Chance to try an ‘old-fashioned’ farming life
One of Orkney’s most remote family farms is calling for a helping hand.
“Off-grid” life, farming a treasured Orcadian flock on the island of Auskerry, has been a labour of love for Simon Brogan and Teresa Probert for decades.
Now, it is hoped another couple will get the chance to experience life on the remote isle, short-term, as Teresa calls for assistance over the summer months.
“What I’m looking for is people who want to embrace the idea of living off-grid, having that experience of living in an absolutely stunning environment that is quite challenging in terms of your practical skills,” explains Teresa, who married Simon in 1983, joining him on the small island he had bought a decade earlier as its only human inhabitants.
Together, the couple launched a successful business, based on the wool from Auskerry’s flock of North Ronaldsay sheep. Their three children, Rory, Owen and Hamish soon came along — all given the surname Auskerry.
Sadly, after 50 years of life in Auskerry, 2023 saw Simon leave the island for the last time. Living with Parkinson’s and dementia, it is now impossible for him to return to live there.
Teresa explains that management of the flock is still well within her capabilities but, with her boys grown and living elsewhere, helping hands are needed to maintain essential infrastructure.
Beginning life in Auskerry in a bothy, she and Simon eventually built a four-bedroom home.
“I want the house and the fencing and so on — the infrastructure — to be kept maintained.
“That’s the main thing that I want the people to do there, leaving them basically free most of the time.”
With out-housing space fit for a studio, and strong Wi-Fi and 4G connections, Teresa says this golden free time could allow the right couple the space to run a business remotely or explore creative projects.
“I’m sort of imagining people who want to spend some time writing, or painting, or creating in some shape or form — which this is the perfect place for.
“But I do need at least one of the couple to have pretty good practical skills, because they need to maintain a water filter system, the electricity system, the fire, any problems with wind in the house, sea ingress. There’s lots of different issues that I’ll want to explain to them that aren’t that difficult, but they do need to be adaptable with DIY skills really.”
Raising a family and farming on Auskerry, which sits to the south of Stronsay, has been a somewhat unexpected “dream” life for the couple.
“We met in Orkney, and it took me a while to know whether it was something I wanted to do,” Teresa recalls of moving to the island.
“I don’t know if Simon did either to begin with. He was looking for somewhere fairly isolated. He had a very busy life before that with people and cities and so on, and I think it was a haven for him and a place where he could think, and develop all sorts of ideas. He’s a big thinker.
“So that’s a potential for somebody. It really does give you space and time to work through things in your head in a way that you can’t when you’re beset by all kinds of deadlines and things.
“On the other hand, you’re tired at the end of the day, and you sleep in that way you sleep when you’re really, bodily tired.”
It is this tranquil, self-sustaining existence, combined with a dedication to Auskerry’s natural heritage itself, that has wed the couple to the island all these years, despite all the challenges a remote lifestyle brings.
Teresa sees her family’s time on the island as just a tiny part of its long history — and she is not ready for that to be over — but is keen to offer others the chance to experience what she and Simon have found in Auskerry.
“It’s a piece of Orkney’s history that you can’t put a value on — but I think we need to preserve it.”
— Teresa Probert
The significance of the flock they farm is one of a number of things that keep her devoted to this “most amazing place”.
“The flock of North Ronaldsay sheep are of international importance, because this gene pool — there are only really two flocks living in their natural environment anywhere of Orkney native sheep.
“Ours is a sizeable flock. We’ve got 250 breeding ewes now — I’ve cut it down, because of my labour problems, but it could maybe be expanded again.
“We have created a flock of huge variation of colours, and very good quality wool, which we have worked on for nearly 40 years, carefully choosing the tups and so on.
“That’s a gene pool that is vitally important to keep.”
Teresa is also emotionally invested in the future of the island and the protection of its natural environment. Among its many attributes is its designation as a site of special scientific interest as a breeding ground for storm petrels and Arctic terns.
“It has every type of seabird, and almost every type of seaweed that the UK had. We see whales, and dolphins, and seals, and there’s also an awful lot of archaeology. It’s got Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, 12th Century — right up until then, and then in the 19th Century the lighthouse was built, and then in the World Wars there was activity that was important for various reasons then.
“It’s an important part of Orkney’s history and Orkney’s wildlife. It’s completely unspoilt — it’s never been managed except for having sheep on it, and the old-fashioned way of life out there, being off-grid, is really precious.
“It’s a piece of Orkney’s history that you can’t put a value on — but I think we need to preserve it.”
To find out more about this opportunity to live short-term in Auskerry, visit www.isleofauskerry.com/life-on-auskerry/