THE long-running search for a teacher for a five-pupil primary school in a remote Highland community appears to be over.
Highland Council is on the verge of appointing a member of staff to Scoraig Primary School, on a peninsula west of Ullapool in Ross and Cromarty.
The community's search for a new teacher became worldwide news after the recruitment drive was widely shared on social media.
Residents of Scoraig believed the advertisements were not specific enough to the unique character of the peninsula.
One resident said: "We had an amazing response. I am delighted to say that we have now appointed a teacher."
The community advertisement for the post on Facebook called for a resourceful person "ready to embrace the challenge of becoming a vital part of our friendly off-grid community, living close to the elements in a beautiful, but remote environment".
There is no road into the peninsula with the only access being a three-mile coastal foot path or by boat. There is no pub, shop, post office or mains electricity and residents produce their own power from a mixture of alternative sources such as wind, solar and hydro. Water is sourced from springs.
However, despite its remote nature, Scoraig has seen an increase in the number of new families settling and having children with four young children who will need a nursery within the next year and, as the advert states, "more babies on the way".
The advertisement stated: "Scoraig is a rare community, with great characters and you will be entertained and fascinated by a way of life that you will not find in many places."
Zoe Fothergill, the administrator for the charity Scoraig Teaching Group, which promotes education on the peninsula, said: "Our remote location is what makes Scoraig simultaneously so special and so challenging."
Nuala Kennedy, a former Scoraig primary teacher, said: "I was lucky enough to teach at Scoraig for nearly 10 years. There are small pupil numbers and mixed ages allowing the atmosphere of learning to be like that of a family.
"The job was demanding and challenging, but hugely rewarding and satisfying. The place itself is a stunning, raw, wild place and demands a degree of physical and emotional stability to cope with life on the west."
The move comes after six councils organised an emergency summit to address crippling teacher shortages.
Local authorities covering Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Highlands, the Orkney Islands and the Shetland Islands joined forces to try and find a solution to the long-running problem.
The councils want to see a national plan developed by the Scottish Government to increase the number of teachers available to schools.
Proposals include higher salaries for those prepared to move north and an expansion of teacher training courses at Aberdeen University and the University of the Highlands and Islands to improve the local supply of school staff.
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