03: Restoring a Drystone Wall at Our Jacobean Croft, Scotland, Highlands | The Scottish Isle
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Episode 03.
Welcome to The Scottish Isle, where we share the captivating world of our life on this private island in the Hebrides. Our channel is your window to the rich treasures of this unique way of life, showcasing Scotland's beauty, local traditions, and the enchanting, old-fashioned lifestyle we embrace. Join us on this exciting journey as we explore the stories and wonders that shape our island life, from breath-taking landscapes to cherished traditions; the renovation of a 300-year-old cottage, and the restoration of antiques. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay up-to-date with our latest episodes. Let's embark on this remarkable adventure together!
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Title music 'Wild Mountain Thyme'; a traditional Scottish folk tune, performed by Tara Howley.
Background music: Stephanie Liney playing Si Bheag, Si Mhor on harp, traditional Irish folk tune by Turlough O'Carolan (1670-1738)
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Please follow The Scottish Isle on Instagram: ...
For further information please contact us at: scottish-isle@proton.me
Support our channel at www.ko-fi.com/thescottishisle
Please support our channel at www.ko-fi.com/thescottishisle
Paypal: scottish-iale@proton.me
Patreon subscription: www.patreon.com/TheScottishIsle
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For further information please contact us at: scottish-isle@proton.me
I used to live in that cottage in the mid-1960s
Wow! Would you like to get in touch with us? We'd love to chat with you. scottish-isle@proton.me
Hope your history gets included in future videos.
Oh please give an account of what it was like for you to live there.
@@claremaidofthewave251 We really hope he gets in touch!
@@TheScottishIsle sometimes people don’t realise there’s been an answer to a comment. Hopefully he will pick it up and reply or you may have to do a shout out in a future video to ask him to get in touch 🤔.
I love the way the sheep and the cat hang out together.
Enjoying your journey so far, but so many questions! How do you get from the mainland to the island? Do you own the island? Do you own the house? Maybe a Q&A video soon?
We'll give a background session in an upcoming...had no idea there'd be so much interest!
@@TheScottishIsle Look forward to that! Best of luck in all your endeavours.
I am also curious
I would like to see some more film of practical things like electricity, furniture, food,cooking. Bathroom etc.
I am an Englishman, now retired in Cape Town, South Africa from London. I toured that area three times back in the 80's and early 90's on a motorbike and yes, it was often very wet but that's what rain suits are for so it wasn't too unpleasant at all. I definitely fell in love with the area as well as the people I met up there so I really envy your lifestyle and courage in taking on a project like this. Its something I often wish I had done, instead, I spent my life cooking and working long hours in hot kitchens, often for disagreeable patrons. Luckily, as not just the chef, but the owner made it all worthwhile eventually, but I still regret never having had the courage of my convictions to do something similar to what you are doing. I wish you every success and future happiness in your endeavors.
Cheers from Brazil! I've just started to marathon your channel. Enjoying it all and living vicariously through this beautiful journey.
oh thank you for using the respirator mask!! beahty, grace, brains and strength. you two are gracious to share your adventure with us.
This young lady is just amazing😊
the source of your damp around the fire place is Gypsum plaster, the wall is held together by Lime mortar, and the wall needs to breath, gypsum plaster stops it breathing, and I bet there is lots more gypsum about the place, break the plaster off and repoint with lime mortar, you will find that as you work around the house the damp will slowly vanish. check the pointing on the outside also if that is Portland cement it will also hold the moisture.
Many thanks for your help in this matter. Much appreciated.
Many a happy memory on the island and staying at the croft. I have many photos I'd love to share with you.
I wonder if my name is still on the emersion tank in the kitchen?
Hi Mandy. We haven't yet taken down the boards covering the tank, but I have keeked behind it. Apart from a ga-zillion spider webs, I can see some sweet yellow floral wallpaper back there! Would you send us an email, please? It'd be lovely to chat with you properly and share stories! scottish-isle@proton.me Kx
Did we ever dig up the memory box we buried by the tree mum? Such amazing memories here as a child! Don't miss the mozzies though 😂
@lauraeliselangwell2459 no I believe the memory box is still buried on the island.
Your cat Esther is absolutely adorable 🥰
She's a sweetie. I fostered her when she had a litter of kittens, for a rescue charity...and ended up keeping her. Kx
I am a recent viewer and has subscribed to your channel.
