Man who left America to live on a remote Scottish island with his wife and son reveals how his divorce left him alone with just 55 people - and 'plenty of birds but no women'

An American who uprooted his life in the US to move to a remote Scottish island only to get divorced says he has no chance of meeting a new partner as he can go for days without seeing another soul. 

Newly divorced Tommy Hyndman, who features in Ben Fogle's show New Lives In The Wild, moved with his wife Liz and son Henry to live in a £500-a-year cottage on Fair Isle.

But when the 52-year-old's marriage fell apart last year, he has been left alone on the remote land and with just 55 inhabitants, Tommy said: 'There's no single women for me here, but I'm in love with this island.'

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Tommy Hyndman gave up his life in the US to move to a remote Scottish island has said he can go for days without seeing another person - which doesn't make it ideal for dating

Tommy, who features in Ben Fogle's show New Lives in the Wild, moved with his wife Liz and son Henry (pictured together, left) to live in a £500-a-year cottage on Fair Isle, Scotland. But when the 52-year-old's marriage fell apart last year, he has been left alone on the remote land which has just 55 inhabitants

Ironically, it was originally his ex-wife who wanted to move 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.

She heard on American public radio that the National Trust was looking for new tenants for a cottage on the remote Scottish island of Fair Isle.

'My wife was really excited about it and I remember my response was a little unsupportive,' Tommy said.

'But the more we looked at it the more I liked it,' he added.

Tommy and his family lived in Saratoga Springs in New York State. He ran a successful hat-making company, where he handmade hats which were sold in department stores across America.

'We were paying our mortgages, driving our cars, doing our jobs - we were just making money and paying it back out,' said Tommy on the Channel 5 show, which airs this Thursday.

Tommy and his family lived in Saratoga Springs in New York State, pictured leaving their old house. It was originally his ex-wife who wanted to move 3,000 miles across the Atlantic.

Tommy ran a successful hat-making company, where he handmade hats which were sold in department stores across America. 'We were paying our mortgages, driving our cars, doing our jobs - we were just making money and paying it back out,' said Tommy

Tommy and his family made the move to Fair Isle in 2006, but the couple divorced earlier this year. He still makes hats and also paints when the weather allows it.

After winning the residency with the proposal of turning the house into a B&B and bringing his hat-making skills to Scotland, in 2006 Tommy and his family sold their cars and furniture and rented out their house to make the move.

For nearly 10 years they lived happily together running the B&B on Fair Isle, but their marriage hit the rocks and they divorced earlier this year, with Liz and Henry moving to Shetland, the archipelago of which Fair Isle is the most southerly island. 

'Fair Isle didn't cause the dissolution,' Tommy clarified. 'It was 23 years we were together and that's a successful relationship.'

With no pubs, restaurants or coffee shops, the dating scene on Fair Isle isn't exactly buzzing.

'There are plenty of birds but no women,' Tommy joked.

'But I'm in love with this island. It's a great place. I really am starting a new life.' 

Tommy's son Henry was four when they made the move. 'I love this small friendly community where everybody knows each other,' he said

Henry, now 14, visits his dad once every three weeks, travelling by light aircraft or a three-hour ferry ride, if the weather allows. 'I know I did the right thing raising my kid here. This is where he wants to be,' said Tommy

He said he is open to trying online dating, and would even move eventually, for the right woman.

But for now 'my big relationship is with my son', he said.

Henry, now 14, visits his dad once every three weeks, travelling by light aircraft or a three-hour ferry ride, if the weather allows.

Having grown up on Fair Isle from the age of four, he said he prefers it to the big city lights of America when they visit. 

'I love this small friendly community where everybody knows each other,' said Henry.

He certainly seems to have an idyllic childhood, with kite flying, fishing, crabbing and skimming stones with his dad high on the agenda. 

'I got accused when we moved out here: "You want to give him the childhood you wish you'd had",' said Tommy.

'And I'm like, "Isn't that what a parent's supposed to do?". 

Earlier this year a video of Tommy playing 'extreme golf' on his own self-crafted golf course - which he pays just £50 per year for - went viral, as he fought extreme wind and crashing waves to play

He regularly posts videos of his life on Fair Isle, as it's one of the few ways he feels like he can connect to the outside world

'I can go for days without seeing people,' said Tommy, adding 'One of my social crutches is Facebook'

'I know I did the right thing raising my kid here. This is where he wants to be.' 

Indeed, Tommy could be accused of being a big kid himself.

Earlier this year a video of him playing 'extreme golf' on his own self-crafted golf course - which he pays just £50 per year for - went viral, as he fought extreme wind and crashing waves to play.

He regularly posts videos of his life on Fair Isle, as it's one of the few ways he feels like he can connect to the outside world. 

'I can go for days without seeing people,' said Tommy.

'One of my social crutches is Facebook and blogging - I have masses of friends around the world. So that helps.'

He also keeps busy running the house, which has two bedrooms for guests.

Tommy keeps busy running the house, which has two bedrooms for guests. With rent costing him only £500 per year, he manages to get £75 per night per room from guests, but he looks after them well

With one small shop only open every other day and re-stocked just once a week, Tommy relies on his land for a lot of the produce

He has chickens for meat and eggs, goes fishing for fresh sea food - including hearty lobsters - and grows his own vegetables. Pictured: Ben Fogle helps turn over soil

Tom also exchange labour for produce - for example he'll help shear some sheep, as he and Ben are doing here, in exchange for some lamb for his freezer

With rent costing him only £500 per year, he manages to get £75 per night per room from guests, but he looks after them well. 

It turns out Tommy is also somewhat of a gourmet chef, and he cooks his guests three square meals a day.

With one small shop only open every other day and re-stocked just once a week, Tommy relies on his land for a lot of the produce.

He has chickens for meat and eggs, goes fishing for fresh sea food - including hearty lobsters - and grows his own vegetables.

He'll also exchange labour for produce - for example he'll help shear some sheep in exchange for some lamb for his freezer. 

This all also helps keep costs down, but his priciest outgoing is heating his 300-year-old guesthouse with coal and oil, which costs him £150 per month - more than his heating bill in the US.

'I miss family and friends, that's the big thing,' Tommy said. 'I miss silly things like root beer and trout fishing.' But he added, 'I'm as much a Fair Islander now than I'll ever be

'I didn't come here to get away, I came to immerse myself in nature. I'm living my dream, it may be somebody else's nightmare but it's my dream,' said Tommy

The episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild that features Tommy airs Thursday December 10 at 9pm on Channel 5

And with cold, wet weather the majority of the year, Tommy needs the heat. 

So does he miss America?  

'I miss family and friends, that's the big thing,' he said, adding, 'I miss silly things like root beer and trout fishing.'

He also said there are cultural differences between him and the Scots - namely his enthusiasm versus their tendency to to look at the negatives first, he said. 

But he added, 'I'm as much a Fair Islander now than I'll ever be. I didn't come here to get away, I came to immerse myself in nature.

'I'm living my dream, it may be somebody else's nightmare but it's my dream.' 

The episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives In The Wild that features Tommy airs Thursday December 10 at 9pm on Channel 5