Having six jobs on a remote Scots island saved Sarah’s life

A Scottish woman in her 20s will tell the country how moving to a remote island saved her.

The Island That Saved My Life will be broadcast on BBC One next Monday, 16 July, revealing how, at the age of 23 and suffering from depression and shyness Sarah Moore moved from her family home near Edinburgh to the beautiful island of North Ronaldsay, with a population of fewer than 50 people.

Part of BBC One’s Our Lives series, this documentary follows Sarah’s life on the island and the stories of the people she meets there.

Like many remote communities North Ronaldsay has its fair share of challenges, from the cancellation of air services that bring vital supplies to extreme weather conditions and economic hardship.

From day one, Sarah has to hold down multiple jobs to make ends meet and adapt to an entirely new way of living and thinking to survive on the island.

A job as a postal worker is just one of six that Sarah has

But the move has changed Sarah. She is much happier and she says can be the person she was always meant to be here. She has more opportunities to work and broaden her horizons.

Ironically, she has a far better social life than when she lived in the capital city and has become an integral part of the community.

But that community is now under threat. North Ronaldsay is in a spiral of depopulation, with little employment and a lack of accommodation. Recent years have seen an exodus, particularly of young people, from the island.

If things don’t change soon Sarah may no longer be able to live on the island that she says saved her life.

This character-driven documentary looks at a unique way of life in a remarkable community that may not be around for much longer. As Sarah works at her six jobs, she is doing all she can to help save the island that saved her.

The Island That Saved My Life will air on Monday, 16 July, from 7.30-8pm.