Muckdate 4: Greetings from Gallanach

We've been on Muck for a week now so I thought I'd give you a little insight into how our day-to-day life is shaping up.

First of all, if you'd like to see a bit more of exactly where we live on the island, have a look at this episode of Weir's Way from 1982. If you've not encountered it before, Weir's Way was a programme by the Glaswegian climber, writer, presenter and outdoor enthusiast Tom Weir which featured a different place in Scotland in each episode. In this one, Tom sailed to Muck and interviewed Laurence MacEwen, owner and farmer of the island, along with a few other residents. Though the video quality isn’t great, it gives a really good snapshot of Muck - albeit it in balmy weather we’re yet to experience, having arrived in January.

There are some differences between the island in the 1980s and today - for example, now there is a bigger pier that can accommodate a CalMac car ferry, though the small pier Tom alights at does still exist - but a lot more similarities. The road Tom walks to cross the island is the one we take to get to and from nursery every day, and the farm where Laurence lives is now home to Laurence's son and his family. The beautiful sandy bay lies directly outside our kitchen window and the views of Eigg and Rum are just as glorious now as then. 

If you want to skip to the part that specifically features where we're living, watch from around 7 minutes. Fisher- and ferryman Bryan Walters, his wife Clare, and their three children lived in Gallanach Cottage for many years, which (from the outside at least) looks much as it does 40 years later. Tragically Bryan died at sea in September 2003 and his family have since left the island, though we have been told they return often to stay in the small extension they added onto the northern end of the cottage.

Gallanach on the 1903 Ordnance Survey Map.

Today Gallanach Cottage is a T-shaped building, and we occupy the oldest two-thirds of it. The oldest part has great thick stone walls that are whitewashed on the outside and pine panelled within, and was once a smithy. We don’t know when exactly it was built, but presumably in the 1870s or earlier, as you can see it on the 1877 Ordnance Survery, and it is still marked as a smithy on the 1903 edition. Today this part contains our bedrooms: a large double with views across the bay for me, Tom and baby K; a cosy bunkroom for R; and a spare triple at the back which Tom uses as his office and R refers to as 'Hilda's room' in anticipation of a certain little friend coming to visit.

At right angles to the oldest part is a two-roomed extension, which we think was added as part of a expansion in property and improvement in living conditions across the island in the post-War period. With fabulous views of Rum, Eigg and Gallanach bay, this part of the house contains the bathroom, kitchen, living room, and a small pantry. The house has gas-powered central heating (supplied by large propane canisters) as well as a wood-burning stove, and the electricity is supplied by a mixture of renewables from the island: photovoltaic panels and wind turbines. Below are (left to right) the living room, spare room, kitchen, and bedroom. Spot the sleeping baby…

The cottage is bright, cosy, and comfortable, and I think the views from the windows will spoil me for life! I like knowing that other families have lived here, that their babies slept in blankets here as mine do now, and that their children trekked acrros the island to the school just as our daughter does. There are three children (including her) in her nursery class, plus another four in the primary class; when the children reach secondary school age they either have to board at state or private schools on the mainland, or the family has to move away. There are currently four households with school-aged children on the island (out of fourteen in total), plus one with a baby on the way, so it feels nice to be joining a community of young families.

Our routine is much as it was at home on the mainland: up around 7, then breakfast and getting ready for the day before my husband leaves to cycle R down to nursery for 8.50 (though for the first couple of days she went down on the neighbours’ 4x4 ATV as the road was very icy). Then he goes to work in the spare room and I have the rest of the house to use for sorting out the washing, drying, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the baby. Once the baby’s down for his main nap (usually quite a lengthy one) I can crack on with writing. We recovene for lunch around 1 and by 3pm I’m off down the road - baby in the carrier on my front - to pick up R from nursery. When we get back R has some down time (TV, drawing, playing with her brother) whilst I get tea ready and Tom finishes work, and we all eat together. Then its time for a bit more play and stories before the children’s bedtime, leaving the adults with a (in theory) peaceful hour or two before turning in (ha ha). We have good internet here (thank you HebNet) so we can watch all the usual TV options, and there’s a well-stocked cottage library too - plus of course I’ve brought plenty of yarn with me…

Here you can clearly see the three sections of the cottage - and the wonderful views beyond!