Catriona MacDonald – Returning home to learn and reconnect

Returning home to Uist, Catriona studied online for her PGDE in Primary Education (Gaelic), combining flexible learning with community connection.

People across Uist can access a wide range of online learning opportunities with UHI North, West and Hebrides, supported through our local centres. Our centres are community hubs for online learners, from senior phase pupils to school leavers and adult returners, helping them study flexibly while staying rooted in their community. Whether you’re interested in a short Gaelic course or a postgraduate qualification, our online and virtual classroom options make it possible to build your future right here in Uist.

One person who’s taken that path is Catriona MacDonald, who returned home to Uist to study for her Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Education (Gaelic) with UHI North, West and Hebrides – a move that marked both a new chapter and a return to her roots.

Having grown up in Uist, Catriona always felt a deep connection to the islands. Even when she chose to study and build a career in the city of Glasgow, the islands never stopped calling her back:

“I lived and worked in Glasgow for a number of years,” she said. “I went there to study as a 17-year-old and had a whole other career. But the older I got, each time I returned home to visit, I found it more and more difficult to fly back to Glasgow. I felt that pull home and I decided to take a leap of faith and settle back here and try something new, which UHI gave me the opportunity to do.”

Catriona chose to learn in Uist, taking advantage of UHI’s flexible online learning, access to study facilities and personalised support from staff at the Benbecula centre.  

While her course was delivered online, she found the experience highly positive – with classmates connecting online from across Scotland and beyond, creating a strong sense of community, regardless of geography.

Choosing to learn in Uist allowed her to invest in her future while staying close to core values.

“You’re not at a disadvantage because of where you are,” she said. “I thought I might feel isolated, but students whether they were in Orkney, Inverness, the Borders, it felt like a level playing field, which made for a truly equitable experience.”

Having completed her course, Catriona is completing her probation year at Sgoil Uibhist a Tuath in North Uist. Catriona is happily settled into a lifestyle on Uist that she describes as “peaceful and very fulfilled”.  She speaks passionately about what makes the place so special, and why others should consider making the move too:

“The community in Uist is really what makes it special. If you were to describe Uist, people might first start with the landscape, the beauty of the place itself, but for me - while that is wonderful - I think what makes it unique and special is its people, the place wouldn’t be anything without its community.

If you enjoy the outdoors, it is a wonderful place to get outside. There are so many activities, adventures, outdoor escapades to get stuck into, like hill climbing and sea swimming. But it’s a place as well with a very rich culture and heritage. That’s a whole other facet that perhaps people don’t tap into as often as they should.”

Catriona believes that Uist is an extraordinary place to live and learn, whether like her you’re returning home, or equally if you are discovering it for the first time.

“In my heart Uist is a wonderful place anyway, as an islander that’s ingrained that’s part of my identity. But for someone who doesn’t have a connection to here, equally it’s a special place, and I don’t suppose there are many places across the world quite like it.

There’s also so much support here. I think sometimes people move here thinking that there’s an anonymity, but actually you’re less anonymous here than you would be in the city, and that’s reassuring, especially if it’s all new to you.”

For Catriona, choosing to learn in Uist wasn’t just about getting a qualification, it was about finding her place again, in every sense of the word.

Inspired by Catriona’s journey? Find your own path through Learn in Uist and explore our online and distance learning opportunities.