Brit smoker in ‘castaway’ bid to quit

A former banker who is unable to quit smoking is to spend August on a remote uninhabited Scottish island in a bid to break the habit, newspapers reported on Saturday.

Geoff Spice will be a castaway on Sgarabhaigh (pronounced Scaravay) in the Outer Hebrides — a group of islands off the northwestern corner of Scotland. He will camp during his stay as the island has only three ruined “bothies” — huts once used by shepherds — and no electricity or running water.

Spice, formerly a senior banker at NM Rothschild in London, hopes the solitude will help him give up his habit. “This is my last chance. I’ve been smoking 30-a-day as usual but I think I can crack the habit,” newspapers quoted him as saying. “I also hope that living on the island and surviving by myself will mean that I will not pile on the pounds (weight) as other people do when they give up.”

Spice, from Surrey near London, reportedly began smoking 43 years ago when he took a job delivering newspapers. The island of Sgarabhaigh is owned by Dave Hill who also runs its website.
Spice “will be taking residence for the whole of August along with his stock of 120 books.”