Help on an island Croft and Sailing Boat
ReportLocation: Isle of Eigg, Scotland
Croft 17 is located just a short walk away from Singing Sands beach on the NW side of Eigg with wonderful views of the Isle of rum. I live on the croft with my teenage son and also run a yacht charter business.The croft has approximately 33 sheep, 8 chickens, and a cat. There is also a polytunnel and garden where we grow veggies for ourselves and the yacht charter. My croft is currently in the developmental stages. Long term vision includes building a house and wellbeing/yoga space. As a result, most of the volunteer tasks involve maintaining the croft in its current state and participating in bigger projects. Day to day tasks involve looking after the animals, working in the polytunnel/garden, cooking, cleaning, and general maintenance. Larger tasks involve building and maintaining fences, installing a water system, bracken control, and garden design. During certain parts of the year sheep shearing is needed.
Opportunities to help on the boat may come up. I sometimes need help at change overs and occasionally sailing. I try to give the volunteers at least one opportunity on Selkie, the sail boat.
On top of the croft I also run a yurt accommodation during the summer months. Volunteers are sometimes asked to help with this as well.
Throughout the year I am looking for both long term and short-term stints. During the summer I look for at least one volunteer to stay from May to September. Volunteers need to be strong and capable as work on both the croft and the boat can be physically demanding. Anyone with good cooking skills are encouraged to apply also.
Expectations:
Volunteers are expected to work approximately 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. In exchange I offer camping accommodations (there is potentially caravan accommodation for the long-term volunteer), and food. There is also good Wi-Fi (as the teenager demands).
Important notes:
The croft is 4 miles from the pier which is the hub of the island social life. It's a good idea to either bring your bike or like walking! I encourage people to get out and interact with the other folk on the island. Eigg has a big volunteer community with folk from all over the world and it's a great opportunity to get to know the island and its visitors.
Allergies:
In the past I have hosted some volunteers who suffer from hayfever. They had failed to tell me of their allergies and/or thought they could manage them with medication. In every case this was a disaster for both volunteer and myself. I cannot stress strongly enough that if you get allergies, sadly this is not the place for you.
