Have purchased several of the sheepskin rugs for Christmas and had the honour to exchange a few thoughts with your Mum who's one brave woman. I'm a writer and live in the Scottish Highlands on a functioning estate that keeps sheep and hosts shooting/fishing. This little cottage sits on a mountainside and, as I age [75 now] I know that someday I'll have to retire from here to town. My children would say it's overdue. But the land gets into your bones and you'd as soon the wind carry you away as to settle for a life that's closed-off from nature, ordinary and bland. My heart is with your parents as they take a next step. I keep telling myself, I have my memories and now the job is to pass those along in my writing, to share this magic, this joy. How wonderful that your parents have you to help them do the same. All best wishes.
Hey you !!!! 75 years old ? My goodness you still have some years ahead of you don't buy into the number but how you feel and keep going ! And 'if in your 90s all you can do is "wipe the table off" then be glad for what you can do ,not what you can't do 🤷♀️
God bless you! Such beautiful words of encouragement! Wish you and Hamish's parents many more years of doing what you love. Many blessings for Tennessee, USA
I once shared a moment in the full moon drumming at a TP high up in a mountain reserve with a wise nomadic woman who asked me a question about my life in the military. It came about that I mentioned that i have to be at work in the morning, and then she said " You dont HAVE to do anything in life... everything is a choice." ...I knew what she meant, and I never forgot that moment. I chose of course to go to work the next day, but It impressed on me that ultimately I do get to choose what I will do, how I will live and where I will go. I ended up leaving the Navy and starting my own business because of that night... All I can say is that with age and incapacity or possible disability considered, I will still choose to live independently. I would rather die happy albeit in pain if I choose it, than propped up, drugged and spoon fed in some home or facility. I will go out on my terms in the end, not suicide, but my terms. You dont HAVE to retire if you dont want to. If you lose your cognition towards the end of your life, well then of course a care facility would most likely be your fate, but as long as your mind is sound, the choice remains yours.
Thank you for sharing this series with us. What your parents have achieved is remarkable. Your mother is one tough bird, and my heart goes out to her. Beautiful filming. Very warm regards to you all, Hamish
Aw this is so nice - thank you! Mum and dad were pioneers in so many ways, I’m so proud of mum for keeping it going when times are tough. Best wishes to you and yours too
@@hamishauskerry I commend you for what you are doing to help your Momma and Dad. Spend as much time as you can soaking up all the stories they tell you. I am thankful that you have these videos with your Mom and Dads voices they will get you through some difficult times in the future. Many hugs and blessings from Tennessee, USA
That’s so kind mate! It’s all been a new venture for me - new camera etc and trying to learn how to film… while also working on the farm! But I’ve loved seeing people’s reactions. All the best to you in Oz!
I was caretaker to my husband for 20 years. With two small children when it began. I understand how strong you must be to get through, even when you feel your world has narrowed to a day by day existence. Both your parents are incredibly brave and resilient, and are handling their lives with grace. You are so fortunate to have their examples.
It's such a beautiful island. I'm guessing you could set up a volunteer program for people to come stay and work on the island during this time of year, helping your parents make rugs and yarn.
Hi there, thank you! We’ve had some wonderful offers of help over the last year or so since I started the videos and a couple of people have come to work/live there for stints, which has been great. So that continues for the time being until we hopefully find someone who wants to take it on. Thanks for watching!
@@Lesloi6227 Hello! Sorry you’ve not had a response yet. As you can see in the videos, mum has a lot of responsibility now and does all the business side completely on her own so bear with her - she will get to your email! Thanks for watching
Hamish, it would be ok to post the website under the video wouldn’t it? It is quite difficult to only find it in the chat. I’m sure lots of us would appreciate that. But I’m sure you have thought that through already. Perhaps for the very reason above. Yet more pressure on your dear Mum? What a treasure she is.
Here in America, you have a fan of your wonderful family, and an admirer of your brave parents. It takes real guts and hard work to choose such an extraordinary lifestyle. I have really enjoyed watching each episode of your youtube channel documenting your parents life on the remote and beautiful Auskerry island. Thank you for documenting your parents lifestyle for all of us to see and admire. I would love to purchase one (or more if I can afford it) of your parents gorgeous sheepskin rugs before your Mom and dad have to stop making them. It would not only be a beautiful product skillfully made the old fashioned way, with talent, self-taught skills, and by hand. But it would be a memento I could pass down to my children and grandchildren, along with the story and videos of the beautiful hard working Scottish couple who chose to raise their family on a remote and isolated Scottish island by raising seaweed eating sheep and selling the products they skillfully produce from those sheep. Is there anyway I could purchase one or more of the sheep rugs and pay to have it/them shipped to the United States?
Ah that’s so kind! Thank you! And of course - you can find all our products at isleofauskerry.com Mum might take a couple of days to reply to you as she’s rushed off her feet at the moment but she will be able to post to the States! Thanks so much for your support - it means a lot ❤️
I have really enjoyed this series. I keep hoping you will find a solution to aging and ill health that will allow your parents to live on Ausberry indefinitely .❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Hi Stevie, thanks for this! I'm glad to say that we have been doing a bit of that over the last couple of years. In fact, we had a lovely chap come out to help this year who got in touch with my mum after seeing the videos. We continue to be open to people who'd like to come and help in some way. Thanks for watching!
One of my earliest memories of my father’s interest in the beneficial value of seaweed for livestock was the quality of the wool from the Orkney Isle sheep that graze seaweed for a substantial portion of the year. To meet some of the farmers who tend these flocks and manufacture such beautiful product from the wool is to uncover and evoke emotion and understanding. Thank you and hi from New Zealand.
I live in Sweden and am constantly stressed about living in the big city of Stockholm. I know that life on your island is tough and hard, but I dream of living just like that. If only for a few months a year. Should you need help, I would without hesitation go there to learn and to help. I think you are happier than all of us in the big cities, even if the work you do is heavier than many others. I am so impressed with your way of life and wish I could live like that. Thank you so much for sharing your lives out there. greetings from Thomas
Thanks so much for getting in touch Thomas! Would you mind sending my mum a quick email via isleofauskerry.com please? We are looking for people to come and work on the farm alongside us next year! :)
Well done! These videos really bring me back to reality and see some real hard work and issues in life. Take the island on and keep filming. Thanks very much
Your professional skills make these a wonderful record of island life and your parents latter time. It must be heart-breaking for your dad to see an end to his amazing adventure. Between yourself and Rory your documentation of a little of what it entails to rear a family in such an isolated spot is unique. I hope you can see a way for the companies and contacts you must have to release at least some of your content. I find a real connection with both Rory, yourself and Island living having lived on Tiree for a short time in the 60's and worked in the north sea in the 80's. Thanks to you and Rory for these vlogs. I sincerely you can find the time for more and your parents have the best possible resolution to their future.
Thank you so much Eric! That’s really kind - and it’s great you’ve seen Rory’s videos too as they showed very different parts of life on the island which is brilliant. I really appreciate your comment and I hope you have a great Christmas!
just bought a fleece after watching your touching series. In particular the sounds of the pipe band and the competition on Auskerry , brought a tear or two as an ex pipe band drummer of too many years ago. Well presented and heart warming to watch.
Ah Ronald this is so lovely to read! It’s incredible that our special family moments can bring joy to others too. Thanks so much for watching and purchasing!
