Volunteer Stories - Nigel

Volunteers' Week 2026

I’m Nigel and I volunteer in the Bookshop for Caberfeidh Horizons. I’ve volunteered for so many years now that I’ve honestly lost count. More recently, I’ve also started helping another local volunteer put books on eBay.  I’m a retired Zoologist and Ornithologist, and I’ve always had an interest in archaeology too. The kids have all fledged, and volunteering felt like a way of doing something I thought was useful.

What I enjoy most is the craic, meeting new people, and sharing an interest in books. Everything circulates locally and you have no control over what comes in, and that’s part of the excitement, you never know what you’ll find in a second-hand bookshop. I’ve always been interested in books - I was brought up reading and brought my children up the same way. I couldn’t imagine life without books, and I’ve got thousands at home. I particularly enjoy the Scottish room in the shop with the Scottish authors, Scottish books and Gaelic books. My children all speak Gaelic. One thing that always sticks in my mind is a German customer who came in looking for a Gaelic children’s book. I asked if his children were learning Gaelic and he said no, it was for himself to learn!

I enjoy the people who come in on the off chance, the holidaymakers who visit every time they’re back in the area, and the locals and regulars who make trips in. There actually used to be a bus trip that came into a local hotel where the passengers would all rush into the shop before closing at 4pm. Eventually the driver started saying “anyone for the bookshop?” when driving past and would let them off outside to get their books before closing time.

It wasn’t the reason I came into volunteering but having met some of the trainees at Caberfeidh Horizons, it’s so nice to know and see the people who benefit too. For me, volunteering is about the pleasure of talking to people, sharing an interest in books, and knowing you are helping people and seeing that firsthand. If somebody was thinking about volunteering, I’d say do it. We are always looking for volunteers. You get the craic from meeting and engaging with people, and you’re helping too. If you’re looking for something to do, volunteer.