Following in the generational footsteps of Alasdair’s Grandmother – who returned to Benbecula to start a B&B on their family croft in the 1970s – and his parents, who took over the family business in retirement. Alasdair and partner, Phillipa, always dreamt they would one day do the same. 

Rite of Passage 

The last in the immediate family line to live in Benbecula throughout his life was Alasdair’s Great Grandfather Lachlan, a blacksmith from Aird, and his wife Maggie. Most of their children moved away for work, including Alasdair’s grandmother Mary, although she later found her way home. Following a career as a nurse at Bellsdyke Hospital in Larbert, she returned to Benbecula with her husband to open a B&B in retirement, keeping chickens,  goats and cattle on the croft. Later, her adult child Billy (Alasdair’s father), also returned in his retirement, taking on the family business and croft.

Alasdair’s work in heritage and interest in archaeology led him to join the Uist Community Archaeology Group (UCAG) where he is now committee member.  His fascination with the islands’ pre-history runs deep: long before he moved back, archaeological work had already brought him up to spend extended summers, working at sites such as Cladh Hallan and Howmore in South Uist in the early 2000s and studying the finds from the Grimsay Wheelhouse that was excavated in the 90s.

Following a career in heritage based in Edinburgh, the shift in office culture due to the pandemic provided the catalyst: “The penny dropped” Alasdair said, “why are we all going into offices if we don’t have to?” 

The organisation where Alasdair has worked for the last 20 years have been supportive of his relocation to the islands. Through their inclusive language policy, they provided time and funding for him to take a Gàidhlig learners short course at Ceòlas with Pàdruig Morrison, reintroducing Gàidhlig into his family for the first time in three generations. This flexibility to work remotely enabled Alasdair to move the family to his ancestral home, where they could offer much needed support to his ageing parents with their self catering business and croft, while allowing his young daughters to experience growing up on the islands.

Community Connection

Where Alasdair’s ties to Uist were rooted in holidays with his brother to visit family, Alasdair and Phillipa’s connection now runs far deeper. Phillipa’s former role as Peer Support Co-ordinator in the Breastfeeding Network brought them into the network of young families.  Alongside the girls’ school, extra curricular activities and crofting, their community connections are stronger than anywhere they have lived before.

“So many people have helped us in explaining how sheep work! A lot of the crofting knowledge my family once had has been lost, so being able to bring that back has been really important.”

 

 

“There is a perception of the islands being the quiet life but it is totally not.” With an activity planner on the fridge door that resembles a military operation, “it’s exhausting!”.

With Phillipa having worked part-time at Southern Isles Veterinary practice and recently returned to work as a Speech and Language Therapist in the NHS, their balance of work and homelife means desk based activity is broken up with a walk outside to check the sheep during lunch, changeovers for the self-catering business and a never ending DIY to-do list. 

“I think there are more opportunities here, and a deeper connection to the land – to crofting culture, cèilidh culture and community. That feels quite unique. We didn’t want to wait until retirement to move back; we wanted to do it while the kids were young, so they could grow up here and have the option to stay if they want. They might not – you never know what the future holds – but giving them that choice feels really important.”

Schooling

The move has been especially formative for their two daughters Rowan and Muireann. Alasdair and Phillipa’s eldest, Rowan, was exposed to Gàidhlig from an early age, having attended Croileagan Dhùn Èideann before relocating. Both girls are now in Gàidhlig Medium at Sgoil an Iochdair and flourishing, despite Alasdair and Phillipa’s lack of fluency. “They do like correcting our Gàidhlig. That’s one of their favourite things to do.”

Moving to a Gàidhlig Medium with composite classes, Alasdair only sees the benefit, and is not the only one. A study by Strathclyde University shows many school pupils who study in composite classes perform better than those in single year cohorts, with similar positive outcomes resulting through mixed-aged play; confidence and empathy building for younger children and leadership and responsibility for older ones. Same age-groups across primary schools then merge in secondary at Sgoil Lionacleit. “A lot of the children know each other through events and activities outwith school – like sport groups, horse riding, highland dancing, or Club Ciùil” – the music club that runs across Sgoil an Iochdar and Sgoil Bhaile a’ Mhanaich where Alasdair teaches guitar. The family have recently joined the North Uist Athletics Club which brings young and old together across Uist. “The girls really enjoy the local machair run, competing in the cross country running events and handing out sweets during the road races!”.

Creative Thinking

With the public sector rolling back on work-from-home policies and encouraging employees back into centralised offices, Alasdair hopes they will take a more creative approach for those working from rural locations, recognising the potential of decentralised work and shared spaces. “I’ve been very fortunate that I could take my job with me, but I think the public sector can do a lot more to island-proof their policies and help encourage more people to work within island communities – to be more innovative, especially around shared offices and co-location”.

For Alasdair, returning to Benbecula has been less about going back and more about carrying something forward. With crofting knowledge being relearned, Gàidhlig once again spoken in the family home, and his daughters growing up rooted in island life, the generational line that once fractured is slowly being restored – not through obligation, but through choice.

“You need resilience to live here, but it’s the place for us”.