Found your videos due to my interest in sheep & all things wool. I am a spinner and knitter & wish to own sheep someday. My family dairy farm had a small flock of sheep in the 1980s, in Central New York state. But the bottom fell out of the wool market & it was not profitable. I give both of your parents so much credit for all of the hard work they do. I have loved 'binge watching' these episodes & feel a real soft spot for your mother, Hamish. My great grandmother carried on our family dairy farm, with the help of a bachelor son after her husband died at 56 years old. She was left with hospital debts, 2 sons off in the army (WWII & then Korea), a mentally handicapped daughter & other kids, the youngest being 9yrs old. She managed to hang on to the farm for another 30 years !!!! Woman like this are TOUGH. I never got to meet her, but I live on the family farm & feel a very strong connection to her as I walk the floors of our homestead. She left a great legacy. I especially like how, in the videos, your mom has seemed to have held on to her JOY in life, even though they are both going through a very tough time. I wish I could visit this special place....
Ah Patty this is so beautiful to read. You have some amazing ancestors! I’m glad you’ve inherited a love of traditional crafts and hard work. I’m so glad you found my videos! My mum is an amazing woman. Thanks for watching - best wishes to you and your family.
And well if you fancy some more hard work on this side of the pond, we’re always happy to welcome people to the island! Your farm sounds incredible - I’d love to visit you one day too!
@@hamishauskerry you know, I was looking your mom's blog up & saw that your parents are accepting "applications' for a couple to come live/help on their island & I literally got lost in a daydream...pondering how in the world I could get away with that 😄! But alas, I have my own farm to run (with the new addition of a cow to milk, daily) a husband & two teenage daughters that still very much need me. But what a lucky couple if your mum & dad can find one that suits them. Here in the states, we have programs for college kids to go stay on farms (usually kids in biology or agric. programs) and do all the work in exchange for room & board & the learning experience. My daughter's best friend traveled to Maine, USA from NY doing this on her summer break. She ended up at a goat farm. She is trying to get me to enlist myself as a host farm. LOL. Also, reading your mom's blog, I saw the funny stories about homeschooling & we are a homeschooling family, too! I especially liked the part (in #9, I think) about how she determined the mid year break (because she was frazzled)! I always tell people, don't ask a homeschooling mom how they like it, in March. Every homeschooling mom I know would like to sell her kids to the circus, by March - especially in gray, cold, snowy CNY March where you have been trapped in a house together for MONTHS. Thx so much for your response. I don't know what it is about 'farms' but people tend to be fascinated by them. We have all sorts of visitors (but never anyone as far away as you & you're always welcome LOL) that just want to come hang for the day & see what it is all about. Isn't that weird. They just want to come watch us work???? What is it do you think? Nostalgia, Foreign, something intrinsic to our nature as humans???? And as for your dad, he must be a very special person too. My grandad had alzheimers & it is a terrible disease & although it might be taking your dad's memory, it will not take the wonderful memories you may have OF your dad. You just hold on to that & try to hold on to the JOY. Watching your dad's delight in the wildlife where he lives brought me joy. Blessings to you & yours - keep the videos coming, love them. Ponder this thing about why people are so fascinated with farms? It is interesting.....
If you published a coffee table book full of pictures and stories no matter the size or price I would be the first in line to purchase it. What an amazing life.
@@hamishauskerry I really hope she does. I’m in the US but I could be persuaded to travel to Scotland if I absolutely had to to get my copy lol. Actually my son and I are planning a trip for hopefully next year. Best wishes to you and your lovely family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
We have many sheep farmers here in Northern Maine. And fairs like yours. I love living here. Winter is nigh and walking is careful business. It is all so beautiful what was at the fair. Thanks to all for sharing.
This is such a wonderful series. Thank you for doing them and sharing with us. I hope someday your Mom finds the time to write a book about her incredible life on the island.
Thank you Angie! She is in the process of writing a book about the early years on the island - we all can’t wait to read it! Hopefully she’ll get to finish it soon. Thanks for watching!
I watched video #7 first and was hooked. I immediately watched them all and want to thank you for making them. You put words and pictures together to tell a compelling and heartwarming story. I have great respect for your parents. To create and sustain such a rewarding and challenging life over so many years and continue into this phase with strength, humor, dignity and curiosity intact is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your families story and the natural beauty of Auskerry. Happy Holidays to you and your family and may the New Year be good to you all.
This is very kind, thank you! My parents are amazing and the island is beautiful so it was such a pleasure to share it with people. Take care and thanks for watching :)
Sending well wishes for your parents 💚. Their independence, discipline and passion for their land and their work are so heart warming. Thank you so much for filming the beauty of their lives and this island for us to see. I have truly loved each episode.
That fair looks like fun! And your mother's booth with wool products is really professional. It's a pity the Orkney Islands are so far from here and difficult to reach by public transportation (or bicycle, from the Netherlands).
It would be an adventure to cycle to Orkney for sure! Mum does have a website though - isleofauskerry.com if you want to save your legs! Thanks for watching :)
Ah you live in such an amazing part of the world too! My partner Faye and I are determined to plan an extended adventure in Canada one day. Thanks so much for watching!
Just first time watching from Canada, my husband is from Scotland. Have watched four so far and subbed looking forward to the rest your family is amazing
I’ve really enjoyed series and I’m saddened to hear of your father’s diagnosis,you may find Dr Mary Newport has some interesting ideas about this condition
I can so identify with this country life of yours . I live in NZ and am a spinner , dyer , used to be wool grower , now moved into patchwork quilting since shifting to town . It thrilled me to watch this post ,brought back some very fond memories . Thank you for filming , posting and sharing your life and history . My prayers are with you as I met Jesus along the way and now spend much time in a small prayer ministry . May God’s richest blessings fall upon your whole family . Christian love from Pat nz
Heartwarming and sad all at the same time. All that knowledge, all those skills, the uniqueness of the product... I'm sure ye've worked through the options countless times, but my thought was "apprenticeship". One or two younger folk of the right character who want to learn. May even be financial support available from the gov? Anyhoo, best wishes to ye all. Mark, East Lothian
Wow… I would love to come and be part of all of this… we have tries to move to Orkney for the last 10 years..still trying! One of our daughters and her family are expecting to move to Orkney this summer after tow years of trying. Sadly my husbands and I are too old to help out on the island. Every good wish to you parents we may be able to meet someday.
Ah I hope the move works out for your daughter! That would be exciting for you to have a great reason to spend lots of time in this beautiful place. Come past my mum’s workshop in Kirkwall some time! Thanks so much for the support :)
Hello! Ah that’s lovely - thanks! My parents’ website is isleofauskerry.com Just bear in mind please that mum is rushed off her feet at the moment running all of it on her own so she may take a couple of days to reply if you make an order! :)
Just recently found your videos, very interesting and informative, your parents have a tough time but they obviously have enjoyed it.look forward to watching more videos.👍👍
Can you do a video on the meals and struggles to provide/acquire food on the isle and what growing up was like as far as technology, communication, and general night time activities… love the content, from Oklahoma, USA.. So fascinating, I grew up on a farm and moved to the big city, what I wouldn’t give to go to this life on your isle
Ah thanks so much for your comment! The next video is going to be all about the basic necessities of life on the island and how we function - and food etc will be a big part of that! Thank you :)
@@hamishauskerrythank you for the web address. I love sheepskin fleeces and always wanted one. Or two. But one thing I have been looking for is something similar to lambskin suede. I used to get some from a company no longer in business. I don't think they were actually lambskin because they were as big as the sheepskins you were processing. The reason I'm looking for sheepskin suede or just sheepskin is that it's soft enough to push a needle through it. I like doing embroidery on leather but most types of leather is too tough to embroider. I haven't been able to embroider on leather for years since losing my supplier. I can't wait to check out your website. Thanks!
After watching your video hamish I’m going to fly to Kirkwall for next years county show 2024 , can’t wait .. it looked a fab day ,also the pipe band were awesome . All the best to you and your family .
