Forsinard resident and nature enthusiast Graham Thompson shares how his passion for the natural world inspired him and his family to relocate 670 miles from their home in East Suffolk to the North Highlands.

While much of the UK’s rare wildlife now clings to survival within isolated nature reserves, the far north of Scotland remains refreshingly different. Here, nature still thrives on a vast and vibrant scale, and that’s exactly what drew me here.

After working for the RSPB in Suffolk and living on an island nature reserve, I felt ready for a bigger landscape, both professionally and personally. I’d long admired the Flow Country from afar. The birdlife alone is legendary, and the scale of conservation efforts by the RSPB at Forsinard had fascinated me for years. So when a vacancy came up, I jumped at the chance.

We made the move as a family, myself, my wife, and our four-year-old son, all the way from East Suffolk. It was quite the journey. As regular visitors to Scotland’s west coast, the road trip north was full of anticipation: crossing the border, driving through the Cairngorms, recalling past encounters with golden eagles and ptarmigan. The real magic moment came after Inverness, heading deeper into the Highlands. “We’re nearly there!” we said — only to discover there were still another 120 miles to go!

Arriving in Sutherland

The most memorable stretch was the A897 from Helmsdale to Forsinard, a stunning, quiet single-track road where we passed barely a handful of other vehicles. That sense of space and solitude told us we were in the right place.

Yes, we’re remote, but that’s part of the appeal. The A9 provides a good route south, and the train line from Forsinard connects directly to Inverness. It still amazes me that a railway line runs through the heart of this incredible blanket bog landscape.

Since moving here, I’ve been struck by the pure air, you can see it in the astonishing variety of lichens that flourish on trees and rocks. I live in a detached house, remarkably affordable compared to elsewhere in the UK, and most days the only sounds I hear are birdsong and the breeze in the treetops. It’s a daily reminder of why we came.

Public services have held up well, too. GP appointments are often available within a few days, sometimes even the same day. Dentists are trickier, but that’s one of the few trade-offs we’ve found.

Melvich has a lovely primary school, and although we initially made the daily journey there, we later chose to homeschool. My wife took on the teaching, keeping to a full school day and the national curriculum for the first year. Eventually, our son began to explore his own passions – music and film. With no neighbours nearby, he’s free to practise guitar and piano as loudly and often as he likes!

Had he continued in the school system, we’d have had the choice between secondary schools in Bettyhill and Thurso, both about the same distance from us.

Of course, life in the far north means adjusting expectations. Thurso and Wick are our nearest towns, and smaller shops in places like Melvich, Bettyhill and Helmsdale help bridge the gap. A few of the larger supermarkets deliver weekly, and yes — Amazon works just the same here as it does elsewhere. You do need to be prepared for winter weather; snow and ice can make travel a challenge, especially on the smaller roads.

But for us, that’s a small price to pay for the peace, the space, the nature, and the privilege of being part of something so wild and wonderful.