What a beautiful place to live, the bird song is glorious and I look forward to following your journey.
Love your sheep and kitties. Best of luck to you both. ❤❤
Absolutely love you two.if only I could share some of my wisdom of30years using wot u have and not need from the shops ,the followers will follow doing if crofters ways ,they didn't have the shops... keep on keeping on 💚🏴💚
At 11:45 you can clearly see that the foreshire has been cleared back to allow access by a suitable vessel. It would make sense for you to look at a boat such as the Pioneer Multi - pretty bombproof but with a fold-down bow so it can be used as a landing craft.
The mortar in your 'feature wall' is most likely soft because it is lime mortar - which should be used when rebuilding as it allows the wall and stone to breathe and thereby dry out if sufficient ventilation is available. You will have a challenge to get the building dry before the onset of winter - it can be somewhat damp in these parts to put it mildly. You will need a good few tonnes of seasoned wood to get you through to spring if nothing else!
Right, we have a wee jetty and access for a boat - just got to save the pennies and find one! That's going to be our driveway.
And absolutely, lime is the way forward all round for this old place, we're going to take up the 1960s concrete as well. Poor house can't breathe at all.
Thank you for your advice and for watching along. 😁
Definitely won’t need a lawn mower with the sheepies haha! And oh dear, I hope the wall holds!
So lovely. Thank you for sharing it!
I've been rewatching your videos from the beginning again, as background companionship while working from home - it's amazing to go back and see what the cottage was like when you moved in and how much love, care and work you've both put in to making it what it is now (though I know you're not done yet!). There's such a big change, I don't think I appreciated just how much until I went back at watched them again from the beginning! It's a pleasure to be sharing the journey with you and dropping in each week for the latest update, thank you for bringing us along 🐾🐑
Thank you for this encouragement. 🥰 Kx
A pony and a low sled would go a long way to helping you guys transport goods and materials, such as firewood, lime, sand and timber etc.
Or quad bike and trailer!
Or even a Gorilla Cart
There aren’t very many gorillas in the Scottish islands…😮
Im not sure what was more shocking a fireplace/"feature wall" cover: the fall leaves or the books!!! 😂 👍😎🇨🇦
Wow, there certainly was a conflict of tastes going on. 🤣
A bit of everything Scottish. Grand
Beautiful place! Guess it will take some time to feel like home but what a great reason to get up every day! Xx
We could pinch ourselves every day. It's beautiful. Thank you for your words.
I stumbled on your channel just the other day, and I'm absolutely loving your videos! They're so soothing, and I love seeing you guys work around the house and the island!
Much love from Finland! ❤
Thank you! Kx
Put a membrane sleaved perforated drain on a 50mm bed of 10mm gravel then put 20-40mm stone on top of 300mm depth. Fill the remaining trench with 70mm stone to the top make sure the pipe bends around and away from the building in one length. Hope this helps 🙂
Your kitty is so cute love the birds
Just a point. When doing any work, you should wear safety glasse and gloves for your protection. Having worked as a safety inspector, it is just too easy to get injured, even when doing simple tasks. Thank you for posting your videos.Very interesting , All the best.
I’m a Scot who, not by choice, lives in London atm and I just love channels like yours that take me “home”, and in such a stunning, beautiful way!
What an amazing place! I’m looking forward to seeing its transformation.
Thank you for sharing 💙🏴
And… the wee fae folk definitely live in that forest, for sure! 😉😊
We lived in the Borders near Edinburgh for some time. We couldn't afford an island either; it isn't ours, but we are the only two residents here! Very happy to have your interest, thank you.
I’m born a bred Edinburgh. I’d love to live in a place like this! So magical and peaceful. 😊🌻
Me too...Gilmerton, Bonnyrigg, Newington. Moved about a bit!
Born in Fountainbridge, then Sighthill, then move to North Berwick in East Lothian in my early 20’s. Right on the coast and the countryside 10 mins in the opposite direction. Living by the sea does wonders for the soul! 😊🌻
🙋♀️❤ I cant wait for episode 50, when you are warm and safe and dry!
Your videos( scenery) looks like Cape Breton and the music is the same! Our ancestors were from Scotland and were kicked out in the 1700 & 1800s. They immigrated to all of Nova Scotia(new scotland) but most came to Cape Breton where the culture remained the same. The fiddle & bagpipes are still alive and well here.Your property is so beautiful! Does it get very cold in the winter??
