Couple sought to live and work on tiny off-grid Scottish island

For the right couple, it could be a dream move.

The isle of Rona, which sits between Skye and the mainland, is looking for a couple to work on the estate and help run its ‘Robinson Crusoe’-style holiday business. The island is completely off-grid, has no shops or pub and is accessible only by boat, with the new arrivals to live alongside just two other people and a trickle of guests who head there for holidays.

A full-time salary is being offered to the estate worker, with part-time hours available for their partner. The job also comes with accommodation – and stunning coastal views on an island that stretches just five-miles long. Skye’s old Man of Storr and the Trotternish Ridge can be viewed to the west.

Those who are self sufficient – and a little ‘rugged’ – are being encourage to apply for the positions. The jobs are supporting a couple who are already on the island running self-catering accommodation and a venison business.

A couple is being sought to live on work on the tiny island of Rona, which sits between Skye and the mainland. PIC: Contributed.

Bill Cowie, island manager at Ardochy & Rona Estate said: “We’re looking for an enthusiastic estate worker and partner who will really throw themselves into our island life and outdoor work. Someone just like the island itself – self-sufficient, resilient and perhaps a little rugged. The island is our home and living, and we know the right candidate will fall in love with it just as we have.”

Those who take up the job will be involved in managing both the logistics of island life and its 180-strong deer population, while keeping the solar panels, generators, boats and Rona’s digger in good working order.

Candidates don’t necessarily need to be skilled already in these areas, but must be willing to learn, Mr Cowie said.

Rona has become a destination for those seeking peace and seclusion, with dolphin spotting, dark skies and foraging among activities on an island where time ticks slowly and the trials of modern life slip away.

The successful couple will work on the estate and welcome guests to the island's three holiday homes.

Laura Saunders, commercial director and founder of jobs site HiJOBS, which is advertising the position, said: “It’s always been a priority at HiJOBS to help promote job opportunities across Scotland’s rural and Highland communities. This role is the complete embodiment of that, and I’m not surprised it’s one of our most popular job ads of 2023 to date.”