Hello from Newbie

[Alasdair]

Hi there,
I have been lurking around for a couple of years now and have enjoyed the site and forums very much. I thought it was about time I made myself known. I'm a boatman and handyman on Knoydart, Scotland. Knoydart is the remotest place on the mainland of the UK - boat access only and off the national grid. It's a beautiful area. Heres where I work:
www.doune-knoydart.co.uk
Here's another glimpse of the area:
http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/knoydart.html
Anyway I love the site and as my wife and I are moving to Canada this fall and hope to self build out there you will doubtless be hearing a bit more from us! We're still not certain where we are going to move to or what we will do for work. (I have done a little building work, sailing, schoolteaching, fiddle making and a few more things besides.) Suggestions/opinions would be very welcome.
My wife has family in the Ottawa area but we both are attracted to the landscape and culture in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
Look forwards to hearing from you all,
Al

[Redoverfarm]

Alasdair .

I really like where you are leaving from.  But I have been to Nova Scotia a few times and like that also.  Especially the "cape britton trail".  You mentioned fiddles do you make banjo's as well?  You mentioned that you teach also in what subject matter?  Always nice to have someone "jump on board" so to speak from different cultures.  What is the basic construction in Scotland (stone, frame stucco)? I am sure there is someone on the board to give you a hand with any future building you choose.  Some of the members are from Canada or was that might be familar with the area.  Again 

[StinkerBell]

Doune, Knoydart,....isn't that the island that Father Ted was sent to? 

[glenn kangiser]

  Al.

Great to have Scotland represented here even if you are going to Canada.  As John (Redover)mentioned, we'd really enjoy hearing and or seeing more of your local vernacular buildings and methods.

[Okie_Bob]

Welcome Al, glad to have you with us!
I looked at the links you left and can't figure out why you would want to leave what appears to be a piece of heaven for another
piece of heaven? I know very little about either areas but, they both seem about as close to perfect as you can get!
Okie Bob

[Alasdair]

Hi Red,
I haven't made a banjo but I made a mandolin before. I teach primary - most of the schools in my area are very small so you may have a mixed class aged between 5-12 and anywhere from 1 to 25 pupils!
Stink, Father Ted and Dougal say hello, Father Jack says AR*E.
As to the local vernacular...
Here's a link to a page about blackhouses - the older traditional houses of the West Coast

http://www.dualchas.com/heritage.asp

More recent traditional houses here have been stone (often painted white) with slate roofs.






These days timber frame is far the most common build method often with block outer wall which is then rough rendered or "harled", (although timber clad buildings are becoming more commonplace. As everywhere the weather and available resources dictates the details. Although winters are mild here because of the gulf stream on the west coast we get 3500mm of rain a year and lots of gales in the winter so wind and rain are a big problem. So small windows and no eaves.
Heres a link to a local kit company.

http://www.hebrideanhomes.com/

Their project gallery shows local techniques much better than I could explain.

Here's a link to their parent company.

http://www.dualchas.com/default.asp

Hope you enjoy,
Al

[Alasdair]

Hi Bob,
Yes it is very beautiful here and I must admit my wife and I some times wonder if we are making the right move. But we figure if it doesn't work out we can always move back!
My wife is Canadian so we would like to be closer to her family and friends - and a glance a property prices here would explain one of our other reasons for moving!  Holiday home owners have forced prices so high that few locals can afford to buy or build here.
Al

[glenn kangiser]

Thanks for the links, Al.  I really enjoy the old ways of building and have done a bit of harling myself.

I am going to add your top link to our indigenous housing section.

Do you know how the smoke got out of the black houses?

Nevermind - I found it.

The Smoke
The peat smoke from the open fire would fill the house and act as a steriliser - killing bugs and germs. It would escape by seeping through the thatch, enriching it with soot. The soot-saturated thatch was removed periodically and used as a fertiliser for the crops.

Glenn

[glenn kangiser]

I am also going to be building a rock wall using the Scottish method of earth filled wall building. I studied it a bit from a book on dry stacked walls linked a couple years ago on our forum. Maybe I need to add a roof too.

[Sassy]

   Alasdair!  Thanks for all the great links - as a kid I used to want to live in Scottland - all the stories & the beautiful  countryside.  Love looking at the old buildings   

[StinkerBell]

Sassy, if you still have a desire for Scotland I am happy to send you a pic of NetHog. He is pasty and pale.

[ScottA]

  Good to have you here. Nova Scotia should be interesting. I hope it's a smooth transition for y'all.

[Dilly]

  from Canada. You will definitely enjoy it here. As I have spent lots of time on the east coast I will tell you what you are in for.  Both Newfoundland and Nova Scotia are amazing. You might find Prince Edward Island to your liking also.  It really depends what you are looking for.  All three provinces are filled with the nicest people in the world.  Newfoundland is of course more isolated and that may be of more interest.  The views on the ocean in Newfoundland are breathtaking and if you buy a home in one of the fishing villages away from St. John's you will find you can pick up a beautiful little frame home for very little money and have neighbours that will be like brothers.  Income is harder to find in Newfoundland and you will be able to enjoy "Pickled Moose" and "Seal Flipper Pie". Be prepared to purchase a snow blower as all three provinces get lots of weather in the winter. But getting back to costs housing is relatively inexpensive especially if you purchase an older frame home. With the advent of Satellite TV and Internet you can do home business rather easily.  Having family in the Ottawa region when speaking to them you will find it gets pretty cold there in the winter and colder there than the east coast .  Good Luck and you have chosen the right part of Canada to go to.  The rest is far too expensive and the people are not quite as accommodating. Check out  mls.ca
If you want any more info on Canada I am an individual with a wealth of useless Canadian information.

Dilly a "Good Old Johnny Canuck"

[Alasdair]

Thank you all for your kind welcome and thank you Dilly for your info. We have heard the same things from friends about NL and NS and we are getting really excited about getting out there!
Al

[Dilly]

Hi Al,
Remember we are 9 months behind on Coronation Street and a couple of years out of sync with Eastenders.
You will find a lot of Coro fans here.  Take a good look at Nova Scotia you can seriously get anywhere you want from there it is a little more to do it from Nfld. meaning ferries but of course you are aware of that.  Lots of  Scottish heritage either places. Now, you find lots of us with ancestry from the British Isles as you will with our American cousins. From this site you will find mostly Americans but you will get to understand the North American mentality pretty quick. The Americans are really a great group of individualists. They play to there own drummer and it makes for a great neighbourhood.  By the way they don't use u's and e's like the British or Canadian way.  It will be a great adventure and you will enjoy Canada.  You are coming to a nice community Canada and United States. Enjoy, and I look forward to further dialogue.

Dilly