Tiny British island wants couple to move there and do ‘dream job’ away from the rat race

Located in the Inner Hebrides between Skye and the mainland, the Isle of Rona is looking for a couple to work on the estate and help run the holiday business away from the rat race.

The dream job offers a full-time salary for the real estate agent and part-time hours for their partner.

A chartered private boat leaves and returns only once a week and the island has no pub or shops.

The couple will be living with just two other people and a small number of guests coming on vacation.

Bill Cowie, island manager at Ardochy & Rona Estate: ‘We are looking for an enthusiastic farm worker and partner who really focuses on our island life and outdoor work. Someone just like the island itself: self-sufficient, resilient and maybe a little rough. The island is our home and life, and we know the right candidate will fall in love with it just like us.”

The island of Rona has varied terrain, including forests, lakes and rocky hills, and is only five miles long

The role includes housekeeping, logistics and assisting in deer management, stalking and venison processing.

The job description states that candidates must be “long-term happy in remote areas” and “social with guests, visitors and colleagues.”

Since Rona is off-grid, the island’s solar panels, generators, and inverters require maintenance, as well as equipment such as boats, excavators, and other machinery.

While candidates do not need to be proficient in these areas, they must demonstrate a willingness to learn, Mr Cowie said.

The reels support a couple who already run a deer farm and self-catering accommodation on the island.

The island is only five miles long, with varied terrain including forests, lakes and rocky hills.

There are about 180 deer on the island. Leisure activities for visitors include dolphin watching, dark sky stargazing, and foraging.

The roll would suit foodies as it has a good source of langoustines, stocky lobsters and wild mushrooms.

Skye’s old Man of Storr, a rocky outcrop, and the Trotternish Ridge can be seen to the west of the island.

Laura Saunders, commercial director and founder of job site HiJOBS, which advertises the position, said: ‘It has always been a priority at HiJOBS to promote employment in Scotland’s rural and highland communities. This position is the full embodiment of that, and I’m not surprised it’s one of our most popular vacancies of 2023 so far.”

More information about the role of Isle of Rona can be found on the HiJOBS website.

Pictured: Liathach and the mountains of Torridon above the Isle of Rona, seen from the Trotternish Ridge on the Isle of Skye

The role is likely to attract applicants looking to escape the UK’s cost of living crisis.

People in their fifties and sixties are reconsidering their decision to retire early after being impoverished by the economic landscape, a think tank suggested this week.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies said pressure on living standards caused by the highest inflation in four decades was likely why more 50- to 64-year-olds were looking for work.

The think tank said it was too early to say for sure whether the surge in economic activity among older workers at the end of 2022 was the start of a trend.

It urged Jeremy Hunt to include measures in this month’s budget to get more over-50s back into the workforce.

Hunt is expected to extend support for household energy bills for three months beyond April, a government source said Friday.

Government grants are scheduled to be scaled back from next month, meaning average annual bills would rise from £2,500 from £3,000.

However, the government source said that the lower bills are now expected to remain in place until the end of June.

Hunt will issue a budget statement on March 15, when any extension of aid levels can be announced.