Few places elicit such a sense of longing as the myriad Scottish islands. From the Western Isles to the Inner Hebrides and the Northern Isles, Scotland has been spoiled with sea-enclosed parcels of land that have yielded unique communities and which are fringed with some of the most wildly beautiful white-sand beaches you’ve ever seen.
By day, the landscapes beckon us to explore. Wildlife sightings in the seas, the hills, and skies are frequent, and when we’ve sated our appetite for adventure, nothing beats returning to the cosy cocoon of our holiday home to warm our feet by the open fire. By night, the ink-black canvas of the sky sparkles with stars, occasionally illuminated to awesome effect by the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) – a light show like no other.
With a well-connected ferry network, largely provided by Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk), complemented by some unforgettable road and rail routes – Railway Touring (www.railwaytouring.net) runs some luxurious journeys that connect to the islands – getting to these heavenly havens is much easier than one might presume. And once here you need to reset your watch to island time, for nothing needs rushing in the Scottish Isles – here, you have all the time in the world.
Skye
Why: The Isle of Skye tops many a Scotland bucket list and for very good reason. Home to the mighty Cuillin – a jagged mountain range that
