Five strangers gather at Eric's inn on a remote Hebridean island after he advertises in the London weeklies for 'Christmas at the edge of the world.' Harry, a military widower, is fascinated by General Gordon; Jessica is a voice over artist and actress; Jon is a vain actor who is dangerously obsessed with Jessica; Anita is a salesperson in a department store; and Ronald is a psychoanalyst who is pining for the domestic skills of his recently departed wife. Each has their own reasons for escaping the usual festivities but things get complicated when Eric's wife flounces out and locals and visitors mingle and clash.