Ah how brilliant! Unfortunately we have a family wedding in Ireland so I don’t think we’ll have a tent next year but our products will still hopefully be available in the Orkney Crafts tent. Thanks for watching - best wishes to you and your family too!
I’m so in awe of your mum. Thank you so much for sharing the skills of your parents, it’s humbling and just such an inspiration. Look forward to the next video
I think you might get a young couple or two to come out as apprentices to help and eventually take over much of the business of keeping the sheep and farming on the island.
Hello! They taste more like game - like venison or something, but still very much like lamb. People assume they’d taste salty or fishy because of the seaweed but not at all actually, they must completely absorb and process it all. Thanks for watching!
What a beautiful day. Was awestruck by the band. I'll probably never get there but wad glad to experience it via your video. Good job. From NC, USA. Ps, I'd buy the colored wool.
Fabulous, again. I love agricultural fairs! And Farmers Markets (just returned home from my local one). The first agricultural fair I ever attended (stumbled on, really) was on North Uist, in 1975. I was a poor back packing student but I did buy some yarn from a local seller and still have the scarf that I knitted of it. I wish I could have an Auskerry sheep skin.
Why isn't there a grant from the Kings Trust or the Heritage Foundation to have a new generation of Scott move onto the isle and to continue this Heritage preservation?
These are things we’re looking into :) we desperately hope that someone else will have their own chapter on this amazing place when ours is over. Thanks for watching
Wow amazing folks you have Hamish! It would break my heart to leave that wonderful life behind, I was brought up to enjoy my own company so reading is a passion, knitting too when I’m in the mood, but seeing all that lovely wool, I would knit up a storm! A great store of memories for your mom to look back on if & when she has to leave, sad to see what dementia does to seniors who were once so vital & full of life! Stay well mom & dad, strength in the days, weeks, years ahead. Love from me in South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤❤❤
Thank you Wendy, this is really kind and thoughtful. It’s a special place but it’s also a life of hard work and I’m glad for my mum that hopefully she’ll have a more relaxing retirement in years to come. I’m devastated that the farm and my childhood home is never going to be the same again but I’m sure I’ll eventually come to terms with it because we all have to adapt. Take care - all the best to you in SA ❤️
Just wondering with more young people starting to be interested in learning more of the old ways and bush crafts if you have ever thought about seeing if you could find a couple young people to come live on the island to help your parents and learn their craft?
We are hoping to do just that! We want someone else to experience this beautiful place for themselves when we no longer can. We’ll see what the future brings. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry If I wasn’t disabled,old, and lived so far away I would have loved to raise my children there (9 of them). Anyway hope you find someone.
I have bookmarked the county show in the hopes of making it there sometime. I'm glad your parents sell online, too. My favorite hat is one I knit from natural white North Ronaldsey yarn I bought in a shop in Kirkwall in 2016 (on an anniversary trip with my husband). Could it have been from your parents' farm? Or is it more likely to have been from North Ronaldsey itself?
Ah you should if you can! It’s a great day. And ah yes, possibly! Mum sells in lots of different shops across Orkney, including Kirkwall. It’s also possibly you bought the wool from the island of North Ronaldsay too though. Thanks for watching!
HI, I AM IN AMERICA, KENTUCKY STATE. I AM TOTALLY DISABLED ELDERLY 72 YRS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THOSE BEAUTIFUL RUGS CAN BE USED TO SLEEP ON IN MY LIFT CHAIR? MY SKIN CANNOT HAVE PRESSURE ON IT, AS I DEVELOP SORES THAT TAKE A LONG TIME TO HEAL (MONTHS IF NOT A YEAR) WOULD IT SUFFICE FOR MY THOUGHTS OF COMFORT? I AM 5FT 9 INCHES TALL AND THIS CHAIR IS 26 INCHES WIDTH. DO THEY COME THAT BIG, IN LENGTH AND WIDTH OR AT LEAST CLOSE? HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST IN DOLLARS AND SHIPPING COST? THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND MAY FATHER/CREATOR BLESS YOU ALL.
Thank you for watching! I’m sure a sheepskin would be a great thing to have on your lift chair - but the best person to ask would be my mum. If you get in touch with her through isleofauskerry.com she’ll be able to help :)
@@hamishauskerry HI AGAIN. I WENT TO THAT SITE, FOUND AN EMAIL, WROTE TO YOUR MUM, AND WENT BACK TO CHECKING OUT THE SITE, IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY BLANKETS YET SOMEWHERE IN ALL I'VE BEEN WATCHING THEY ARE MENTIONED, LOL WHERE ARE THEY? THANKS
Best wishes to all of you! I admire you very much! My mother also had Alzheimer desease and I know what you are doinng, though I don´t know how it is to live on the Orkneys.
Thank you so much! There are so many challenges to caring for something with Alzheimer’s and most of them are completely universal. I hope you’re taking care ❤️
Ah this is really kind, thank you so much! The products mum makes are so special - it’s always a pleasure to take part in the process when I’m home. Thanks for your support ☺️
I am so sorry I found out about Auskerry only after I had thrown myself into a new adventure elsewhere in the world. I would have loved to pass the summer there learning about your family’s skills and helping with all the hard work. My path has led me elsewhere now but that is truly one of the few places in the UK I could see myself living in even though I am a citizen. Your family was blessed with a life in paradise however hard you had to work to stay there and make things go right and I am so sorry that ill health is forcing them off the island now. Good luck with finding the right people to take on the challenge in the future!
Perhaps another year Jessica? If you’re ever interested to come and live/work on the island, feel free to get in touch via isleofauskerry.com :) thanks for watching and enjoy your new adventure!
Hi Bob, I’m delighted to see you are still on the go. Your patience with my lack of aptitude for maths and physics is appreciated - I did make it as a pilot in the end!
Hamish nothing like a country rural show we have a fantastic one in Launceston the north of the State here in Tasmania. We visited Orkney on the way back to Devon from Iceland sadly only one day, my childhood dream was to spend weeks in the Islands but my one day will at nearing 80 have to suffice. So thank you for showing us your parents island and how they have for nearly 50years been self sufficient. I must say your mum looks so young and so fit much admiration. Ill be definitely check out the wool. 😊
Ah cool! At least you got to see Orkney - a flavour of the place is better than nothing! Mum is amazingly youthful given how much strain she’s been under 💪 thank you for watching and I hope you find something you like on isleofauskerry.com ☺️
Do volunteers interested in a Woofing style experience ever approach your parents to help them with the various wool related tasks? This would seem to be a wonderful opportunity if they did.
We have had people like that in the past, yes! It's hard to find people who have the right skills though because teaching all the complexities of living here is a lot of work for mum if they are only able to stay for a few weeks. But we're always interested in welcoming people to come and live/work on the island alongside us for longer periods! Thanks for watching
Really enjoyed seeing your way of life on the island, it would be a hard life and harder for just one person to be managing it. I am coming to Orkney soon and will look out for your Mum's woolly items when I am there and look forward to purchasing some of them..... me being a sheep farmer too.
Ah thanks so much for your thoughtful comment Lynne. I think only farmers can properly understand the challenges of living here - as there’s just so much to think about and be responsible for. The videos naturally focus on the positive but as you know there’s a lot behind the scenes to worry about! Thanks for watching and enjoy your Orkney visit!
@@hamishauskerry We are always thinking about the farm, it is like having 200 pets, and when you think of it like that.....that is alot of lives to be responsible for and then we also have to look after ourselves as well...and we are getting older too.
