Barnhill, Jura

Barnhill is a farmhouse situated on the North of the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides. To quote their website, ‘There’s pretty much nobody there’, making it the perfect setting to question the concepts of fear and isolation. Barnhill therefore was a very interesting location to consider in the development of the show and has influenced us all throughout the show’s development.

The site is perhaps most famous for being house to George Orwell from 1946 to his death in 1950. During his time at Barnhill, he completed his novel Nineteen Eighty-four, known worldwide for its portrayal of a dystopian future bound by an omnipresent government surveillance. When considering just how isolated this location is, and how Orwell depicted life in 1984 to be, it is unsurprising this location continues to inspire artists of many mediums.

Modern human life doesn’t feature much on the North of this island. The house itself has limited electricity and heating, the land is teaming with peace-seeking wildlife as opposed to cars and buildings, and you’ll need a boat or a 4x4 to get to the front door.

Such isolation may seem like bliss to some. The opportunity to retreat from modern conventions and immerse yourself in peace and nature could sound like an ideal lifestyle. But in a world where everything is connected by the internet or the apparent safety of constant surveillance, it isn’t hard to see how feelings of fear and isolation could be found here also. This makes us question fear - that the idea of being alone and completely at one with nature is potentially scary. Perhaps this is due to our dependence as a society on constantly connecting to other people or watching too many horror films in the dark… Either way, this location is indisputably extremely peaceful and even more beautiful.

To read more about Barnhill and even explore the potential of booking your next holiday here, visit their website http://www.escapetojura.com/Barnhill.html