he sun is patterning the gently rippling sea with sparks of light as we clamber into the dinghy, eyed curiously by a huge seal on a nearby rock. The sea in the sheltered bay is calm, the sky blue and cloudless, and the small, deserted island ahead is inviting. I trail my hand in the cold water as we make the short trip to the shore and hop across rocks and pools onto the land. Wildflowers pepper the grass where a narrow path snakes towards the hillside. Heart pounding with anticipation, I climb higher, glancing towards the birds as they swirl above the sea. I reach the top