Definittely a video to watch on desktop, not the phone. So wish didn't have a dog who would eat the rug...I never got to live my dream life solely on a farm and sort of glad I bought a house in town as the neuromuscular disease hit, I couldn't give up as gracefully as your mum
Ah I’m sorry to hear about your health struggles, Cheryl! Until dad’s dementia diagnosis we’d been incredibly lucky with health over the years as a family. Thanks so much for watching - I hope you enjoy the rest of the series to live vicariously! Take care ☺️
I was a nurse for close to 50years several toward the end of my career i was privileged to work in a Dementia unit, i also have friends whose partners have dementia, such a life changing disease for all the family. I have so much admiration for your mother and only too pleased you your brothers and friends are so supportive. With warmest regards from Avril in Tasmania
Thank you Avril that’s really kind. It’s incredibly cruel to see it progress so quickly in my dad but we’re just trying to keep our chins up and be thankful for all the memories we have. Thanks for watching ☺️
I really enjoy hearing about what my family ancestors lived and are living now. Some day I want to see in person my fellow Scotsman. I enjoy listening about how your family goes day by day. My ancestors family's name is McKay
I live in a remote area of Ireland and my mother was afflicted with the same horrible condition as your father, probably the most difficult thing we have ever had to do was the day we realised that it was not possible to manage to keep her at home. In our case this meant a fifty minute drive to the nearest nursing home but my dad was able for it at the time. The biggest regret I have is that we probably persevered for too long at home and it wasn’t until we had a crisis that we made the decision, looked back the workload my father took on was crazy and ever increasing. He was not a young man and it wasn’t until he got sick that we realised the extent of his responsibility and just how little mum could do for herself. In the heal of the hunt you are going to have to make big decisions as a family and if you take my advice, make the big decisions before your mother folds under the pressure. Oh and I am also a sheep farmer, but one that has the luxury of being able to put them in a trailer and move them to market.
Thanks Andy - I appreciate you taking the time to share this. I’m sorry for you about your mother too, it’s a truly devastating process to witness. We’re all pulling together to make sure mum isn’t overwhelmed by her increased responsibilities. Which part of Ireland do you farm in? My grandfather was born and lived in co. Athlone. Thanks for watching - take care
@@hamishauskerry just to let you know athlone is a town in Westmeath with some of it in Roscommon so your grandfather was from either Westmeath or Roscommon , I am from mayo in the west of Ireland. Take care of your mother because she is under enormous stress, we didn’t realise just how much pressure our dad was under till he had to go to hospital for a few days and we had to step into the breach, it was only then that we became aware of how much my dad had been covering up and hiding from us. Obviously we knew what she had and we could see that she was deteriorating mentally but we didn’t know about the violent episodes that occurred or the outrageous jealous accusations. I think we were slow to comprehend that our father was grieving for my mother and feeling guilty about it long before she died because we had lost her along time before the end. I thought long and hard before writing this but eventually decided that fore armed is forewarned.
Lovely. Could you make a film about how the colours of the natural world are interpreted in to the wool dyes? We see glimpses of it in this episode, especially the blues, but I can see stone colours and much warmer reds - but not so many greens, which might just be by chance. The blue is also of your mother's eyes . I was struck how each display of wool in the box was a landscape.
Have purchased several of the sheepskin rugs for Christmas and had the honour to exchange a few thoughts with your Mum who's one brave woman. I'm a writer and live in the Scottish Highlands on a functioning estate that keeps sheep and hosts shooting/fishing. This little cottage sits on a mountainside and, as I age [75 now] I know that someday I'll have to retire from here to town. My children would say it's overdue. But the land gets into your bones and you'd as soon the wind carry you away as to settle for a life that's closed-off from nature, ordinary and bland. My heart is with your parents as they take a next step. I keep telling myself, I have my memories and now the job is to pass those along in my writing, to share this magic, this joy. How wonderful that your parents have you to help them do the same. All best wishes.
What a beautiful sentiment ❤
This is lovely - thank you so much for getting in touch. Leaving somewhere so beautiful would be incredibly tough. Take care and best wishes from us
Hey you !!!! 75 years old ? My goodness you still have some years ahead of you don't buy into the number but how you feel and keep going ! And 'if in your 90s all you can do is "wipe the table off" then be glad for what you can do ,not what you can't do 🤷♀️
God bless you! Such beautiful words of encouragement! Wish you and Hamish's parents many more years of doing what you love. Many blessings for Tennessee, USA
I once shared a moment in the full moon drumming at a TP high up in a mountain reserve with a wise nomadic woman who asked me a question about my life in the military. It came about that I mentioned that i have to be at work in the morning, and then she said " You dont HAVE to do anything in life... everything is a choice." ...I knew what she meant, and I never forgot that moment. I chose of course to go to work the next day, but It impressed on me that ultimately I do get to choose what I will do, how I will live and where I will go. I ended up leaving the Navy and starting my own business because of that night... All I can say is that with age and incapacity or possible disability considered, I will still choose to live independently. I would rather die happy albeit in pain if I choose it, than propped up, drugged and spoon fed in some home or facility. I will go out on my terms in the end, not suicide, but my terms. You dont HAVE to retire if you dont want to. If you lose your cognition towards the end of your life, well then of course a care facility would most likely be your fate, but as long as your mind is sound, the choice remains yours.
your mother is such an exceptional woman. Thank you for documenting your parents farm and work.
Yes she definitely is! Thanks so much for watching ☺️
Thank you for sharing this series with us. What your parents have achieved is remarkable. Your mother is one tough bird, and my heart goes out to her. Beautiful filming.
Very warm regards to you all, Hamish
Aw this is so nice - thank you! Mum and dad were pioneers in so many ways, I’m so proud of mum for keeping it going when times are tough. Best wishes to you and yours too
@@hamishauskerry I commend you for what you are doing to help your Momma and Dad. Spend as much time as you can soaking up all the stories they tell you. I am thankful that you have these videos with your Mom and Dads voices they will get you through some difficult times in the future. Many hugs and blessings from Tennessee, USA
You're bloody good at this, mate! What an incredible place and beautiful family...legends.
Love from Australia.
That’s so kind mate! It’s all been a new venture for me - new camera etc and trying to learn how to film… while also working on the farm! But I’ve loved seeing people’s reactions. All the best to you in Oz!
Thank you, Hamish. These episodes are gems.
Thank you so much Simeon!
Thank you for another wonderful film Hamish, sending love to your incredible mother!
Thanks so much Imogen! Hope you’re taking care :)
I was caretaker to my husband for 20 years. With two small children when it began. I understand how strong you must be to get through, even when you feel your world has narrowed to a day by day existence. Both your parents are incredibly brave and resilient, and are handling their lives with grace. You are so fortunate to have their examples.
This is lovely - thank you so much ❤️
As a knitter who uses real wool, I am so thrilled by these videos and your family's stories
Aw that’s lovely to hear! Thanks so much for watching - you may enjoy seeing what my mum sells on isleofauskerry.com ☺️
It's such a beautiful island. I'm guessing you could set up a volunteer program for people to come stay and work on the island during this time of year, helping your parents make rugs and yarn.
Hi there, thank you! We’ve had some wonderful offers of help over the last year or so since I started the videos and a couple of people have come to work/live there for stints, which has been great. So that continues for the time being until we hopefully find someone who wants to take it on. Thanks for watching!
WHERE CAN WE BUY YOUR PRODUCTS ? PLEASE GIVE US SOME ADDRESS
Thank you so much for watching! All my parents’ products can be found at isleofauskerry.com :)
They are not answering emails though….
