I would like to sell my town house in Southport, and buy a croft in Scotland. I have been looking at crofts for sale, and could easily afford one with several acres.

I enjoy my vegetable gardening and have two ducks which keep me and others in eggs. I am interested in the possibilities of keeping pigs and in time possibly deer.

At 54, I do not see this as some huge career move, it would not matter to me if I made a profit or not. I would be happy enough producing my own vegetables, and ducks etc. Lets just call it early retirement. The way things are, at my age I might not get another job. Besides I do not really want one, I am tired of making money for others.

I still have quite a lot of diy to do. I might be ready to sell in 12 months

So here are some questions. Are there any expenses I do not know about ? Politicians are so greedy I would not be surprised if there was a croft tax, or perhaps a land tax.

Also, if I cannot make money, but simply just get by, are you still expected to pay the poll tax/council tax?

Is there a sense of comradeship between the crofters, and do they have much of a social life.

Lastly, what about the highlanders themselves , in particular, how do they really feel about the English settling there ?

Ian

I saw a beauty. It was a two bedroom cottage built in stone. It had 20 acres. On the land were two vandalised crofts from the days of the highland clearances. Nearby was a sandy cove.

It has so much potential, and it was only 125K. The two ruins could have become holiday homes. Another option might have been a camping site. The sea view and beach favoured this.

It looked as if the soil was poor. That does not worry me. The answer of course is pigs! They would soon plough over and manure some space where vegetables could be grown.

I often look at the photos of that croft. It was a dream come true.

Testing

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i think i live in heaven ever in my life god gift me a home there

wow. id like to have one too :D thanks for sharing

Celie - 30 June 2010 10:28 PM

Wishing you all luck Ian, my dream is in Cyprus but Scotland is so beautiful too. Don’t be afraid, just do it.

Does it rain much there Celie ? I bet it does not ! You will have to often water your crops. In Scotland the watering is all done for you ! Think again.

Celie - 08 July 2010 09:31 AM

Hi Ian, have you come to any decisions yet? Exciting times. Follow your dream if you can.

The house is not really ready for sale yet. I have a Rayburn to install, and the central heating it provides to set up, and a few more jobs to do. It might be saleable in a year or two. For now, I just keep looking at crofts/small holdings for sale.