CHAPTER 1

A Leap of Faith

‘
I got it. I got the job.’ I could barely make out the sentences
as Sandra called with her news. The job in question was a
six-month seasonal ranger post with the National Trust for
Scotland on the Isle of Arran, a small island off the west coast
of Ayrshire. We had decided that in order to seriously look for
land in Scotland, we would need to be in Scotland as our base
in England was nearly seven hours from the border, making any
viewings very difficult and practically impossible. The position
came with accommodation in Brodick Castle, a grand and
impressive Scottish baronial castle owned by the charity on the
edge of the largest village and main ferry port of Brodick. The
small flat would be big enough for us both, with Sandra’s wage
covering our living costs.
I often look back to those times and try to remember how it
felt. How do you make that leap? How do you know when the
time is right? I remember feelings of trepidation and occasional
surges of fear, the kind that rises up in your chest so quickly
that you can hardly breathe, as we turned away from lifelong
friends, from my family – including my only sister – and from
my job that had prospects, a pension and many other perks. But
this opportunity felt like our ticket to our dream. It was now or
never. This was our chance.

11

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 11 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 Our Wild Farming Life

I remember how completely exciting and liberating it felt,

and the support from our friends was incredible. Sandra had an
easy time in telling her very understanding and supportive boss
of her ensuing departure who had apparently seen it coming for
some time, whereas I had the slightly trickier job of telling mine
that two of us would be leaving the team. I watched the initial
shock on her face turn into a big smile, followed by the warmest
hug, as she fully agreed that this was the best move for us, totally
supporting our approach to give it a go. It felt as though we
weren’t just following our own dream, we were following the
dreams of many around us who, deep down, also had the same
hopes of following theirs one day.
Before long, it was time to fill our two little cars with the
final bits and pieces, and drive north to a new country and a
new life. I had found work with a small conservation charity
planting trees a few hours away on the mainland and so,
while weekdays were spent apart, weekends were packed full
of adventures hiking, camping and exploring our way around
Arran. After finishing her seasonal contract on the island,
Sandra also found work tree planting with a small woodland
management company, which gave her a valuable insight into
running a small business, and we moved into a whitewashed
mid-terrace cottage in the historic market town of Moffat, just
a few miles to the north of the English border.
We allowed ourselves a couple of months to settle in and
then our quest for land began on 1 January 2015. We had just
two points on our ‘must-have’ list: anywhere in Scotland (being
in the country was a good start) and a minimum size of around
five acres (but this wasn’t hard and fast, as a couple of acres
more would be fine too). We didn’t care if there was a house or
buildings, focusing instead on the land and happy to live in a
caravan, at least until we got set up.

12

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 12 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 A Leap of Faith

In a short space of time, our simple search evolved into a

military operation as we compiled detailed and extensive lists
of every estate and land agent that we could find across the
whole of Scotland. Once work was finished for the day, our
evenings were spent going through the lists, starting to get an
idea of what kind of properties were available as well as their
costs and locations. We sat side by side on the couch, often
without speaking, in focused silence. The first few months
were frustratingly slow, with very little coming up that was of
interest, making us doubt the way we were going about things.
It was hard not to get downhearted or despondent, especially as
we had literally come so far, but when either of us would have
a low moment, the other would say, ‘Be patient. We have to be
patient. If it was this easy, everyone would be doing it.’ And so
the search continued until finally, in spring, we had our first
breakthrough – or so we thought.
A plot had become available located to the north of Fort
William on the west coast, with spectacular views of the Ben
Nevis mountain range that boasts the highest peak in the
UK. We could make it up there and back within a day, so we
booked a viewing and the following weekend made the road
trip north. It was a bigger plot than we had been wanting
but, on paper, offered lots of potential. After a short wander,
however, it soon became clear this would not be the place for
us, the ground being mostly wet and boggy, and right next to
a very busy tourist monument that attracted endless streams
of coach tours packed with visitors from all over the world.
It became the first of many disappointments, weekend after
weekend, as our hunt intensified.
In those early days, I remember catching Sandra looking at a
new property she had found, somewhere that had clearly caught
her eye as; week after week, she kept revisiting the sales page.