@@Lesloi6227 Hello! Sorry you’ve not had a response yet. As you can see in the videos, mum has a lot of responsibility now and does all the business side completely on her own so bear with her - she will get to your email! Thanks for watching
Hamish, it would be ok to post the website under the video wouldn’t it? It is quite difficult to only find it in the chat. I’m sure lots of us would appreciate that. But I’m sure you have thought that through already. Perhaps for the very reason above. Yet more pressure on your dear Mum? What a treasure she is.
First time watching from Brisbane, Australia. Thanks for sharing what is such a profound time in your family's experience.
Ah how awesome you found these videos over there! I hope you enjoy the rest of the series - thanks for watching!
Here in America, you have a fan of your wonderful family, and an admirer of your brave parents. It takes real guts and hard work to choose such an extraordinary lifestyle. I have really enjoyed watching each episode of your youtube channel documenting your parents life on the remote and beautiful Auskerry island. Thank you for documenting your parents lifestyle for all of us to see and admire. I would love to purchase one (or more if I can afford it) of your parents gorgeous sheepskin rugs before your Mom and dad have to stop making them. It would not only be a beautiful product skillfully made the old fashioned way, with talent, self-taught skills, and by hand. But it would be a memento I could pass down to my children and grandchildren, along with the story and videos of the beautiful hard working Scottish couple who chose to raise their family on a remote and isolated Scottish island by raising seaweed eating sheep and selling the products they skillfully produce from those sheep. Is there anyway I could purchase one or more of the sheep rugs and pay to have it/them shipped to the United States?
Ah that’s so kind! Thank you! And of course - you can find all our products at isleofauskerry.com
Mum might take a couple of days to reply to you as she’s rushed off her feet at the moment but she will be able to post to the States! Thanks so much for your support - it means a lot ❤️
I have really enjoyed this series. I keep hoping you will find a solution to aging and ill health that will allow your parents to live on Ausberry indefinitely .❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Thanks so much Annette! That’s really kind - take care ❤️
Is there the possibility of having “interns” where people can pay to come and learn? You’d get help and the tradition will continue.
Hi Stevie, thanks for this! I'm glad to say that we have been doing a bit of that over the last couple of years. In fact, we had a lovely chap come out to help this year who got in touch with my mum after seeing the videos. We continue to be open to people who'd like to come and help in some way. Thanks for watching!
One of my earliest memories of my father’s interest in the beneficial value of seaweed for livestock was the quality of the wool from the Orkney Isle sheep that graze seaweed for a substantial portion of the year. To meet some of the farmers who tend these flocks and manufacture such beautiful product from the wool is to uncover and evoke emotion and understanding. Thank you and hi from New Zealand.
Ah that’s brilliant - thanks Stephen! Best wishes to your and your family
What a great family and a successful show in Kirkwall. It makes all the hard work over the years worthwhile.
Thanks so much for watching! It was a great show this year - I’m so glad I was able to capture it.
I live in Sweden and am constantly stressed about living in the big city of Stockholm. I know that life on your island is tough and hard, but I dream of living just like that. If only for a few months a year. Should you need help, I would without hesitation go there to learn and to help. I think you are happier than all of us in the big cities, even if the work you do is heavier than many others. I am so impressed with your way of life and wish I could live like that. Thank you so much for sharing your lives out there.
greetings from
Thomas
Thanks so much for getting in touch Thomas! Would you mind sending my mum a quick email via isleofauskerry.com please? We are looking for people to come and work on the farm alongside us next year! :)
Your sheep reminds me of Old Norwegian Sheep from the west coast of Norway.
Ah that’s very cool! They’re so perfectly adapted to their environment, as I’m sure their Norwegian cousins are! Thanks for watching
Well done! These videos really bring me back to reality and see some real hard work and issues in life. Take the island on and keep filming. Thanks very much
Cheers Craig - I really appreciate your comment. Thanks for watching 👍
Your professional skills make these a wonderful record of island life and your parents latter time. It must be heart-breaking for your dad to see an end to his amazing adventure. Between yourself and Rory your documentation of a little of what it entails to rear a family in such an isolated spot is unique. I hope you can see a way for the companies and contacts you must have to release at least some of your content. I find a real connection with both Rory, yourself and Island living having lived on Tiree for a short time in the 60's and worked in the north sea in the 80's. Thanks to you and Rory for these vlogs. I sincerely you can find the time for more and your parents have the best possible resolution to their future.
Thank you so much Eric! That’s really kind - and it’s great you’ve seen Rory’s videos too as they showed very different parts of life on the island which is brilliant. I really appreciate your comment and I hope you have a great Christmas!
YOUR MOM IS A FANTASTIC PERSON !
I couldn't agree more! Thank you
We love her resilience ❤
just bought a fleece after watching your touching series.
In particular the sounds of the pipe band and the competition on Auskerry , brought a tear or two as an ex pipe band drummer of too many years ago. Well presented and heart warming to watch.
Ah Ronald this is so lovely to read! It’s incredible that our special family moments can bring joy to others too. Thanks so much for watching and purchasing!
Excellent series. Really.
That's really kind, thank you! I've learnt a lot from doing it and it's been such a pleasure to share our home with others.
So many of us around the world are being squeezed economically
It’s a tough old world James! Thanks for watching 👍
Found your videos due to my interest in sheep & all things wool. I am a spinner and knitter & wish to own sheep someday. My family dairy farm had a small flock of sheep in the 1980s, in Central New York state. But the bottom fell out of the wool market & it was not profitable. I give both of your parents so much credit for all of the hard work they do. I have loved 'binge watching' these episodes & feel a real soft spot for your mother, Hamish. My great grandmother carried on our family dairy farm, with the help of a bachelor son after her husband died at 56 years old. She was left with hospital debts, 2 sons off in the army (WWII & then Korea), a mentally handicapped daughter & other kids, the youngest being 9yrs old. She managed to hang on to the farm for another 30 years !!!! Woman like this are TOUGH. I never got to meet her, but I live on the family farm & feel a very strong connection to her as I walk the floors of our homestead. She left a great legacy. I especially like how, in the videos, your mom has seemed to have held on to her JOY in life, even though they are both going through a very tough time. I wish I could visit this special place....
Ah Patty this is so beautiful to read. You have some amazing ancestors! I’m glad you’ve inherited a love of traditional crafts and hard work. I’m so glad you found my videos! My mum is an amazing woman. Thanks for watching - best wishes to you and your family.
And well if you fancy some more hard work on this side of the pond, we’re always happy to welcome people to the island! Your farm sounds incredible - I’d love to visit you one day too!
@@hamishauskerry you know, I was looking your mom's blog up & saw that your parents are accepting "applications' for a couple to come live/help on their island & I literally got lost in a daydream...pondering how in the world I could get away with that 😄! But alas, I have my own farm to run (with the new addition of a cow to milk, daily) a husband & two teenage daughters that still very much need me. But what a lucky couple if your mum & dad can find one that suits them. Here in the states, we have programs for college kids to go stay on farms (usually kids in biology or agric. programs) and do all the work in exchange for room & board & the learning experience. My daughter's best friend traveled to Maine, USA from NY doing this on her summer break. She ended up at a goat farm. She is trying to get me to enlist myself as a host farm. LOL. Also, reading your mom's blog, I saw the funny stories about homeschooling & we are a homeschooling family, too! I especially liked the part (in #9, I think) about how she determined the mid year break (because she was frazzled)! I always tell people, don't ask a homeschooling mom how they like it, in March. Every homeschooling mom I know would like to sell her kids to the circus, by March - especially in gray, cold, snowy CNY March where you have been trapped in a house together for MONTHS. Thx so much for your response. I don't know what it is about 'farms' but people tend to be fascinated by them. We have all sorts of visitors (but never anyone as far away as you & you're always welcome LOL) that just want to come hang for the day & see what it is all about. Isn't that weird. They just want to come watch us work???? What is it do you think? Nostalgia, Foreign, something intrinsic to our nature as humans???? And as for your dad, he must be a very special person too. My grandad had alzheimers & it is a terrible disease & although it might be taking your dad's memory, it will not take the wonderful memories you may have OF your dad. You just hold on to that & try to hold on to the JOY. Watching your dad's delight in the wildlife where he lives brought me joy. Blessings to you & yours - keep the videos coming, love them. Ponder this thing about why people are so fascinated with farms? It is interesting.....
