A private island in Scotland sounds wondrous!

BY CLAIRE LYNCH

From time to time in the press I read all about private islands that are for sale at a reasonable price. One that’s currently selling for $190,000 is a remote Scottish island and if you ask me, the idea of owning a small but not too small island off the southern coast of Scotland sounds pretty enticing.

The writeup I read gave specific details. Called Barlocco Island, it consists of about 25 acres but there are no buildings on it, only a flood pond providing water for livestock and wildlife. At low tide Barlocco Island is accessible by foot, by tractor or quadbike. At high tide the island can be accessed by boat and there is a pebble beach where boats can be anchored.

The closest town is about six miles away and the closest train station is Dumfries, an hour’s bus ride from the town. London, England, is roughly 350 miles away and Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, is about 100 miles away.

I doubt that cell phones and smart phones can be used on this remote island in Scotland which means that long-distance calls and hashtags are out. Lots of other things are out, too, but what’s in are clear nights outside under the stars and getting in a boat to go fishing or to do some cold-water swimming whenever you want.

My guess is that lots of people have responded to the advertisements for this private island because there is something magical and something romantic about owning an island that is sheltered from the hustle and bustle of city life.

When I saw the writeup in the press my interest was piqued because I’ve got some Irish roots which makes me curious about anything Celtic. That long, rich history has always been fascinating to me. Over the years my older relatives have told me lots of tales about our ancestors from Ireland and Scotland and although there were some rough patches in the countries’ histories and in our families’ histories, there were good times, too.

I’ve read a lot about Scotland, home to Sean Connery and other famous people - and reading about it is fine because my imagination runs away with itself - but there is nothing like being there, immersed in the country and the culture. I would talk to the locals and hear all of the stories the locals tell each other and during the day I’d take trips to explore a land and a country I’ve never visited before.

I would definitely make trips to Edinburgh to check out the highlights of the capital and to take in some of its rich history. A hilly city, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament. It has a medieval Old Town and elegant Georgian New Town with gardens and neoclassical buildings. Looming over the city is Edinburgh Castle, home to Scotland’s crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, used in the coronation of Scottish rulers. Calton Hill has several monuments and memorials and Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park has beautiful views of the city.

Glasgow is a port city located on the banks of the River Clyde, in West Central Scotland. Famous for its museums, it’s also home to the Scottish Opera, Scottish Ballet and National Theatre of Scotland and its night life.

Back home on the private island the first thing I would build would be a large log cabin for my family and me - a substantial one that would hold a comfortable dining and living room area plus have plenty of roaring fireplaces in the winter and lots of rooms for guests.

Second, I would build a stable for my horses which I’d bring over from the mainland. I’d name them such cute names as Mango, Ginger, Milkshake and Sunshine. I’d spoil them every day with delicious foods, the finest water to drink and plenty of brushing of their manes and coats. They’d be happy to be living on Barlocco Island.

I’d also get some donkeys, goats and chickens along with a dog - a Bluetick Coonhound - I’d name Blue. It would pretty much be a menagerie but they’d all get along and they’d be happily living on Barlocco Island.

While reading about the possibility of moving to a private island off the coast of Scotland I have spent many daytime hours and many nighttime hours, too, dreaming about not just living there but inviting my friends and relatives to be my guests on Barlocco Island. My American friends would be surprised to get invitations to visit me in Scotland and I’d be happy to host them all in my new home. What a treat that would be!

Whether I buy a private island like Barlocco Island remains to be seen. So far it has amounted to daydreaming but I believe that dreaming about new travels, new adventures and new possibilities is great. It broadens one’s horizons which, I feel, is good for the soul. It tells me that nothing in this great, big beautiful world of ours is out of reach.

I’ve considered the real possibility that while I may not purchase a private island and move to Scotland, I might settle for buying an RV and driving it with friends and relatives all over the U.S. For me, that holds a certain appeal. I haven’t seen the four presidents at Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Yellowstone National Park, the Hoover Dam or the red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, so those places would be mustsee destinations.

Twenty years ago my family and I visited the Grand Canyon but we are overdue for another visit. I bet certain things have changed at the Grand Canyon yet I’m sure that the magical wonder of the place remains exactly the same. It’s picture perfect!

Traveling from place to place and leisurely enjoying all the sights sounds like fun but sometimes, late at night, I pick up my books about Scotland and I think, “Oh, wouldn’t it be wonderful?”

BY TOM MARGENAU

Gosh, I hate getting old! Even though my wife and I are relatively fit, when you’re in your late 70s, you can’t help thinking about the inevitable. We’re all going to die. And even though my wife is a few years older than me, I figure I’m eventually going to be the first to buy that one-way ticket to the great beyond. So, I’ve started working on a little something I will leave my wife when I’m gone. It’s a file called, “I’m dead. Now what?” And in it will be all the information she will need to know to handle things like pensions, insurance, etc., after I’m gone. And one of the sections of that document will be about how to take care of Social Security matters.

I’ve written about this subject before. But if my emails are any indication, there is still a lot of confusion about this topic. So, here is what you need to know about Social Security matters if a loved one dies.

The first issue I will cover is what to do with the final Social Security check for the deceased. And to do so, I must start out making two points. First, Social Security checks are paid one month behind. So, for example, the check you get in June is the benefit payment for May.

Second, Social Security benefits have never been prorated. I’ve explained before how this lack of proration can help out when someone first starts getting Social Security. For example, if you took benefits at age 66 and you turned 66 on June 28, you would get a check for the whole month of June even though you are only 66 for 3 days of the month. On the other hand, if your spouse dies on June 28, you would not be due the proceeds of that June Social Security check even though he or she was alive for 28 days of the month.

But there is a flip side to that perceived drawback to Social Security’s proration rules, and it could be good news for any survivors due benefits on the deceased’s Social Security account. Let’s say that Bill died on June 28. If his wife, Sarah, was due widow’s benefits, she would be paid those benefits for the whole month of June, even though she was a widow for only three days of the month.

So, to repeat, when someone dies, the Social Security check for the month of death must be returned. But that’s only if you get the check in the first place.

I added that qualifier because there is a very good chance the check won’t even show up in the deceased’s bank account. As you maybe have heard, there are all kinds of computer-matching operations that go on between various government agencies and banks. So if the Treasury Department learns of a person’s death in time, they won’t even issue the Social Security benefit. Or, if the check was issued, the bank will likely intercept the payment and return it to the government before it even hits the