On the remote Scottish island, the opportunity to smoke is awaiting

If you are the right candidate, Richard Irvin will give you his business and train you to run it. His keys, customers and secrets will hand over to smoke fish – all free.

Fishing: You have to adhere to living on a remote Scottish island called Colonsay. Population 125.

There is already global competition for this position.

Mr. Irvin, 65, created Colonicai smoke He said in an interview on the phone on Tuesday, in 2022 and was building business with the intention of abandoning it. He said that interest in the gift was high, and he has more candidates than he expected. He hopes to choose the recipient by mid -summer.

“I get a lot of inquiries from the people called by the dreamer and the plans,” said Mr. Irvin. “One of them just came from St. Lucia now, while we are talking,” he added about a candidate from the Caribbean Island Nation:

Mr. Irvin has also received dozens of inquiries from candidates and news media requests from Italy, Spain and the United States, from other places, since BBC in Scotland Book the show on monday. He said, “How will I filter this, I have no idea.”

In a world torn by wars and economic conflicts, the idea of ​​life on a The remote Scottish island The attractiveness of many people – even if it involves smoking fish for a living. Mr. Irvin, Kulonsai, is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the presence of the big city.

The island is outside The western coast of Scotland In the Atlantic Ocean, about 20 miles from the mainland, and can be reached by the ferry. It is about two miles and 10 miles long, with sandy beaches, scenic paths, a golf course, a library, several holes to eat, watering, and localized, Colonnesi timesWhich comes out season, once in the winter, spring, summer and autumn.

The last time the island topped the headlines of international newspapers when Britain’s times revealed In March, an Irish banker accused of fraud in evading law enforcement authorities for many years by adopting a new identity and living as a building in Colonsai, starting in 2012.

Mr. Irvin said that the banker who turned into the construction was “a truly charming chapter”, if not many craftsmen, but it “has just disappeared.”

The smoke project appeared from a gold plan.

Mr. Irvin and his wife, Pro Erfin, who participated in the honeymoon on the island, were planning early retirement on Colonsai once their younger son, who suffers from an educational disability independently. But the epidemic took out their son’s plans and Mrs. Irvin remained with him on the mainland, south of Edinburgh, while Mr. Irvin worked at their home in Colonsai.

He became completely aware of a problem suffering from the place he loves. He said, “We only need more young people.”

He said that there are about 75 people over 65 years and about 45 people working with many children. There is little Houses at reasonable prices In Colonsai and not many jobs, which makes it difficult for society to attract new families.

Many retirees in the Community Development Company volunteer to work in the housing issue, so Mr. Irvin believed that he would do his role by creating an economic opportunity. He describes himself as a “serial creator” worked in construction, as head of a brand consultant.

But Mr. Irvin has never managed the fish smoking company when he started creating Colonnesi smokers with the support of a Norwegian seafood company, Mawoui, which has a salmon planting company on the island and agreed to provide it with fish at a preferential rate. Mai, who was also Participate in local housing development effortsShe did not respond immediately on a request for comment.

Mr. Irvin says that he spent about 50,000 pounds – about 65,000 dollars – on the project, revive an abandoned farm, and obtain a license and learn a fillet, treatment and fish smoke. The preparation of the product is a five -day process that includes preparatory and filtering, bonding and drying, smoking, cutting and packing.

It sells its products locally, to the high -end Delis on the mainland and the mail request. He says he has obtained his investments and can deliver smoke at no cost to “someone who does not have 50,000 pounds” but is eager for his own work.

There are specific properties that the ideal filter should have. The person is likely to be half a couple or a young professional family, with one partner who works remotely from Colonsai and the other runs the chimney.

“It is a big leap to take it,” I admit.

However, he said, there are rewards.

He said: “I love to wake up and see nature,” but I also love to go to the bar and stand by the man who is making boxes ” – as is the case in collecting garbage -” on an equal footing. “