You are just marvellous! Thank you !
You're very kind! Thanks so much for watching
I love the sheep and the wool and the skins. All of it. It must be hard to slow down and make changes.
It is very hard because we love it here but illness and age complicate things further. Thanks for watching ☺️
If you published a coffee table book full of pictures and stories no matter the size or price I would be the first in line to purchase it. What an amazing life.
Thanks Kaye! Mum is writing a book! Hopefully she’ll get a chance to finish it soon :)
@@hamishauskerry I really hope she does. I’m in the US but I could be persuaded to travel to Scotland if I absolutely had to to get my copy lol. Actually my son and I are planning a trip for hopefully next year. Best wishes to you and your lovely family. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
@@kayewilson8391 Thank you! Our best wishes to your family too - and happy Christmas!
We have many sheep farmers here in Northern Maine. And fairs like yours. I love living here. Winter is nigh and walking is careful business. It is all so beautiful what was at the fair. Thanks to all for sharing.
That’s very cool! Thanks so much for watching :)
This is such a wonderful series. Thank you for doing them and sharing with us. I hope someday your Mom finds the time to write a book about her incredible life on the island.
Thank you Angie! She is in the process of writing a book about the early years on the island - we all can’t wait to read it! Hopefully she’ll get to finish it soon. Thanks for watching!
Love the videos!!! Admire their way of life! Jack is adorable!
He’s the best! Thank you for your comment ☺️
I watched video #7 first and was hooked. I immediately watched them all and want to thank you for making them. You put words and pictures together to tell a compelling and heartwarming story. I have great respect for your parents. To create and sustain such a rewarding and challenging life over so many years and continue into this phase with strength, humor, dignity and curiosity intact is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your families story and the natural beauty of Auskerry. Happy Holidays to you and your family and may the New Year be good to you all.
This is very kind, thank you! My parents are amazing and the island is beautiful so it was such a pleasure to share it with people. Take care and thanks for watching :)
I LOVE THE COLOURS !
They are beautiful - mum is very creative 🥰
that is most uplifting, fully engaging with life despite the 'season' that governs all.
Ah thank you so much! That’s so kind :) thanks for watching
Darlings, you have me crying......I'm bed bound but if I could walk I would visit you from Australia...
Blessings darlings.......
Ah Linda this is so kind, thank you! I read this message to my mum and she was very touched. Take care :)
Lives lived well
We’ve been very lucky! Thank you for watching ☺️
Sending well wishes for your parents 💚. Their independence, discipline and passion for their land and their work are so heart warming. Thank you so much for filming the beauty of their lives and this island for us to see. I have truly loved each episode.
Ah Shannon this is so kind - thank you for watching! Take care
Absolutely love those beautiful sheep❤ Orkney is amazing too. Nice to see a glimpse of it.
Thank you! Orkney is magnificent- we’re so lucky ☺️
Love the story-
Thank you so much! 👍
Thank you for sharing another lovely video. Again, watching from Seattle, Washington, USA.
Ah I liked Seattle when I visited as a child! Thanks for watching 👍
That fair looks like fun! And your mother's booth with wool products is really professional. It's a pity the Orkney Islands are so far from here and difficult to reach by public transportation (or bicycle, from the Netherlands).
A Boat from Aberdeen is a nice trip,
It would be an adventure to cycle to Orkney for sure! Mum does have a website though - isleofauskerry.com if you want to save your legs! Thanks for watching :)
Thank you very much, great series. All the best from Paradise, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Ah you live in such an amazing part of the world too! My partner Faye and I are determined to plan an extended adventure in Canada one day. Thanks so much for watching!
Just first time watching from Canada, my husband is from Scotland. Have watched four so far and subbed looking forward to the rest your family is amazing
Thanks Julie! Welcome to the channel ☺️
Thank you for this charming and thoughtful series. Rug purchased and heading to Skye to be with some Ronaldsay friends.
Superb! Have a lovely time. Thanks so much for watching!
So glad you all have good friends and return customers and helpful family to support you. Lovely episode. Looking forward to more.
Thank you so much!
I’ve really enjoyed series and I’m saddened to hear of your father’s diagnosis,you may find Dr Mary Newport has some interesting ideas about this condition
Thank you Tommy - that’s very kind. Take care
I can so identify with this country life of yours . I live in NZ and am a spinner , dyer , used to be wool grower , now moved into patchwork quilting since shifting to town . It thrilled me to watch this post ,brought back some very fond memories . Thank you for filming , posting and sharing your life and history . My prayers are with you as I met Jesus along the way and now spend much time in a small prayer ministry . May God’s richest blessings fall upon your whole family . Christian love from Pat nz
Thanks Pat - this is a very kind comment! I hope you’re taking care ☺️
Circle the wagons, you 3 sons owe them ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
We do! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the story again. I hope you did well at the festival. Good luck to you all.
Thank you! It was a particularly good year for us - mainly due to the weather I think! Thanks for watching 👍
It's a amazing family you come from love to see a family work together god bless❤
Thanks so much Alan - that’s really kind. Take care and thanks for watching!
Heartwarming and sad all at the same time.
All that knowledge, all those skills, the uniqueness of the product... I'm sure ye've worked through the options countless times, but my thought was "apprenticeship". One or two younger folk of the right character who want to learn. May even be financial support available from the gov?
Anyhoo, best wishes to ye all.
Mark, East Lothian
Thanks Mark, these are all good ideas! We’re working through all the options as best we can but health is so changeable it’s hard to plan. Take care 👍
Wow… I would love to come and be part of all of this… we have tries to move to Orkney for the last 10 years..still trying! One of our daughters and her family are expecting to move to Orkney this summer after tow years of trying. Sadly my husbands and I are too old to help out on the island. Every good wish to you parents we may be able to meet someday.
Ah I hope the move works out for your daughter! That would be exciting for you to have a great reason to spend lots of time in this beautiful place. Come past my mum’s workshop in Kirkwall some time! Thanks so much for the support :)
Hamish how would one go about purchasing one of these rugs, I live in the US but would love one
Hello! Ah that’s lovely - thanks! My parents’ website is isleofauskerry.com
Just bear in mind please that mum is rushed off her feet at the moment running all of it on her own so she may take a couple of days to reply if you make an order! :)
Just recently found your videos, very interesting and informative, your parents have a tough time but they obviously have enjoyed it.look forward to watching more videos.👍👍
Thanks for watching!
Your mother is an amazing woman. ❤
I completely agree - thanks so much for watching ❤️
Merry Christmas✨🎄💫God bless!🤍👑🙏(John 3:16)✝️Aloha♥️
Thank you and happy new year Esther!
Can you do a video on the meals and struggles to provide/acquire food on the isle and what growing up was like as far as technology, communication, and general night time activities… love the content, from Oklahoma, USA.. So fascinating, I grew up on a farm and moved to the big city, what I wouldn’t give to go to this life on your isle
Ah thanks so much for your comment! The next video is going to be all about the basic necessities of life on the island and how we function - and food etc will be a big part of that! Thank you :)
Im Gona Treat myself to One of your fine sheepskin Rugs After watching them Good fine People... love from Ireland
Thanks Steve! The website is isleofauskerry.com if you haven’t found us already. Thanks for watching and enjoy your rug!
