Quirky stranger Donovan (Colin Firth) blows into the Scottish village of Port Clyde. There, he rents a room with the Pannick family and ingratiates himself into their lives. Lucy (David Westhead) is the long-suffering matriarch of the clan, caring for her senile grandmother (David O'Hara) and mentally disabled brother, Sandy (Katy Murphy). When the town cancels Sandy's train route to school, Donovan suggests starting their own bus line. They do, much to the consternation of local officials.