“Sorry about the cat, she’s curious.” I’m sitting on the couch in my living room, a cup of tea in hand, and my health records strewn on the coffee table. My cat, Midna, is tentatively sniffing around the feet of our latest guest - the area’s advanced nurse practitioner.

It’s my first doctor’s appointment since moving to the Isle of Rum, and every second feels surreal. It’s one of the first questions I’m asked after telling people where I live - second only to how I survive without a pub, that is. But people always tend to wonder about healthcare. Do you have a doctor’s surgery on the island? What happens in an emergency? Where do you get medication?

Well, for me, all it took was a phone call on a Monday morning, and the nurse was at my front door not 48 hours later. The Small Isles have a practice based on Eigg, and doctors and nurses visit the four islands on rotation. And today, it’s Rum’s turn.

Booking the appointment was almost too easy. A few rings, a brief chat with a lovely receptionist and I was sorted for my Wednesday morning appointment.

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