Scottish solitude

When we set off from the Isle of Skye last summer it was with some trepidation.

Although the boat had been ready to go since March, because of lockdown we’d only been able to have the occasional day out without going ashore. Now my husband and I were to embark on a nine-day cruise with our dog, Islay.

We had to work on the basis that we might not be able to eat ashore or even do shopping, so we did more provisioning than usual. Also, because of our canine companion we had to work to a timetable which meant not having more than five hours’ sailing at one time.

The first day we had a nice sail through Kylerhea, which was very quiet because the turntable ferry had decided that it wasn’t financially viable to operate for what was left of the season. We motored round the corner into Loch Duich and up to the anchorage at Totaig, which has a spectacular view of Eilean Donan Castle. A 15-minute walk ashore took us to a very large and well preserved Pictish broch (stone tower), which it’s possible to wander around and have a close look inside. It was a pleasant evening but rather overcast