Living on an Island

When you’re a young adult living on an island, life can be tough. But there are upsides to the lifestyle and traditions of the people.

I live on a small island off the north-west coast of Scotland. The Isle of Lewis is 683 square miles of a beautiful mixture of countryside and urbanisation, with a total population of 18,500. The small-ish town of Stornoway is our biggest settlement. The island is a hub of the Gaelic language and culture where the language is still many people's first language and many senior citizen's only language. Lewis has a Presbyterian tradition and still observes the sabbath. The only ways off the island is by ferry or plane, meaning if we had a burst of bad weather, we’re stuck here. There isn’t much to do here for the young adult — unless you get creative, and right now one of the things we are known for is being the home of Donald Trump’s mother, Mary Ann Macleod.

In a world of ever-changing and expanding views and people questioning, sexuality, religion, gender, etc., it can be difficult to live within the confining lifestyle of a tight-knit island community. I am 20 years old, bisexual, and an atheist. Although over the past decade, the population of the island have become more and more open-minded and welcoming to all lifestyles, older island generations lean toward their more religious past and understanding of how life works. As a young person, I often worry about my grandparents learning about my sexuality and non-religious beliefs as they are Christians. However, my fears are probably unfounded as they would have no qualms over my lifestyle. It does open my eyes to see how behind this community is. Everything is closed on a Sunday bar a few restaurants, even pubs, and the one club we have close at one in the morning on the weekends and a taxi home from town can cost £30. And yeah, next day delivery is not an option here, power cuts are often in the winter, and it’s crazy difficult to avoid your ex, but I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.

Gaelic still plays a massive part on this island and so it should. The language plays a massive part of our culture and heritage, songs, and poems written in Gaelic are among the most poignant and beautiful. Young people with the luck to have learned Gaelic are awarded many opportunities in life that those who do not may not have the chance at. Music is also a massive part of our culture. If you haven’t been to a ceilidh or you don’t know what it is, you’re missing out. These ceilidhs can sometimes be the night of your life, folk music, couple of drinks, and good friends make the whole night.

However, the title of this piece is called "Living on an Island," and that is one of the best things. Despite the lack of privacy in a tight-knit island community there is upside of a massive support system, which sometimes includes more relatives than you know what to do with. The scenery is beautiful with mountains, rivers, beaches, cliffs, and forests. The weather is a bit of a dampener, but even that makes this island the beautiful place it is. This place is magical, a hidden gem in the Hebrides. We have our own style of doing things that may seem old-fashioned and odd to other people, but that’s how we roll.

If you’re looking for the perfect holiday to explore, make new friends, and live a little, feel free to come and visit this beautiful place and witness first-hand the beauty and charm of this little island.