Expert: Willie Wallace - 2/1/2011

Question
Dear Sir,

I'm in the process of gathering research and ideas for a story I want to write (for fun). My story's based in the UK, and my characters will be escaping/trying to hide from a totalitarian world government.

Do you know of any secluded areas of the UK in which it would be feasible for a family/group to hide? Perhaps somewhere with caves, or in the hills/mountains, or forests, and so on. I'd be very grateful for any suggestions you can give. Ideas for places for both small and/or large groups of refugees would be much appreciated.

Thank you for your help, and I look forward to your reply.

Regards, Dominic

Answer
Hi Dominic,

Scotland has over 700 islands, of which, about 95 are populated with anything between 1 and 20,000.  Four islands in the 2001 census had only 1 person.

As long as your refugees have a boat, they could spirit themselves away.  Then there are islands like Jura with a population of 200, all of whom live along the East coast with a mountain range between them and the West coast.  There are numberous rivers coming off the West side of the mountains, so camping or even caving there in complete secrecy would be easily possible.

The North Western part of Scotland has the lowest population density of any area in Europe.  There are about three roads crossing a huge area with nobody living there.  A well equipped party could disappear into these areas for months and not be found.  Fishing in the lochs (lakes) and sea and probably a lot of sheep would supply food.  Fuel is a problem, as until recently, there has been very little forest, but in the last 30-40 years, a lot of Scots woodland has been replanted - birch, oak, ash etc., traditional woods that will burn well.  If there are sheep on the hills, then that means at times there will be people, so you need to be watchful.  If you light fires, you become visible at night and from smoke during the day.  

The main reason this large region is so underpopulated is that the natives were moved off the land by the absentee landlords in the late 18th and early to mid 19th centuries and replaced by sheep.  Initially, they drove people from their homes, but when the police protecting the land factors left, people moved back into their houses.  Eventually, they would either burn the houses down, or more often, take the roofs off.  That worked and people could not move back in.  However many of the shells of the houses remain, in remote areas, so offer protecting walls to your sheltering refugees and with the woodland available, they could make wooden roofing to protect themselves from the sky, by weaving different sizes of branches together.  The walls already being there would invite no suspicion, even if somebody was looking for the refugees.

Hope that helps,

Willie