Corcadal | Raasay

Separated from Skye by the Sound of Raasay, and from Applecross by the Inner Sound, Raasay is a similar size and shape to Manhattan island but with fewer than 200 residents.

It’s a beautiful island where the past is all around — in abandoned villages, a wall built by a notorious landowner to keep islanders confined to the inhospitable northerly tip of the island, and where you can see the most famous road on the island, Calum’s road, built by one man who took on the gargantuan task of building a road to his village when calls for help from the authorities fell on deaf ears.

After a long period of young islanders having little choice but to leave to find work, the opening of a new distillery, creating much needed jobs, has enabled young people to return and attracted newcomers to the island.

There’s a feeling of optimism yet challenges remain. What’s it like to live and work in Raasay in 2021?

There are clips and more information on this programme’s BBC page.