..Here's one I prepared earlier....

[The Local Ned]

Just a small post regarding a recent family break up near the loch ness region at Fort Augustus.

Having been a member of this forum for a small time now it has helped me become more aware of what I was looking for in a location to hold up in - after TSHTF. I had a location in mind - off the beaten track - shall we say , which had areas I hoped could become useful to me nearby.

I live in a semi-rural area , close to larger urban areas , but separate enough to have grown up learning all about the wildlife , and the natural side of things ,and having a lot of experience of this has helped me in other aspects of my life.
I genuinely feel sad that someone who has grown up in large towns or cities may not have had some of the basic experiences I have had , and it makes me so grateful that I have.

The recent break up north led us through many areas , anyone who has travelled up the A82 or A9 will know what I am on about...varying from bleak , barren hills and mountains , to rich with life , heather and tree covered hills , high sheltered valleys and low , crowded glens.

The area is a preppers dream...apart from the weather sometimes...and the midges....sometimes.

We stayed in a holiday cottage at Fort Augustus.
A river in the back garden , and lochs - a few minutes walk away.
Good soil , plenty of water , plenty of animal life...but oh so remote in my opinion.

I can now understand and accept why I have always said that those in the remoter areas will cope better post SHTF , they are already used to relying on whats near them , and also with coping with , or making the most of , what they have. It's the first time I've looked on a part of my own country and felt this way , I can understand why the highlands always seem to be out of touch with the rest of Scotland - it's exactly that - they are out of touch with most of Scotland.

The small communities all rely heavily on themselves and their neighbours when winter comes and they sometimes get isolated , it would be crazy to rely on help from the larger towns like Fort William or Aviemore and Inverness...you can easily do a 100 mile round trip going from one to another.
It brought home to me that places like that - are going to be far better prepared , and will cope a lot better than similar communities in more heavily populated areas.

Now these areas are full of 'holiday cottages' owned by people from outside the area mostly...which will be left deserted when TSHTF unless the owners have made preparations of course.......

The amount of places I went through which ,although were close to ( single tracked ) roads , could be considered remote enough for people like ourselves to thrive in.

I may have to adjust my B.O.L , at the least I may have to do another recce of my primary area to see how it compares....

Just thought I would post this up for general debate.

@ Kenneth Eames - Kenneth I know you are from western isles , and this post is meant in no way to offend or criticise the highland and islands region , I'm only offering my findings and opinion on the great glen area that I have recently visited mate.

TLN.

[TOF]

I think we can often get complacent about what's on our doorstep. You've made a very valid point or three.

[Hrusai]

very good post dude! i totally agree, smaller communities that close ranks when the time comes and have these resources nearby will fare infinitely better than the cities.

personally i found myself a location thats only 10-20 miles away and still within 30-45 mins drive to 3 large towns and lots and lots of supplies and villages, yet despite all that, its remote and locally is almost unheard of!...the housing there includes holiday cottages with a permenant farm and a friend who lives there, whose house is easily fortifiable, you could shoot rabbit in the field next to the house without leaving the house!...not to mention the proximity of fishing rivers (20mins walk) and lots of fertile land and already established livestock, seems pretty great....although im still looking for better and more remote locations, finding the perfect BOL is a hell of a task, probably one of the hardest parts of prepping....also the whole thing about holiday cottages, thats a very very good point

although i must admit to find somewhere truly remote is nigh on impossible in england, its a very hard task ...i'd recommend reconnoitering the area on google maps! measuring distances to major locations nearby, taking note of villages, any listed businesses on the maps and all sorts of other things.....having your own satellite imagery like that is very very useful

[NorthernRaider]

Ned you should be investigating and documenting the location of as many of these Holiday pads as possible, make notes about of they keep stockpiles of fiore wood / coal, do they have heating oil tanks ( which will work in many diesel engines) Butane tanks, Allotments, etc. We actually considered moving upn to the area around Nairn, Fort George, Inverness etc but we have close family members who suffered appaling anti English racism in the area we decided we did not need the extra risk.

[TOF]

(17 July 2012, 08:27)NorthernRaider Wrote: Ned you should be investigating and documenting the location of as many of these Holiday pads as possible, make notes about of they keep stockpiles of fiore wood / coal, do they have heating oil tanks ( which will work in many diesel engines) Butane tanks, Allotments, etc. We actually considered moving upn to the area around Nairn, Fort George, Inverness etc but we have close family members who suffered appaling anti English racism in the area we decided we did not need the extra risk.

Ditto NR, I moved back to England for the very same reason.

