An off-the-grid millionaire father-of-four has revealed how he lives in a damp, derelict house on a Scottish island and bin-dives for food.
Roc Sandford, 63, from London, made his money in the property market but now lives on the remote Hebridean island of Gometra, off the north west of Scotland, which he bought for £600,000 in 1992.
The climate campaigner appears on tonight’s episode of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over where he reveals his unusual lifestyle to the presenter and describes his mission not to use any fossil fuels.
Roc, who lives without a car, hot water or central heating, told The Sun he even searches for free food in bins as part of his lifestyle, explaining: ‘I’m very happy to go freegan if something’s chucked out after someone’s closing their shop or something. A lot of lovely stuff is chucked out, like peppers or bananas.’
Roc Sandford, 63, from London, made his money in the property market but now lives on the remote Hebridean island of Gometra, off the north west of Scotland, which he bought for £600,000 in 1992
Roc’s great-grandfather was the 5th Earl of Rosslyn and aunt was the late racehorse owner Lady Serena Rothschild, wife of Jacob, 4th Baron Rothschild.
Meanwhile his late Old Etonian father, Jeremy, wrote the 1966 TV classic Cathy Come Home, and mother is respected author Nell Dunn, 84.
He now lives in a 160-year-old house on the island where he raised his children Cato, who works for an environmental think tank, Savannah, Lazer, 20, and Blue, 18.
His long-term relationship with his children’s mother ended some years ago and it was a court order brought by her that ruled they must be schooled in London.
Roc lives in a 160-year-old house on the island where he raised his children Cato, who works for an environmental think tank, Savannah, Lazer, 20, and Blue, 18 (pictured, his off-the-grid home on a Scottish island)
Roc has declared Gometra a ‘Hope Island’ and is aiming for it to become carbon neutral in the next four years.
It is also home to Rhoda Munro, the postmistress (Gometra has its own stamp), and the Primrose family – a mum, dad and one daughter, who are the latest in a series of people who have tried living there over the years.
Speaking of his home, he said: ‘It doesn’t have central heating so it can get very cold in the winter and my tea froze the other day, so I was very excited about that. Typically it’s about 2C in my bedroom. But it’s a lovely place, I love it, I’m very happy here.’
He added: ‘I haven’t painted, it’s very damp here because we’re in the middle of the Atlantic and so the wallpaper tends to fall down.’
The climate campaigner appears on tonight’s episode of Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over where he reveals his unusual lifestyle to the presenter and describes his mission not to use any fossil fuels (pictured with Blue and Savannah)
While Roc does generate his own electricity with a solar panel, he is frugal with its usage and only uses the generator to power up his computer, phone and torches.
In a rejection of all mod-cons that would leave many baffled, he washes his clothes in a bucket with his feet and fights off the cold by wearing multiple layers of clothing.
He said he misses the ‘luxury’ of having a washing machine, but said he could ‘easily’ wash his clothes by hand instead.
Sheep farmer Roc, who rears 300 sheep on the island, follows a vegan diet and grows much of his own food including salad, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and squashes.
Roc, who lives without a car, hot water or central heating, even searches for free food in bins as part of his lifestyle
To cook, Roc boils his food on the stove and then transfers it to a big thermos, to continue cooking without using energy.
Meanwhile he said his children, who now live in London, have always been given Independence and freedom to do as they please.
He explained: ‘They’ve learned domestic duties, rather than just being waited on.’
Roc confessed there are ‘costs and benefits of the upbringing’ his children have had, saying it could be quite ‘tough physically’ for them because there was no hot water at their home.
Despite enjoying life on the island, Roc regularly travels to London to protest with Extinction Rebellion, Ocean Rebellion and against HS2 (pictured with daughter Blue)
Roc, a proud supporter of her and Extinction Rebellion, recently gave two daughters Christmas presents made out of rubbish found on his Inner Hebridean isle of Gometra.
The businessman, who identifies as non-binary on his website and uses the pronoun ‘They’ had made the reclaimed items into art and wrapped them in old newspaper.
Despite enjoying life on the island, Roc regularly travels to London to protest with Extinction Rebellion, Ocean Rebellion and against HS2.
Having not flown for years, travelling between the island and his second home in London can take more than 13 hours.
Father and daughter campaigning together at the Extinction Rebellion protests in London
He navigates an eight-mile trek along a dirt track on Gometra, and also uses a folding bicycle, two ferries and two trains.
His children Blue and Lazer recently made headlines among the protestors setting up camp in a network of tunnels beneath Euston Station.
He said while it was ‘stressful’ that his daughter spent so much time in the dangerous tunnels underground, he was ‘proud’ of her.
Roc acknowledged people might think he’s ‘indoctrinated them’ but denied that was the case.
Blue, 18, declared she puts ‘the crime in criminal’ when she spent time in a tunnel underneath Euston Station earlier this year to protest HS2