You’re cats so amazing, really curious lol
Absolutely beautiful! Love the content and music as well very calming to watch. looking forward to the home restoration process.
Thank you for sharing your adventure with us!
Our pleasure!
Glorious
Great videos. Better than normal TV.
Agree
I live in a completely different area/climate in the world (Florida, USA), and I find what you’re doing so fascinating - thank you for documenting and allowing others to see and experience such a unique lifestyle. God bless you.
Our pleasure! And thank you; same to you!
Your channel is an absolute joy to watch :) I am a permaculture gardener based in Central Texas and had some ideas when you mentioned forestry and bedrock/no soil in prior videos. If you had a good quality wood chipper you could use it a few ways. One way would be to make wood chip paths to prevent slipping on the exposed rocks and thus make transporting items smoother. The other idea for the wood chipper was for a future garden. Your wood chips would be your carbon and you've got gorgeous sheep manure and mineral-rich seaweed/shellfish as nitrogen, as well as kitchen scraps etc. In your climate it may require a corrugated shed roof to prevent it from getting too wet, and regular turnings with a garden fork. Andrew Millison and Geoff Lawton are my go-to UA-cam channels for self-sustaining systems when it comes to making your land work for you. Thrilled to have found your channel and can't wait to see what you all create
Thanks for the great advice. We will definitely be making a compost system, although we haven't got a chipper. But we do have seaweed in abundance!!!
Was surfing you tube and found your charming videos. Keep up the good work as you continue this journey. What kind of work will you be doing in your new office? Living through your beautiful videos. You are Blessed. 🤓
Welcome to our channel! Many thanks for your support. The office is being used for the sole purpose of creating these vlogs for the time being. Refurbishing it will probably be the last thing on our list of things to do.
Wow, what a nice surprise your channel is! I live in the US and I fell in love with Scotland because I am infatuated with "Outlander" I have done a lot of research about Scottish history and watched a lot of U-tube channels about Scotland. That is probably why your channel was recommended to me. I felt right at home when your wife showed us the Presbyterian church and talked about Cullodon and the Jacobites (That's how Outlander, the book and show started out) so I subcribed immediately. I don't envy you your hard work in restoring your new home but I am looking forward to following your journey. God bless!
I read all the Gabaldon books too and enjoyed them immensely! So, we must have the same taste! Kx
I feel for you guys with all the issues you have, once again good luck and all the best. The animals are having a great time.
They had a fire on and the soot marks or black marks is where the heat and smoke is coming through the old mortar between the stones, I would redo the fire place and use a metal liner with a wood burning stove. The sheep and cat are loving the place.
I thought the same about the boats in the bay after initially thinking how lucky you are to have no neighbours!
And so the renovation begins one tiny step at a time. With many more steps to come. I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this turns out. Good luck to you both.
Thank you!
I absolutely love your channel, I have subscribed so I can join you on this wonderful adventure. Your videos are very calming, soothing but also interesting and entertaining. Great combination. Love the animals.
Thank you so much! Welcome aboard! :)
More questions. How do you have wifi? Do you have a generator? Are you planning on solar power for electricity at some point? I am so envious of your work on this beautiful home.
We have internet via satellite and actually would like to install solar, absolutely.
I left a busy huge city 5 years ago for a better life in nature! I bought a small house in central Italy in a tiny village on the edge of a National nature park! Old house but didn’t have as many fix ups to do. You two are living the dream. I definitely could live on a remote island in Scotland! Looking forward to many more videos.Bravo to you both. 😊
Your wolly lawnmowers are doing a good job 👍well done.
We may have to get them some friends to make a proper impact! Hoping to put the big one to a male this winter and get some lambs.
I really like the stone walls you see in Scotland, Ireland, and England. I always admire stone houses whenever I see them here in my country too. There is just something so natural and unpretentious about them that draws me to them. I am curious what the stonemason will have to say about the stone you have uncovered around the fireplace. TeresaSue.
I would love to have the guts to do this! alot of work but so beautiful and peaceful
❤❤
Wow I have never seen someone do a demo in a dress and no work gloves. Glad you at least were wearing a mask
Idyllic...beautifully shot ....I’m so looking forward to following your endeavours .
The speed up footage at the start was so funny with the cat zipping around haha...... so glad I found this channel and can't wait it see where it goes. Subscribed
Great to have to with us, thank you!
