I missed the islands.
“I didn’t have a plan for when I got home – I just said I’d come home for a few months and see what happens.”
From a caravan to a permanent home
So in 2015, 23-year-old Eilidh was back at home.
At this point, she had already been making gifts for family and friends.
She went to a tabletop sale and did “quite well”, and decided it was worth trying to make a go of her own business.
So next came a more permanent plan – and a name.
Coralbox started life in a two-berth caravan.
Eilidh, now 32, recalled: “At the start I just did small things like mugs and keyrings – they’re wasn’t a lot of room in the caravan.
“It was word of mouth in the beginning, but social media helped a lot too.
“We have the ferry and the beaches – it’s busier than people might think.”
The wee caravan did so well that it was time for a real shop.
The perfect work/life balance
Eilidh’s business is very much a one-woman show, both online and in person.
She said: “I thought of employing someone, but I like to meet my customers and talk to them.
“It’s a lot of hard work in the summer, it’s full-on.”
But there are advantages to island life.
She said: “Sometimes in the summer, I can go to the Post Office and post my online orders, then head to the beach for a walk and a swim and then start work.
“If I want to go away for the weekend, I get the last ferry on a Saturday and I get back half an hour before my next shift.
“In the summer, it barely gets dark, so I can go down and watch the sunset from the beach.”
By Royal appointment?
Eilidh’s role as a local businesswoman led to the Royal treatment in 2023. She was invited to one of the King’s first garden parties in Edinburgh.
At this point, it’s important to know Berneray has a special place in King Charles’s heart.
He famously went there as a young man to work as a crofter, lifting potatoes and dipping sheep.
She went with her aunt – and the Berneray connection got them VIP status.
Eilidh explained: “We were standing waiting to see the King and we were about to get moved. My aunt said ‘we’re from Berneray!’ and someone said ‘the Berneray?!’ and all of a sudden we were meeting the King.
“He said he remembered the potatoes.”
What now for Coralbox?
It is 10 years this year since Eilidh started Coralbox.
Her calendars have been a mainstay, and 2026’s ones are out already, ready for the overseas market.
If you aren’t lucky enough to visit Berneray, many gifts are online – and you can also watch Eilidh’s webcams of the island too.
Will she still be running her shop and living her best van-and-beach life in another 10 years?
She said: “I can’t imagine not doing it.
“It’s a hard thing to do, but it is totally worth it.”
Conversation