Hi and welcome to our blog! We are John and Jeanette McCarthy, originally from the suburbs of Glasgow, and finally returning to Scotland after 25 years in England. It has long been our dream to live in the highlands, and after many years of spending all our holidays there, we have finally decided to move permanently.

John ran a successful design and shopfitting company in Leicestershire for 16 years, and is now a keen photographer. He has a gallery in the village of Lochinver showcasing his beautiful landscapes, as well as artwork and paintings from local artists.

Jeanette has worked for an English firm of solicitors for 15 years, and remains with them on a consultancy basis. She is the author of two novels set in the highlands.

Together we have three beautiful border collies, all looking forward to their new life away from it all.

Friday, 6 August 2010



This morning bright and early we saw one of these beauties in Achmelvich bay. He was just a tiddler, coming into shore to have a look around Tife barked at him, as usual! It's the first time I've seen a common dolphin so close to shore, and quite a magical sight!

Sunday, 1 August 2010

time marches on...

Well, it had been my plan to write in this blog every day about what we've been up to, but it just hasn't worked. There's too much to do, and to be honest we've been having such a good time. Not only that, but it took weeks to get a phone line, and then get the internet connected. We still don't have any TV, not that it matters right now. In the winter I think it might be a different story. Everything up here moves at a snail's pace, something it's quite hard to get used to.
I still can't believe I'm living here permanently. It feels like an extended holiday, one that will come to an abrupt end shortly and I'll have to rejoin the real world. The dogs are having a ball, with all the hills, woods and beaches to run on. Tife likes to stand in front of the house barking, as if to say "this is my place!" Until the highland cows come along, then he runs away scared, silly bugger!