Thursday 21 February 2013

A Site To Be Out of Sight


Eilean Shona (from the Old Norse for Sea Island) is in Loch Moidart and access is governed by tides. J M Barrie leased it in the 1920s and while there wrote a screenplay for the 1924 film adaptation of his Peter Pan. Many children on the island soon grew up to be robust and fit because of the two-mile walk they had to make to attend school. In the 19th Century the schoolhouse had been deliberately sited in a detached setting, down a track, because the wife of the owner apparently had an aversion to children and did not wish to be disturbed by them. They were neither seen nor heard.

Scottish Islands Explorer - seen and heard

1 comment:

John Kirk said...

A few years ago, my wife and I spent a wonderful holiday in one of the 3 houses on Shona. With no cars and no shops, we had to take everything with us on Iain, the caretaker’s boat for the 5 minute crossing from the mainland. The school, which is empty now, as has been said, was on the other side of the island to the houses.

We had a great quiet holiday on Shona, feeding the pine martens strawberry jam sandwiches, but being so isolated, I imagine it wouldn’t suit everybody.