In addition, flue liner 100% grout out and repoint prior to going near any matches!
Absolutely agree
Hi, your channel popped as suggested viewing, a couple days ago, I wish I could visit Scotland someday, but it's not in the cards.
I love renovating houses. You've taken on quite a huge task!
If you don't mind too much, please consider checking to see if your tetanus shots are up to date? It came to mind when I watch you, sorry, I don't have your names down, remove that strip of boarding from near the fireplace. It looked like it had nails in it. Old metal and rosebush thorns are both culprits in tetanus.
I'm looking forwards to seeing the house and yards progress. Oh, and I adore the bagpipe playing in the intro and ending (and the cat/s)!
💙💙
Looking forward to all the changes, scenery and animal fun! Thank you for sharing. Where is your dress from? It’s lovely.
Thank you, check out Banned Retro online. 😁
Lovely to hear the birdsong, but I do wonder for how long it will be heard...:( Enjoying your vlogs. Thank you. Cheers.
Scott heard the most amazing song the other day, but didn't have his phone on him to record it. Hopefully we can capture it and share with you...and figure out what bird it is!
What a lovely spot! Thanks for sharing. Oh, and by the way, I love your dresses!
Oh thank you!
What a beautiful place to live you both sure do have your work cut out doing your renovations at least your pets are all happy with the amount of land to roam about on what freedom they have the winter will be really harsh there am sure carnt wait to see the work really getting going take care
Lived away from Scotland for many, many years but recognized your Edinburgh accent. I’m from Dundee. Am loving your videos!
Well spotted!!
Lovely seeing the apple tree. If you want to grow veg, maybe have built up beds. In the west of Ireland, people would harvest seaweed from the beaches and spread it on rhe land to improve the soil.
Can't wait to eat them! still a bit early, yet...
Truly stunning scenery, best of luck in your efforts to create your new home.
You are so lucky. The world is crazy right now.
You found an island of peace.
God has blessed you.
Gives me hope to be blessed.
I wish I could be there to see my ancestorial homeland and help with the forestry work. Good to see you again. (ERV)😀
One day, God willing!
Nice ❤
Looking forward to seeing your further adventures and challenges.
Your videos have entirely captured my interest, beautifully presented and totally absorbing.
May I wish you both all the best wishes in your new life.
Thank you!
Thank you very much for sharing your sheep info with me…I look forward to your documentaries. Amazing site.
My ancestors left Tomintoul in the Cairngorms in 1864 to settle in NZ. If you’ve seen the film The Piano the land was like that and I think they were well prepared. I was born in NZ but came to live in England as a child. I’ve visited Scotland a couple of times and would like to go again. I’m enjoying your channel and wish you all the best.
Thanks Margaret. I visited NZ too (north) and find the territory here reminds me of it quite a bit! It's all the Caledonian natural forests, they give a primal feel to the place. Katie
I look forward for your next video. Thank you for sharing your journey. ❤️🤗🤗
He's not ruining your shot. He's purrrrrfecting it!
LOL
Omg the bagpipes pull at my❤😢
Enjoyed that, thank you! xx
You say you have two cats, I have only seen the one. Can you show us the other? I have adopted 4 cats from the Humane Society. Two are 13 and 14 and the other two are sisters and about 4 years old. All inside cats. Three cats are black and white, my favorite. I live in Florida but my mom and her parents came from Scotland (St. Andrews and Aberdeen).
The whole motley crew make appearances in later episodes. One cat was abit shy to begin when we first moved and stayed indoors lots. Kx
This is so awesome and look forward to seeing what comes next
Your dresses are so pretty!
Thank you!!
They're from a shop called Banned Retro - can get them online!
@@TheScottishIsle wonderful! I will look them up! Thank you!
The fireplace seems to me that they have partially taken the fireplace out and who ever used the fire place is so lucky that the place never caught fire. The lime mortar needs to be redone as you say there is play with some of the stones. Be interesting to hear what the stone mason will have to say, very interesting. What a beautiful place you have and so peaceful.
I have an old house and over many decades the walls and chimneys will dry out causing smoke to leak. Use a proper chimney liner on your woodburners. You might not be able to have an open fire.
Do you all have a plan/timeline for preparing for winter?
We have to get the fireplaces in working order and chop a whole lot of wood. An awful lot of wood, as we've no central heating!
