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Words from the streets


population and increasingly centralised decision-making all impact on daily life here. The Free Press has campaigned on these issues for decades, sometimes with success.” Chrystall, a journalist at the Highland News for 30 years,


says: “It’s a newsy area with the area’s main local government centre, confident business and arts communities, thriving tourism and mix of locals and incomers. “Stories that have stood out over the past year include


Commonwealth Games’ judo silver medallist Stephanie Inglis, who was left fighting for her life after a motorbike accident in Vietnam where she was teaching English. Supporters raised thousands to pay for her medical care and bring her back to the UK where she’s now recovering well. “Any stories about the Loch Ness monster go viral – as did


last year’s Inverness Courier story of ‘Groping women force Inverness barmen to give up wearing kilts’.” Craig Taylor, chief reporter at The Orcadian, highlights the


identity of those living on the Orkney Islands. “We don’t really identify ourselves at all on a daily basis with the Highlands,” he says. “We’re an island group with a rich Norse


Where the work is


Scottish Provincial Press SSP has 65 editorial staff, and produces 14 newspapers and two monthly magazines – The Inverness Courier and the Highland News. Weekly titles cover Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, Banffshire, and others, and it has offices in areas including Wick, Golspie and Banff.


DC Thomson The publisher has 22 staff. Daily paper The Press & Journal publishes a Highlands and Islands edition six days a week.


BBC The BBC has about 65 staff, including 40 in Inverness and 25 in Stornoway (Isle of Lewis), and the BBC’s


main Gaelic language newsroom. Journalists tend to be multiskilled, working for TV, radio and online. It’s the BBC’s largest news patch in the UK, producing daily news and covering more than one third of Scotland’s landmass.


West Highland Publishing Company: This company has 15 staff and publishes the staff- owned West Highland Free Press. Managing director, Paul Wood, says: “Our masthead carries the Gaelic slogan ‘An Tìr, an Cànan ‘S na Daoine’ – the land, the language, the people – taken from Highland Land League who campaigned for crofters in the 19th century. The slogan is at the heart of everything we do.”


history and heritage. That separates Orkney and Shetland from the rest of Scotland. We do not speak Gaelic. Kirkwall [Orkney Islands’ capital] is closer to Bergen than London by a long way. “It’s a good place to be a journalist and can be a newsy area, depending on what you’re used to. It has a population of just over 20,000 and is governed by an independent local authority – we keep a close eye on Orkney Islands Council’s decisions and policies. I’ve been involved in covering two murders in my 25-year career, which certainly stand out.” Taylor, who has also worked as a freelance photographer,


says Orkney has a strong community spirit, low crime rate and “beaches to suit every wind direction”. It’s also well connected, although travel to the mainland can be expensive. He adds: “When we see gales hammering down on


southern England on the news, it generally means it’s the type of day when we would put an extra peg on our washing.” What’s it like to move to this part of the world? Freelance journalist Flic Everett left her home in Manchester for a new life in the West Highlands last year. “I work from home and live in the middle of nowhere near


Loch Awe,” says Everett, editor of monthly glossy magazine Vegan Living. “The best bits are the scenery, being able to go out with the dog into some of the most beautiful countryside imaginable, the peace and quiet, the lack of commute, no traffic, no people…” Suzy Bashford, a freelance journalist and author, moved to


Kincraig in the Cairngorm National Park about a year ago. Bashford, who writes for Psychologies and Campaign


magazine, says: “Living here is stunning, inspiring and spirit lifting. One of the best things is the friendliness of the people. “Local newspaper ‘The Strathy’ [the Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, published by SPP] has a very dedicated following and I love how everyone talks about stories in the local press. It’s not unusual to hear mums on the school run say, ‘Oooh, did you see that story in The Strathy?’.” Of course, there are drawbacks. “I’ve not met any other freelance journalists and I’ve not – yet – discovered any kind of thriving freelance community,” says Bashford, author of Wondering Woman (www.wonderingwoman.co.uk). “I’d love to meet more freelances in the creative industries – do feel free to get in touch if you are reading this article! “Overall, though, the pros far outweigh cons, and I’d never


move back to the south east of England as the quality of life is so much better up here, especially if you have a young family.” Everett, who writes for The Daily Mail and Guardian online, adds that it can be difficult to get decent broadband. “After months of angst I forked out for satellite broadband,


which costs a fortune, but the signal was too slow to be feasible otherwise,” she says. “It is a two-hour round trip to do the shopping, but I don’t mind as my boyfriend comes with me and we can have a chat on the way,” she adds. “I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to cope with the isolation, but it turns out I love it.”


Craig Taylor, chief reporter at The Orcadian “There seems to be a housing boom on mainland Orkney, which is a good sign that young families want to stay. Some smaller islands are suffering from an ageing population and depopulation, so a lot of traditions and local dialect are being lost.”


Margaret Chrystall, entertainments writer for Scottish Provincial Press “You can enjoy hills, beaches and wild places outside the city and all over the north – and jump on a plane and be in Manchester, Bristol, Dublin, London, Amsterdam in a couple of hours.”


Freelance journalist Flic Everett “When work is very stressful, I can look out of the window and go ‘well, there’s a mountain, and it doesn’t seem to care’.”


Freelance journalist Suzy Bashford “The breathtaking views of majestic pine forests, awesome mountains and luscious lochs gives me such a boost. I often going for runs or walks with the dog. I balance this by doing more work on rainy days – of which there are many.”


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