@@hamishauskerrythank you for the web address. I love sheepskin fleeces and always wanted one. Or two. But one thing I have been looking for is something similar to lambskin suede. I used to get some from a company no longer in business. I don't think they were actually lambskin because they were as big as the sheepskins you were processing. The reason I'm looking for sheepskin suede or just sheepskin is that it's soft enough to push a needle through it. I like doing embroidery on leather but most types of leather is too tough to embroider. I haven't been able to embroider on leather for years since losing my supplier. I can't wait to check out your website. Thanks!
Thank you so much for sharing these videos. They are amazing. I didn't realize that people still live like your parents do.
Thank you! That’s very kind - take care 👍
After watching your video hamish I’m going to fly to Kirkwall for next years county show 2024 , can’t wait .. it looked a fab day ,also the pipe band were awesome .
All the best to you and your family .
Ah how brilliant! Unfortunately we have a family wedding in Ireland so I don’t think we’ll have a tent next year but our products will still hopefully be available in the Orkney Crafts tent. Thanks for watching - best wishes to you and your family too!
The wee boy looks like Grandad! Well done !
He does a bit yes! Thanks for watching ☺️
I’m so in awe of your mum. Thank you so much for sharing the skills of your parents, it’s humbling and just such an inspiration. Look forward to the next video
Thank you so much!
I think you might get a young couple or two to come out as apprentices to help and eventually take over much of the business of keeping the sheep and farming on the island.
That's what we hope for in the long term too. Thanks Kathy ☺️
I wonder what those sheep taste like, since they have quite a different diet than standard sheep.
Hello! They taste more like game - like venison or something, but still very much like lamb. People assume they’d taste salty or fishy because of the seaweed but not at all actually, they must completely absorb and process it all. Thanks for watching!
Can't at beautiful products but say again...remarkable work by dedicated loving people...What beautiful products.
Thank you so much! My mum and dad are such hard workers and the love they put into their products is so inspiring to me. Take care
What a lovely look into a beautiful place! Can't wait to order!
Where do we order from????
Isleofauskerry.com !
Thanks for watching - sorry for the delay in replying, I missed this!
Thank you that’s really kind! ☺️
Another delightful video Hamish. So glad you’re documenting this lifestyle.
Love to you and your family from me in Australia.
Bye bye Jack 😊
Thank you so much! This is a kind comment and I appreciate your support. Jack and his new brother Archie say hi back (I’d imagine!) 😅
This is wonderful. Your parents give me hope as I enter my old age. May God richly bless you and your family!
This is so kind, thank you very much! Best wishes to you ☺️
What a beautiful day. Was awestruck by the band. I'll probably never get there but wad glad to experience it via your video. Good job. From NC, USA. Ps, I'd buy the colored wool.
Ah thanks so much for your support! My mum’s website is isleofauskerry.com and she ships to the States! Take care
Fabulous, again. I love agricultural fairs! And Farmers Markets (just returned home from my local one). The first agricultural fair I ever attended (stumbled on, really) was on North Uist, in 1975. I was a poor back packing student but I did buy some yarn from a local seller and still have the scarf that I knitted of it. I wish I could have an Auskerry sheep skin.
Ah amazing! That’s a very cool memory. And well my parents do have a website - isleofauskerry.com in case you need some more yarn! Thanks for watching
@@hamishauskerry I actually found the site last night. Drooool!
Why isn't there a grant from the Kings Trust or the Heritage Foundation to have a new generation of Scott move onto the isle and to continue this Heritage preservation?
These are things we’re looking into :) we desperately hope that someone else will have their own chapter on this amazing place when ours is over. Thanks for watching
@@hamishauskerry Absolutely. 🍃
Well done Dad! You are continuing to work. All of your knowledge today is used. Feel proud ❤
Thank you for watching Angela!
What a blessing you all are to the planet, news is nothing without family
This is true! Thanks Mike ☺️
Wow amazing folks you have Hamish! It would break my heart to leave that wonderful life behind, I was brought up to enjoy my own company so reading is a passion, knitting too when I’m in the mood, but seeing all that lovely wool, I would knit up a storm!
A great store of memories for your mom to look back on if & when she has to leave, sad to see what dementia does to seniors who were once so vital & full of life!
Stay well mom & dad, strength in the days, weeks, years ahead. Love from me in South Africa 🇿🇦 ❤❤❤
Thank you Wendy, this is really kind and thoughtful. It’s a special place but it’s also a life of hard work and I’m glad for my mum that hopefully she’ll have a more relaxing retirement in years to come. I’m devastated that the farm and my childhood home is never going to be the same again but I’m sure I’ll eventually come to terms with it because we all have to adapt. Take care - all the best to you in SA ❤️
good night dear ❤ wonderful video nice 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks for watching!
Just wondering with more young people starting to be interested in learning more of the old ways and bush crafts if you have ever thought about seeing if you could find a couple young people to come live on the island to help your parents and learn their craft?
We are hoping to do just that! We want someone else to experience this beautiful place for themselves when we no longer can. We’ll see what the future brings. Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry
If I wasn’t disabled,old, and lived so far away I would have loved to raise my children there (9 of them). Anyway hope you find someone.
I have bookmarked the county show in the hopes of making it there sometime. I'm glad your parents sell online, too. My favorite hat is one I knit from natural white North Ronaldsey yarn I bought in a shop in Kirkwall in 2016 (on an anniversary trip with my husband). Could it have been from your parents' farm? Or is it more likely to have been from North Ronaldsey itself?
Ah you should if you can! It’s a great day.
And ah yes, possibly! Mum sells in lots of different shops across Orkney, including Kirkwall. It’s also possibly you bought the wool from the island of North Ronaldsay too though. Thanks for watching!
HI, I AM IN AMERICA, KENTUCKY STATE. I AM TOTALLY DISABLED ELDERLY 72 YRS. I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THOSE BEAUTIFUL RUGS CAN BE USED TO SLEEP ON IN MY LIFT CHAIR? MY SKIN CANNOT HAVE PRESSURE ON IT, AS I DEVELOP SORES THAT TAKE A LONG TIME TO HEAL (MONTHS IF NOT A YEAR) WOULD IT SUFFICE FOR MY THOUGHTS OF COMFORT? I AM 5FT 9 INCHES TALL AND THIS CHAIR IS 26 INCHES WIDTH. DO THEY COME THAT BIG, IN LENGTH AND WIDTH OR AT LEAST CLOSE? HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST IN DOLLARS AND SHIPPING COST? THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND MAY FATHER/CREATOR BLESS YOU ALL.
Thank you for watching! I’m sure a sheepskin would be a great thing to have on your lift chair - but the best person to ask would be my mum. If you get in touch with her through isleofauskerry.com she’ll be able to help :)
@@hamishauskerry OSIYO (HELLO IN CHEROKEE) I WILL DO THAT. WADO IS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RESPONDING. ) HAVE A BLESSED DAY.
@@hamishauskerry HI AGAIN. I WENT TO THAT SITE, FOUND AN EMAIL, WROTE TO YOUR MUM, AND WENT BACK TO CHECKING OUT THE SITE, IT DIDN'T SHOW ANY BLANKETS YET SOMEWHERE IN ALL I'VE BEEN
WATCHING THEY ARE MENTIONED, LOL WHERE ARE THEY? THANKS
Best wishes to all of you! I admire you very much! My mother also had Alzheimer desease and I know what you are doinng, though I don´t know how it is to live on the Orkneys.
