The Trouble With Small Worlds
NO man is an island, entire of itself, in the words of Donne’s poem, and not least when the island in question is in Scotland, it seems. You may think you’re the sole owner of a sea-girt piece of Caledonian rock, bog and heather, but it might turn out that a lot of other people believe it should belong to them, too, and not necessarily at a market price.
I dined recently with Jamie Howard, an old friend from school and, for now, owner of the Isle of Ulva off the north-west coast of Mull. He was just back from Greenland, where the pure air had cleared his head for some hard thinking and for reaching the grim conclusion that it was high time to leave Scotland.
Jamie took on the management of Ulva from his mother in 1983 and, since then, has devoted his life and limited capital resources to doing his best for the 5,000-acre island. The place has both happy and very sad memories for him.
His offspring have been raised there, living idyllic Swallows and Amazons childhoods; he’s created a small, but resilient community of five souls, besides his own family; he’s farmed cattle and sheep, increased annual tourism footfall from 0 to 4,500 and started a successful restaurant. Tragically, he has also lost two wives to cancer.
Denne historien er fra May 30, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra May 30, 2018-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
