Let’s be honest, we’ve all fantasized about leaving it all behind and moving to a remote island. If you find yourself thinking that maybe those medieval hermits were onto something, this unusual new job posting may be for you and a loved one.
If you’re one-half of “a couple who are resilient and self-reliant” (or just curious about life on a remote island in Scotland), read on.
Auskerry is small, flat, and windswept. But it has a complex history and ecology. Photo: Isle of Auskerry
Welcome to Auskerry, Scotland
Auskerry is a little over half a square kilometer of land in the North Sea, part of Scotland’s Orkney archipelago. A Pictish tribe living on the Orkney islands were mentioned in Beowulf as fearsome “Orcs”, from which J.R.R. Tolkien took the name of his fantasy villain race. The real Orcs (they prefer “Orcadians”) do a lot of sheep grazing and have a strong tradition of handmade woolen goods.
That includes the remote island of Auskerry. For 50 years, Simon Brogan and Teresa Probert lived and raised sheep there. The sheep are the North Ronaldsay heritage breed, which eats mainly seaweed. They are a small breed, with rams weighing around 30kg and ewes 25kg. They have adapted to life on the harsh, rocky islands.
Despite their toughness, the North Ronaldsay sheep are endangered. The flock on Auskerry, which potential applicants would be tasked with caring for, is one of only two surviving populations.
North Ronaldsay sheep are known colloquially as ‘Rollies’. Photo: Isle of Auskerry
Auskerry is also rife with evidence of Scotland’s Neolithic heritage. There are standing stone monuments on the island dating to Orkney’s oldest human inhabitants. Archaeologists have also found evidence of Bronze Age houses and Iron Age farming activity. For hundreds of years, Christian hermits lived on the island, leaving a small medieval church that still stands today.
The lighthouse perched on one corner of the island, overlooking the north entrance to the Stronsay Firth, was built in 1864 but automated a hundred years later. After this 1964 automation, the island was abandoned until its current inhabitants arrived.
North Ronaldsay sheep are difficult to shepherd. They are not afraid of dogs and will leap right over the heads of sheep dogs attempting to corral them. Photo: Isle of Auskerry
Are you up for it?
Like their sheep, Auskerry dwellers have to be hardy and self-sufficient. During winter, strong tides prevent boats from leaving the island for up to six weeks at a time. When the weather does allow travel, the only option is a two-hour journey in a small boat. Heating comes from peat, which a resident has to hand cut and dry, or wood and coal, which they have to ship in. The toilet is outdoors and mail comes once a month.There is, however, solar and wind power and even a decent 4G WiFi signal.
Harsh winds constantly sweep the low, flat island, and storms are fierce. A reminder of this lies on the beach– the shaft and engine of a massive cargo ship. They were part of the Norwegian Hastings County, 116 meters long, which broke apart off Auskerry in 1926.
“The weather in Auskerry can switch several times in the day,” Teresa Probert warns. “When the storms set in, it can be physically and emotionally demanding.”
Applicants need to have DIY skills as well as basic plumbing, mechanical, and electrical knowledge. They also need to pay their own way, buying food, fuel, and boat transport. Experience working with sheep and living off the grid are desirable but not required.
It’s daunting, but according to Probert, the island life is also rewarding.
“The island will captivate you and enrage you, heal you and challenge you, but will never disappoint,” she says. “I am reminded daily of my own mortality by the remains of human habitation going back to the neolithic or the shards of pottery I turn up in my garden, yet the closeness to the reality of birth and death makes you feel more alive.”
Unfortunately, her husband Simon Brogan — who bought the island years ago — now suffers from Alzheimer’s and had to leave his beloved island in 2023. Teresa Probert needs help over the summertime and is looking for a suitably handy couple.
To find out more about the opportunity, go to www.isleofauskerry.com/life-on-auskerry/
