We are currently looking to move to Lewis or Orkney as we can't afford to buy the type of property we want elsewhere. We are trying to avoid properties which need a lot of work as we think it would be unworkable for us personally. We have three young children so they would need somewhere that was at least livable. We also thought about the pontential trouble of getting builders and supplies etc. on an island where we have no friends/family or contacts.
On the flip side, the properties up there which need revovating are available at such a good price and many of them have huge potential. For us though, the move up there will be massive enough so we want the peace of mind of knowing the building and basics are sound. (i'm not including cosmetic work in this)