[NorthernRaider]

(17 July 2012, 17:01)TOF Wrote:

(17 July 2012, 08:27)NorthernRaider Wrote: Ned you should be investigating and documenting the location of as many of these Holiday pads as possible, make notes about of they keep stockpiles of fiore wood / coal, do they have heating oil tanks ( which will work in many diesel engines) Butane tanks, Allotments, etc. We actually considered moving upn to the area around Nairn, Fort George, Inverness etc but we have close family members who suffered appaling anti English racism in the area we decided we did not need the extra risk.

Ditto NR, I moved back to England for the very same reason.

Sad isnt it such a beautiful copuntry that is so openly and unapologetically racist and anti English.

[The Local Ned]

Don't know how to respond to that one NR.

I can only say - in all honesty and truthfulness that every other accent I heard whilst in the area was English , having said that , there were a lot of foreign languages overheard too.

Like I said in the post - I can understand why the highland region ( to me being a Scot ) always feels out of touch with the rest of us...

It's because it is.
The whole region normally votes lib/dem or SNP ffs.

This area is usually chock full of the misguided tartan trannies who believe 'Braveheart' was actually factual , and is the heartland of this nonsensical push for 'independence'.

Like I said to my wife driving down the A9 past carrbridge - no wonder these clowns all want independence , Scotland - to them ,is the next village or the shop 10 miles away that sells them their corn flakes.

They are so cut-off from what the majority of Scotland actually represents it is unbelievable , as I said , its no wonder they are so out of touch.

Scotland is one huge debate , for all you guys south of the border who don't know us.
We are a divided society , culturally , religiously and geographically.
The main political parties failed us , and we came to realise , finally , used us for their own ends , hence the swing towards SNP.

We have the diehard ScotNat - he's Scottish not British.
We have the unionist Scot - he's British.
We have the Scot - he's Scots first , but also proud to be British.
We have the immigrant Scot - he's usually whatever his grandfather was.

I cant argue against anti-anglo things going on ,I know it has happened.
I cant argue against anti-scots racism either , It's happened to me.
( When tried using Scots money in England - perfectly legal , but you guys wont accept it at all ) but thats neither here nor there.

Racist ? - I dont understand that one - we don't have enough coloured families or asians or others to be racist mate . I had a friend and family stay over a few years back - he's from leicester - and the first thing he said to me was - wheres all your asians and blacks ?
Scotland was the great multi-cultural hope...some say it has worked , others have spoken of total failure of others to integrate into OUR society , and that it was the Scots who had to change their ways to fit into other cultures.

I don't know , I don't care.
People accept me for who I am , not what I am , I treat others as they treat me , with respect if its given , or politeness if its not.

Sorry to hear of that TOF and NR , sometimes the tartan trannies make me ashamed too.
I wore the kilt as a soldier , and wore it proudly , but I cringe when I see the trannies in their 'see you jimmy' hats and ginger wigs , usually topped off with those tan timberland boots too , they DO NOT represent me , I DO NOT represent them.

[TOF]

Racism is not exclusive to colour, Ned. I suffered all sorts of abuse for being English. The last straw came when my son was hospitalised after a beating, the culprits were caught and they admitted the only reason he was targeted was because he was English. It's much like Sectarianism.

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And you don't have to apologise for anyone.

[NorthernRaider]

In our families case it was my pre school nephew being told that he is "an Anglish bastard and and we are not allowed to play with yee" by the local kids, and his mum often standing for ages in shops deliberately being ignored by the staff because they new she was an "Anglish bastard soldiers wifey". The locals had a street party and slipped a not through the doors of the English families telling them not to come !!!. She often would go into a local shop where the staff and other customers would just cold shoulder them because she was English. Apparently its much rarer in the western part and Islands though.

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Dont apologise for something you did not do, trust me we have more than enough Racists and Bigots born to English families, and to my shame when it comes to Islam I am one.

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Aaah yes the Scots regiments that wear kilts, they were set up to act as servants and butlers for the Scotish lowland regiments so I'm told

[The Local Ned]

(17 July 2012, 21:46)NorthernRaider Wrote: Aaah yes the Scots regiments that wear kilts, they were set up to act as servants and butlers for the Scotish lowland regiments so I'm told

Scots lowland regiments
ahhh the boggin royals ( Royal Scots .)
..or the RHF ( the chib merchants , as we say up here )
or the K.O.S.B ( the cosbies )

^All cannon fodder mate.

Happy to say I was an Argyll (and bolton wanderer)....lol