Village shop on remote island looking for shopkeeper - but you may be lonely

25 April 2023 , 12:33

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Would you move to a remote Scottish island to run this village shop? (Image: Isle of Rum Community Trust/SWNS)

Villagers are on the lookout for a new shopkeeper - but you might be extremely lonely.

Islanders on the Isle of Rum, Inner Hebrides, consider the shop to be 'the hub of the village'.

The community trust is recruiting a shopkeeper with applications closing on May 5 - and it's the only shop on the entire island.

A two-bedroom modern house is available to rent, which will be available from the end of this month.

There is also a school on the island, which has a population of about 40, making the opportunity possible for a young family.

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Islanders on the Isle of Rum, Inner Hebrides, consider the shop to be 'the hub of the village' (Isle of Rum Community Trust/SWNS)

Steve Robertson, development officer at the trust, said: "It's really a centre for the island.

"It can work as a pub, with people buying alcohol and drinking outside.

"But it is also the pharmacy and the post office as there is nowhere else to buy anything."

He said the plans for the island's community hub would hopefully include a new shop and cafe, depending on funding.

Plans for the island's community hub would hopefully include a new shop and cafe (Isle of Rum Community Trust/SWNS)

Mr Robertson said: "It means whoever takes on the shop can maybe look ahead to working with this development in about three years' time.

"There's an opportunity for whoever takes on the shop to process the venison we have here, of which there is plenty, and make it more widely available to locals.

"It's a challenging place to run a business, with it being the only shop on the island.

"But for some people, it is the ideal sort of environment and exactly what they want."

There is also a school on the island, which has a population of about 40, making the opportunity possible for a young family (Isle of Rum Community Trust/SWNS)

Three years ago, Mr Roberts said the trust received about 4,000 enquiries and 400 applications for new houses that were built on the island at the time.

He added: "It was a phenomenal response.

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"I don't think we'll be short of interest for this."

Katharine Hay