Yes, that's a good insight
If this was the USA, all these places would have GPS approaches, with MDHs of about 600ft, which is pretty good.
But it ain't going to happen here anytime soon, because the CAA mandates full ATC for any IAP and none of these airfields can afford the higher salaries. The only other way is to use a nearby IFR radar controller to do the approach scheduling but then his employer will bill the airfield, and again none of these places could afford it
If you want utility value, with a despatch rate in the 90% plus department, you need to base yourself at an ILS airport, and arrange your life so that you can mostly fly to ILS airports. And of course get yourself a decent plane (£100k plus) and some decent training. An IMCR is fine for hacking around the UK and you can get as good as you want - it's entirely up to you.
For European IFR you need an IR and believe me once you have an IR and have tasted flying into Europe, you will never want to go back. Flight into Europe is going to be into ILS airports (mainly) anyway, due to Customs requirements, so the problem largely takes care of itself.
BTW one cannot really fly around VFR
enroute in OVC006. You have to be 500ft+ above man-made stuff (and that includes boats on the open sea) which leaves sod-all margin. People fairly regularly get killed doing that; they fly into hills and allsorts, and that is in the UK, not even in the Himalayas.