Live-in Helper / Carer Companion — Off-Grid Retreat, Argyll, Scotland

I run Heartmind Retreat, a small contemplative retreat in Glendaruel, Argyll, on the west coast of Scotland. I’m a stroke survivor and hermit, living a quiet, off grid, spiritually grounded life close to nature.

I’m looking for someone (or a couple) to live with me and help with practical daily tasks: lifting and moving things I can’t manage, general maintenance, carpentry and handicraft repairs, gardening, growing organic food, and learning permaculture practice, chopping wood, and other physical work around the land, along with occasionally taking me out in the car, to local beaches, places of interest, shopping, or appointments. This isn’t personal care, no washing or toileting involved, just practical, hands-on support, around 35 hours a week.

Off grid living

The retreat is fully off grid: water from the stream, electricity from solar panels, heating from a wood fire, and a compost toilet. This suits someone who genuinely wants this way of life in daily practice, not just in principle.

You’d suit this if you:

• Want to live simply, off grid, close to nature
• Have some carpentry, handicraft, or maintenance skills
• Have an interest in organic growing, permaculture, and self sufficiency, whether experienced or keen to learn
• Are grounded, reliable, and comfortable with a quiet, contemplative pace of life
• Stay engaged with the wider world
• If part of a couple, bonus points if one of you offers massage or another therapeutic skill

What’s offered:

• Free accommodation at the retreat
• A one month paid trial to see if we’re a good fit
• After that, support through Carer Support Payment (a Scottish carer’s benefit, currently around £98/week), which you’d claim in your own right
• You can also earn up to £204/week from other paid work locally, after tax and expenses, without losing this payment, so there’s genuine scope to top up your income
• Use of the car for occasionally taking me out, with personal use possible later, once insured
• An electric bike available for use around the property and locally

Genuine interest and a willingness to settle into a slower, more grounded way of life matter more to me than experience alone.

Get in touch

Reverend Hosshin Ananda, Heartmind Retreat
Email: hosshin@heartmind.org.uk
Instagram: @heartmind_retreat