If you’ve ever dreamt of relocating to a Scottish island, this could be your chance, as Shapinsay in the Orkneys looks for a new family to take up residence. By Caroline Wheater
Blessed with spectacular scenery, the island of Shapinsay is part of the Orkney archipelago off the north coast of Scotland. Just seven miles long and three miles wide, it has a thriving community of 350 people who meet up at ceilidhs and dances, a film club and coffee afternoons. Practical needs are met by a primary school with glowing reports, a doctor’s surgery, a community centre, a post office and a well-stocked shop. To cap it off, the buzzy town of Kirkwall on the Orkney mainland is just a 25-minute ferry hop away.
Sounds like a dream place to live? Shapinsay Development Trust is searching for a new, young family to relocate to the island and live in a recently modernised Orcadian home with sea views. Says Lisa-Marie Muir from the Trust: ‘We know there is a family out there who would be an ideal match for Number 9 Balfour Village. Shapinsay is such a safe place to bring up your bairns – they spend their summers in wetsuits or cycling all over the island.’
A new family with at least two young children would help safeguard the primary school’s two teachers and two classes, of which islanders are justly proud. While the rent of £500 a month provides a three-bedroom house with two living rooms, all double glazed, well insulated and with efficient air source heating.
‘The property really does offer the perfect opportunity for a family to have a true experience of island life without the commitment of buying a new house,’ says Serena Sutherland of letting agents, d and h. With so many more of us working from home these days, relocating to Shapinsay really could be a dream that comes true.
To find out more about island life go to shapinsay.org.uk. To make an enquiry about Number 9 Balfour Village, call the property letting agents, d and h, on 01856 872216 or email [email protected].
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