13

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 13 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 Our Wild Farming Life

Initially, her attention had been drawn by the utopian pictures

that showed a small traditional farming homestead, with a few
stone buildings and a wooden cabin, set against the backdrop
of a large and impressive mountain range. It was a scene so
perfect that it was hard to imagine it was a real place and up for
sale just a few hours to the north of where we were living. Not
only was the location ideal, but the description of the land that
came with the chocolate-box homestead taunted and teased
her. When she eventually decided to share it with me, feeling
brave after an evening of fine food and red wine when spirits
were high, I understood: the draw of the land intoxicating us
both – and it wasn’t just the effect of the booze.
But this was pointless. Yes, it was incredible, but it was way
over our budget. We had to forget it. Our resolve to do so was
genuine and well intentioned but ultimately futile. This place
that Sandra had found grew into a secret, forbidden crush; one
that you know is so wrong but that you want so badly. Instead of
erasing it from our minds, it became all either of us could think
about, but we never spoke of it, not wanting to get the other’s
hopes up when individually, it felt like an impossible dream.
—

‘Well, we’ll be driving right past it. Should we just arrange a

quick look anyway?’
Quite a few months later, we had a busy weekend of viewings,
starting in Aberdeenshire in north-east Scotland, followed by
another one later that day just south of Inverness. As the route
was finalised, we realised it would involve driving directly past
the property we had secretly fallen in love with. Sandra sug-
gested a visit would do no harm as I tried my best to casually
agree with a forced air of nonchalance that spectacularly failed.
We were going to see it, in real life, the excitement barely

14

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 14 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 A Leap of Faith

contained behind a false wall of casual exteriors that we erected

as protection from the possibility of crushing disappointment.
The two-hour viewing of Lynbreck Croft felt like the short-
est, most intense and utterly overwhelming blink of a moment
in our lives. When we finally left, conscious not to overstay our
welcome but desperately eking out every last second, it was
clear what we were driving away from and what we had started
our journey towards. It felt so exciting, but no sooner than the
land was behind us, the reality of the next challenge was clear.
We didn’t have all the money to buy this place, so how would
we ever make this happen?
After returning home, we immediately appointed a solicitor
who specialised in crofting law to begin the initial process of offi-
cially noting an interest to purchase, a step which committed us
to at least some financial expenditure. But the reality was that we
were well short of what we needed. Getting a bank mortgage or
loan would be impossible as moving to Lynbreck would involve
leaving behind our paid employment. In a final act of despera-
tion, we started to share our position with friends and family in
the hope that they might help us come up with inspired solutions
to our problem. Buying some land was all we had talked about
for years, so it came as no surprise to them that our plans had
finally started to progress. We had family that wanted to help
but didn’t have the available funds we needed in the short term
to make the purchase. It felt as though we were getting so near
but just couldn’t close that gap and our time was beginning to
run out. With blind confidence, we continued to push things
forward with the solicitor, driving the purchase as much as we
could before a point of no return was reached.
During this whole time, one close friend in particular took
an interest, asking lots of questions about our plans, encourag-
ing us to take stock and really assess if we felt 100 per cent sure

15

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 15 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 Our Wild Farming Life

about this potential new life-changing venture. She was a true

pillar of strength to us in those days, providing endless support
until, one day, I had a phone conversation with her that would
change our lives for ever.
Friend: How are you getting on with finding the money?
Me: Well, not so great. We feel as if we’ve exhausted every
avenue. We’re not sure we can make this happen.
Friend: Well, I’ve been having a think and I’d like to lend
you the money. I have a few things I’d have to arrange but I
would be able to make enough available to help you make up
the shortfall.
Me: What? No, no, that’s too much. We couldn’t.
Friend: No, I insist. If you want it, I will lend it to you.
How do you react after a conversation like that? One where
someone effectively says: ‘Here, have your dream. If you want
it.’ I didn’t know how and neither did Sandra when I blurted
all this out to her. While we wanted to scream YES, we were so
shocked by this overwhelming offer of generosity that we just
sat there, completely stunned.
This was a real, genuine solution. With every penny we had
and now this incredible loan, we actually had enough money to
make a realistic offer for Lynbreck. We spent the rest of that
evening going over our figures, checking our maths and review-
ing our planning, just to give us that final reassurance that this
really, definitely, 100 per cent was going to work.
After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, our offer was finally
accepted and it was down to our legal team to wade through
the complexities of crofting law. We started the déjà vu of
resigning once again from our jobs and packing up everything
we owned, something we were beginning to make into a bit of
a habit. Just six months after our first visit, the deal was secured.
We had bought ourselves an old second-hand four-wheel drive

16

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 16 1/13/22 3:26 PM

 A Leap of Faith

using some of the money from selling my car, anticipating the

need for something more substantial than our two Polos. Then,
for the last time, we filled the four-wheel drive and a rented
Transit van full of our worldly goods before heading north. We
arrived at Lynbreck just after 10am on 18 March 2016, located
the key to our cabin under a nearby stone and unlocked the
door to our new home.

17

OurWildFarmingLife_finalpages-UK.indd 17 1/13/22 3:26 PM