IT WAS a bit of a dour late spring day on the Isle of Skye but the grey was soon lit up by a welcoming glass of bubbly, a roaring fire and an impromptu concert by two local women who were enjoying traditional afternoon tea one minute then performing at the piano the next.
That it was completely unexpected made their Scottish songbook all the more enjoyable.
It added up to a very warm welcome to Duisdale House Hotel on the Sleat Peninsula, the southernmost and most lowland part of the historic island.
It is a really long haul to drive to Skye from our base in Peterborough, and such a spectacular trip when you leave Glasgow behind and head to the Highlands that we decided to break the journey at Perth and make it a road trip, leaving a full day to enjoy the drive through the mountains and
