State of Plan

For one thing, we've finally had the chance to not only see but live - albeit for a few days - in a Dualchas-designed building, the architects behind Hebridean Contemporary Homes.  We stayed at Tigh an Dochais, a superb contemporary bed and breakfast that I'd recommend to anyone with a soul.  Based in Broadford, the building makes stunning use of the view out over the bay with floor-to-ceiling windows, a feature that seems to be part of Dualchas' signature style.  The use of wooden flooring combined with underfloor heating was both attractive and very comfortable, giving every room a cosy feel.  While it's clearly a larger building than we're after - not to mention bespoke rather than pre-planned - it was still fascinating to see a Dualchas building in the flesh (so to speak) and get a feel for how such designs work, especially with regards to windows, space and heating.  Compared to the tedious mock-Tudor new-builds that seem to crop up across the country like a rash, the deceptively simple exterior of Tigh an Dochais is a relief, echoing traditional centuries-old rural designs yet unmistakably modern.  Our stay there affirmed our belief that HCH should be the first port of call when it comes to building our home - to be fair, there are other environmentally-conscious kit-home suppliers out there (particularly in continental Europe) and we'll be checking their own designs out over the next few years and see how they compare.  All the same, it sounds somewhat perverse to get a kit-home shipped over to Skye from Sweden when HCH are just down the proverbial road.

Back in January I wrote quite a long post considering employment opportunities over on Skye, and it's never really been far from my mind all year.  While I've made a few quid in the last 12 months from selling artwork, it's clear that I couldn't rely on that for any kind of serious income.  I'm certainly not going to let go the hope of making some pennies from drawing and painting, and in the next few weeks I plan to completely replace www.jonnagl.com with a far more updated online portfolio, hopefully integrating Google Checkout so sales can be done directly with me rather than through an intermediary site like Etsy (which, in all honesty, feels like a victim of its own success these days as selling there becoming increasingly futile and frustrating).  There'll be more of a focus next year on animal and landscape artwork, rather than the nudes that make up the majority of my recent work, and I hope those will be quite popular.  All the same, unless I can be sure of bringing in £1400 a month in art sales - and that's not going to happen - I need to figure out how to pay my way once Skyewards.

New careers have been pondered, most seriously those based around sustainable rural development, but the cost of taking such courses isn't something that can be shrugged off, especially when I've still got existing debts to pay off.  My earlier post rather dismissed my current occupation as being a likely solution - however, things have changed a little there.  For one thing, I've been temporarily promoted (thanks to maternity leave) giving me greater responsibilities and experience which could help lead the way to a more permanent promotion in the future.  Obviously the increase in pay is nice, but so is the sense of being more involved in the government agency I work in.  From that perspective, the idea of leaving all that behind and coming in green (and inevitably lower-paid) at a new non-creative career isn't so appealing.  But is there any way I could continue the work I'm doing now, remain on the same pay-scale and still move far away from Edinburgh?

Well, things are looking up on that prospect.  The agency I work for recently launched a project on 'agile working', described in this (unrelated) document as "[enabling] people to choose between a variety of workplace options and locations, utilising hot desking, home working, hotelling and mobile working."  The key words for muggins here being, of course, home working.  Now, I'm not expecting anything to happen any time soon - we're talking about years, not months - but the indications are good.  Viewed in tandem with the general direction the agency is taking towards dematerialisation, video conferencing and working entirely from digital files, I reckon that as things stand the most realistic plan for moving to Skye is to continue working for the agency from home via the internet.  While it may not be the most stimulating of occupations - obviously I'd much rather be painting - it's certainly not objectionable, nor does the agency I work for bring with it any ethical dilemmas (unlike, say, a career with Qinetiq) and it's a subject that I'm now pretty well versed in.

And that in turn leads to the rethink I've had on further education.  Rather than study something brand new, in the hope of using it to start a new career, surely it's wiser to study a subject connected with what I'm currently doing, especially given the positive potential of agile working.  So, what subject would that be?  Erm...

LLB (HONS) LAW P/T
In this course, students are expected to gain a comprehensive legal education which promotes active and autonomous learning and develops the core generic skills sought by employers, namely: study skills, information skills, communication skills (both oral and written), information technology skills, and legal research skills.
Accredited by the Law Society of Scotland, the part-time LLB is comprised of core, option and elective modules. Listed below is a typical study programme. The year is split into two semesters, with students normally studying two modules per semester. Students wanting to complete the course in less than the six year duration may have the opportunity to take either three modules per semester or study during `semester three- (June to September). This is dependant on the availability of modules during this time and student demand.
Stage 1: Scottish Legal System, Contract Law, Consumer Law, Constitutional Law 1
Stage 2: Criminal Law 1, Delict 1, European Law, Criminal Law 2 (optional)
Stage 3: Employment Law 1, Introduction to Property Law (optional), Fundamentals of Taxation (optional), Business Law (optional)
Stage 4: Legal Research Methods, Company Law A (optional), Constitutional Law 2 (optional), Property Conveyancing and Trusts (optional)
Stage 5: Family Law 1, Jurisprudence, Law of Evidence (optional), Law of Succession (optional)
Stage 6: 4 other option or elective modules from the University Catalogue.

Why law?  Well, it's very much connected with my job and gaining such a qualification could help improve my promotion chances at the agency, plus the knowledge gained from it would certainly be of use in the section I work in.  Indeed, the fact it'll be to the agency's benefit means I've a good chance of getting help with a significant chunk of the course fees, which is a pretty big deal.  The 'six years' figure is sobering - if started next year, it wouldn't be complete until mid-2014, a looooong way off, and even squeezing in a third semester brings it in at 2012 - but there's the chance that during this time distance-learning could become feasible (not that I've anything to base that hope on, but it's possible!) and, well, moving to Skye is for keeps.  If being able to have a secure income once living there means putting the move off for a few more years in order to complete such a course in Edinburgh, I'd say it's worthwhile for the eventual result.  Of course, I wouldn't be making such a decision alone, and the Lass's opinion is paramount and decisive.  Anyway, applications wouldn't be made until summer 2008 so we'll see how things appear then - for example, if the agile working project at work decides against home working, those sustainable development courses will become much more appealing.  I've got to admit, the thought of studying for a law degree is somewhat mind-boggling, even with the on-the-job experience I've had.  If anyone had told me 10, even 5 years ago that I'd be considering taking such a course, I'd have assumed they were off their head on sherbet.  After all, animation to law isn't the most natural of career progressions.  Still, until a few years back I never would have imagined a life on Skye - funny how things turn out.