Skye Workforce

Those of you who live in the big cities and surrounded by people must think our lives in Skye should be idyllic - mostly it is and we thought hard and long before coming to live here eight years ago. I appreciate that we live at the 'back of beyond' and that it takes a long time to get anywhere, but that can be part of the charm. We do not have a local pub, the nearest supermarket is 30 miles away (sadly it is the Co-op, but maybe Tesco's from next year - yippee), in the summer we are inundated with visitors - none of whom drive at more than 3o mph on our single track roads, and some of the local culture is quite foreign. But we would not change it because we love the fresh air, openness and relative solitude.

There is, though, the dreaded Skye disease!!!!! This also could apply to Scilly, Orkney, Man or any other isolated community - I am talking about the local workforce and the four 'C' s. There is little Communication. If they don't turn up for work (to do the plumbing etc) they do not phone and let you know they wont be working that day. Then we have disCourtesy. The Skye male (sometimes female) is renowned for not showing regard, empathy or compassion for anyone else. Finally there is Customer Care, which could be stand alone or include the first two. It is not just the indiginous population that show these three traits - incomers soon adopt the mindset. So, unlike most of you, we wait months to get the most simple of jobs completed. Then they just 'turn up' on the doorstep (no phoning of course) and assume that it is convenient! Whinge over!!