Out of darkness must COME LIGHT

I’m on my way to Knoydart Peninsula to swap social distancing in London for total isolation among Knoydart’s wanly lit days and sparkling starlit nights.

Knoydart is essentially off the grid and not a simple place to reach. Just under 200 square miles of untouched Highland backcountry, apart from forest tracks, the whole peninsula is completely transport-free. It is not connected to the mainland road or rail network, nor to the National Grid. Its power is supplied by a community-owned hydro-electric dam; water comes from a large stream called the Millburn and is collected into drums and run through UV filters at each property. There are no streetlights and no mobile signal. Little wonder Knoydart has been called‘Britain’s last wilderness’.

Getting here requires real effort. After many trains, I reach Mallaig where a small ferry crosses the slate-grey waters of the Sound of Sleat