sad day. we have taken the decision to withdraw from the process of exploring purchasing roeberry. we have thrown in the towel for all the right, pragmatic reasons, but it was a powerful dream while it lasted, and i feel sure we will look back on this time and see it as the dress rehearsal for the main event. very moving and powerful even if it wasn't the one. it certainly helped me firm up what i think we need - and are looking for.
there was so much in the short to medium term that felt right about the house. as a family home it would have been wonderful - and a little quirky. us. but we aren't looking for an unusual family home. that would be a bonus if we get this too. right now i'd settle for a static caravan and a view.
i think it's fair to say roeberry challenged different people in varying ways; sea crossing; remotness; community; maintenace of property and so on. roeberry had the potential on a number of levels to be pretty much spot on - once retreatants and community members had got over the shock that it was on orkney.
the problem that finally sunk the house as the base for the community was our discussion with the planning department in kirkwall. the grounds and outbuildings are laid out in such a way that it looked an excellent prospect for a partial conversion (stables, loft and garage plus stores) combined with a series of new builds to house community members alongside singles living in part of the main house - and retreatants in a purpose converted outbuilding with good disability access etc... thank god we made detailed enquiries at this stage and had a clear idea of what we would need (in theory). policy for this part of south ronaldsay is unequivocal. development should only be on an existing footprint and be driven by providing accommodation for agricultural or re-forestation workers housing. tourism can be considered - but i had the sense this was a stickier wicket. besides, the reality is that we don't want to build a set of holiday homes and become a tourist stopover - we want to create a place of retreat and creativity.
clearly all those seriously interested in the community project have also been beavering away on google and similar to get the low-down on island life. forty foot waves in the pentland firth last november certainly add a sense of swashbuckling adventure (STV covered an item including this gem today). care systems, education and health all sounded excellent. distinctive. proud. efficient and concerned to maintain quality in island life.
there was so much there on the island that was attractive - but now we know roeberry isn't for us - i am inclined to visit next in winter before i look at any more houses on the island - seriously. this property also had huge time constraints with a family who need to be moved and settled in their new location - well - yesterday. so there wasn't the sense of time and space to think that we enjoyed when we purchased our current home. we would have had trouble hitting their dates - whatever we had decided.
inevitably we also did some research over the pricing of the property. we are fortunate that in the distant past s thought he might train as a surveyor - it turned out not to be his thing - but he looks at buildings and assesses them with a surveyor's eye. if all the remedial works are completed - it looks a sound enough building - but maintenance costs with 12' ceilings have to be considered. our guess is, that having viewed, we would have been a disappointment in terms of our offer too. it wouldn't be worth £500k plus to us. might well have done if it was on the mainland of scotland - but alas...
for now we mark the end of a flurry of excited, hopeful activity and allow the adrenalin to settle. we look forward to checking out other possibilities - but we are in no hurry. i have a wrist and hand to mend - and then so much to do to catch up.
when we find the place, i think we will know it. i suspect we won't need many words either to decide - if that makes sense. it's probably the medication. wrist is still killing. legs hard to walk on - i look like a blueberry muffin - purple blotches on squiggy skin.
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