I have only recently found your channel but am loving it. Thank you so much for chronicling your journey: reminds me of similar living conditions and DIY when I was young! By the way, your dresses are beautiful, do you make them yourself?
An online site called Banned Retro. They've got lots of pretty dresses. Kx
@@TheScottishIsle Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know, very kind:)
@1sweffling Oh, you're welcome! I hope you find one you like. I will make a pattern from them one day when I wear one out, to sew another...but they last for ages! Thanks for watching. 😊 Kx
May I ask how you get your trash picked up? Do you have to cart it out to the car by hand and then haul it somewhere? Does Amazon deliver to your neck of the woods? So many questions--yes, as someone noted earlier, a Q&A would be fab.
We have to take it over to the mainland and have a bin collection over there. We also have a post box on the mainland where we go to collect our deliveries...if/when they arrive! Sometimes sellers (like on ebay) see the postcode and just don't bother sending things. But yeah: no such thing as amazon next day delivery! Kx
I'm so jealous, you're living my dream.
You need a dog or two to add to your zoo though ;)
Maybe one day!
The first thing I thought when I saw sheep and no dogs was - how do you protect them?! After some quick research I learned you have no predators. Wow! That just blew my mind. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I’m jealous.
Soot like that is fairly common in old fireplaces around us. Two thoughts: Are you sure the stuff around the side is soot and not mold? Was there a second fireplace around the front side there?
There also may have just been smoking seeping out through a crack in that rough extension into the room... It's a good thing you're tearing it apart and evaluating it now, though, in any case.
How are you going? news of really bad weather hitting Scotland- New Zealand follower
All we experienced was a few moderately high winds. The island missed pretty much all of it. Thanks for asking.
So glad you are safe
How do you get rid of the old building supplies as you take them down?
Everything is being repurposed in some way. The spoil is also being used here on the island.
Good day started watching your videos and I really love watching them...however I heard your wife and Yourself kept referring to the owner of the island.
❤if you don't mine me asking can you own a house on a island with someone else owning the island?
Is it just the land the house sitting on that you are allowed to own😮
We don't own it, we just have the pleasure of living here and looking after things for the absent owner. Kx
I noticed you have shale around you. Are there more on your land to use?
If you can find a couple of used auto tires of different sizes you can put the piece of wood inside and then split it. That way it won’t fly everywhere and it will be easier and quicker to stack it up.
Good tip!
You may also find a little shorter splitting stump. That one is a little too tall.
Is there somewhere for the sheep to sleep during the colder and wet weather? I use my Grandmother`s balance scales for baking.
Are you allowed to have a quad with trailer to pull your goods in from parking lot?….so wonderfully pastoral…..your sheep have certainly happy
We'd rather not use the quad. Just a bit too dangerous on the track for our liking.
A very nice place to stay, Get yourself organised and get some profecional help, It makes your staying even more beautiful
We have a stonemason coming to help! Thank you.
What are going to do with the debris generated by the demo? How do you charge your cameras and connect ot the internet?
There is no debris as such, everything is kept and reused in some fashion. The cottage has electricity and we also use gas bottles for cooking. We have a satellite internet system which functions brilliantly 95% of the time.
if your going to fit a soild fuel fire look at fitting a clay liner if the lumb is going off to the right it may half gaps which the soot or heat come out looks like to much heat on the front of the wall dont know what they have been burning people like to burn every thing in a fire but eventually it closes of the lumb
We have lots of work to do on all the chimneys, we'll need to get them sorted before the cold weather as they're our only heat.
How about Herdwick sheep.
I hope people know its a private island.😊
Are you sleeping in that room near you doing the construction? If yes, you should cover the opening of the bedroom because all the dust will be in your bedroom, otherwise it didn’t matter you put a mask to protect you against the dust!
Lovely relaxing videos
Glad you like them!
What is that stone building across the water at 11:28?
A ruined keep!
Thank you. @@TheScottishIsle
I see a chainsaw and woodshed very soon❤
Just seen your video,I used to live in Ayrshire but now in Sunny Italy,you do live in a nice place but I'm not keen on the weather
Is a boat an option to bring stuff to your home?
Gotta save up for one first!
@@TheScottishIsle That’s a point!
You may have already explained this, but what is your power source on the island? Do you have a generator? And how do you get internet service? Sorry to be nosy!
We'll explain more in upcoming episodes, promise.
Eshea