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Glasgow Live
Glasgow Live
National
Sarah Ward

Hunt for remote island caretaker as Glasgow dad retires from one of most idyllic jobs in Scotland

A Glasgow man gave up city life to spend a decade looking after three uninhabited Scottish islands.

Now Jonathan Grant is set to retire from his job as a ranger on remote Mingulay, Pabbay and Berneray and hopes someone with his passion for the islands can step into his shoes.

The 65-year-old lives on Barra with his family, but can spend weeks camping in the islands during the six months of the year he works for the National Trust for Scotland (NTS).

READ MORE: Sudden death of young Glasgow dad at 27 leaves family heartbroken

Grandad-of-three Jonathan said it never caused family problems that he worked away so much, and could spent between a week and ten days camping on an island.

He plans to retire in October and hopes a younger person will love the job as much as he has done.

Jonathan said: "After I retire I'll probably keep doing the same sort of thing.

"We quite often have a seabird ranger on the tiny islands and there are a lot of visitors and campers.

"There's times when I'm on the island on my own, that's fine, it suits me.

"I haven't spent the past 13 years in a tent.

Spectacular Mingulay (National Trust for Scotland/SWNS)

"I've got a nice home and a wife on Barra.

"I only camp for a couple of weeks every summer."

The islands were sold to NTS by the Barra Sheep-stock Islands, a conglomerate.

Jonathan said: "I was born in Glasgow and went to school there.

"After leaving school I didn't want to live in a city.

"I moved up to Barra as I had family and friends there and got a job as a building contractor.

"That's always been my main employment.

"I don't get paid a huge amount, but I work for six months, in winter I generally do building work self-employed.

"I got into working as a ranger about 20 years ago, before this job came up.

"The funding ran out but then I got the NTS job.

"There's seabirds nesting on the cliffs, the wildlife is unbelievable.

"There's sandy beaches and seals and basking sharks.

"My wife probably thinks I'm a part-time husband.

"I'm never far away and we have internet and satellite communication."

He said retiring was a gesture of commitment to the future of the islands.

Jonathan added: "I feel it would be unfair to keep the job as I'm getting older.

"A younger person who lives on the island could be experiencing what I've experienced.

"My first commitment is to the wellbeing of the islands.

"I've got kids and grandkids, they've all been down at some point.

"I'm a small cog in a big organisation and have a lot of colleagues I'll be sad to leave."

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