Thank you so much! There are so many challenges to caring for something with Alzheimer’s and most of them are completely universal. I hope you’re taking care ❤️
Such a great series and well filmed. I love your mums wool product, seing it has given me f o m o. Thank for sharing.
Ah this is really kind, thank you so much! The products mum makes are so special - it’s always a pleasure to take part in the process when I’m home. Thanks for your support ☺️
There should be a way for those of us in the US to purchase them! I found it but so many people like a direct link!
Thanks for finding it! It’s isleofauskerry.com if anyone has the same question ☺️
I am so sorry I found out about Auskerry only after I had thrown myself into a new adventure elsewhere in the world. I would have loved to pass the summer there learning about your family’s skills and helping with all the hard work. My path has led me elsewhere now but that is truly one of the few places in the UK I could see myself living in even though I am a citizen. Your family was blessed with a life in paradise however hard you had to work to stay there and make things go right and I am so sorry that ill health is forcing them off the island now. Good luck with finding the right people to take on the challenge in the future!
Perhaps another year Jessica? If you’re ever interested to come and live/work on the island, feel free to get in touch via isleofauskerry.com :) thanks for watching and enjoy your new adventure!
I enjoyed watching your parents still working away. Hope all is well with you. Cheers Mr T
Hi Bob, I’m delighted to see you are still on the go. Your patience with my lack of aptitude for maths and physics is appreciated - I did make it as a pilot in the end!
Thank you for this Mr T! Hope you’re taking care 👍
Wonderful video.
☺️☺️
Hamish nothing like a country rural show we have a fantastic one in Launceston the north of the State here in Tasmania. We visited Orkney on the way back to Devon from Iceland sadly only one day, my childhood dream was to spend weeks in the Islands but my one day will at nearing 80 have to suffice. So thank you for showing us your parents island and how they have for nearly 50years been self sufficient. I must say your mum looks so young and so fit much admiration. Ill be definitely check out the wool. 😊
Ah cool! At least you got to see Orkney - a flavour of the place is better than nothing! Mum is amazingly youthful given how much strain she’s been under 💪 thank you for watching and I hope you find something you like on isleofauskerry.com ☺️
Awesome video
Thanks very much Howard! I really appreciate the support 👍
Do volunteers interested in a Woofing style experience ever approach your parents to help them with the various wool related tasks? This would seem to be a wonderful opportunity if they did.
We have had people like that in the past, yes! It's hard to find people who have the right skills though because teaching all the complexities of living here is a lot of work for mum if they are only able to stay for a few weeks. But we're always interested in welcoming people to come and live/work on the island alongside us for longer periods! Thanks for watching
Love this!!!❤
Thanks Janet! ☺️
Lovely
Thank you for watching Kristin!
Is there a way to purchase a sheepskin rug online?
Hi Steven, yes - isleofauskerry.com
Thanks for watching!
@@hamishauskerry thank you!!!!
looking into making skins of our own, we currently make wool pellets and looking to expand our product list
Ah that’s cool! Good luck with it and thanks for watching! 👍
Really enjoyed seeing your way of life on the island, it would be a hard life and harder for just one person to be managing it. I am coming to Orkney soon and will look out for your Mum's woolly items when I am there and look forward to purchasing some of them..... me being a sheep farmer too.
Ah thanks so much for your thoughtful comment Lynne. I think only farmers can properly understand the challenges of living here - as there’s just so much to think about and be responsible for. The videos naturally focus on the positive but as you know there’s a lot behind the scenes to worry about! Thanks for watching and enjoy your Orkney visit!
@@hamishauskerry We are always thinking about the farm, it is like having 200 pets, and when you think of it like that.....that is alot of lives to be responsible for and then we also have to look after ourselves as well...and we are getting older too.
Thank you, Hamish!
Thanks John! Hope you’re taking care 👍
Definittely a video to watch on desktop, not the phone. So wish didn't have a dog who would eat the rug...I never got to live my dream life solely on a farm and sort of glad I bought a house in town as the neuromuscular disease hit, I couldn't give up as gracefully as your mum
Ah I’m sorry to hear about your health struggles, Cheryl! Until dad’s dementia diagnosis we’d been incredibly lucky with health over the years as a family. Thanks so much for watching - I hope you enjoy the rest of the series to live vicariously! Take care ☺️
Wonderful! Do you ship to U.S.?
Yes we do! Isleofauskerry.com
Thanks for watching!
I was a nurse for close to 50years several toward the end of my career i was privileged to work in a Dementia unit, i also have friends whose partners have dementia, such a life changing disease for all the family. I have so much admiration for your mother and only too pleased you your brothers and friends are so supportive. With warmest regards from Avril in Tasmania
Thank you Avril that’s really kind. It’s incredibly cruel to see it progress so quickly in my dad but we’re just trying to keep our chins up and be thankful for all the memories we have. Thanks for watching ☺️
I really enjoy hearing about what my family ancestors lived and are living now. Some day I want to see in person my fellow Scotsman. I enjoy listening about how your family goes day by day.
My ancestors family's name is McKay
Ah that’s a good Scottish name! Thanks very much for your comment - I hope you get your trip to Scotland one day! 🙏
Whats the big hunk of rusty metal?
Ah good spot! That’s the wreck of the SS Hastings County www.isleofauskerry.com/blog/history/the-story-of-ss-county-hastings/
I live in a remote area of Ireland and my mother was afflicted with the same horrible condition as your father, probably the most difficult thing we have ever had to do was the day we realised that it was not possible to manage to keep her at home. In our case this meant a fifty minute drive to the nearest nursing home but my dad was able for it at the time. The biggest regret I have is that we probably persevered for too long at home and it wasn’t until we had a crisis that we made the decision, looked back the workload my father took on was crazy and ever increasing. He was not a young man and it wasn’t until he got sick that we realised the extent of his responsibility and just how little mum could do for herself. In the heal of the hunt you are going to have to make big decisions as a family and if you take my advice, make the big decisions before your mother folds under the pressure. Oh and I am also a sheep farmer, but one that has the luxury of being able to put them in a trailer and move them to market.
Thanks Andy - I appreciate you taking the time to share this. I’m sorry for you about your mother too, it’s a truly devastating process to witness. We’re all pulling together to make sure mum isn’t overwhelmed by her increased responsibilities.
Which part of Ireland do you farm in? My grandfather was born and lived in co. Athlone. Thanks for watching - take care
@@hamishauskerry just to let you know athlone is a town in Westmeath with some of it in Roscommon so your grandfather was from either Westmeath or Roscommon , I am from mayo in the west of Ireland. Take care of your mother because she is under enormous stress, we didn’t realise just how much pressure our dad was under till he had to go to hospital for a few days and we had to step into the breach, it was only then that we became aware of how much my dad had been covering up and hiding from us. Obviously we knew what she had and we could see that she was deteriorating mentally but we didn’t know about the violent episodes that occurred or the outrageous jealous accusations. I think we were slow to comprehend that our father was grieving for my mother and feeling guilty about it long before she died because we had lost her along time before the end. I thought long and hard before writing this but eventually decided that fore armed is forewarned.
@@Andy-ix2ox Thanks Andy - I really appreciate you taking the time to share this. And yes, sorry - he was born in the town of Athlone! Take care
Lovely. Could you make a film about how the colours of the natural world are interpreted in to the wool dyes? We see glimpses of it in this episode, especially the blues, but I can see stone colours and much warmer reds - but not so many greens, which might just be by chance. The blue is also of your mother's eyes . I was struck how each display of wool in the box was a landscape.
Yes! Mum is inspired by all the sights and colours around her! I shall try to include that in a future episode ☺️