To quote one of our guests, “today the weather was undecided.” The day began with promise but no sooner had the sun painted the tiny town of Tobermory with golden light than the clouds stole the show and recast the glowing buildings in muted tones. All day the wrestling match continued between rain and sun. The wind. however, knew its mind and never let us go.

It really doesn’t matter, rain or shine, while strolling through a woodland along the water’s edge. The trees and herbs are washed clean enough that rays of green bounce about enriching all they touch. The forest’s canopy is our umbrella. We were fortunate to face only the lightest drizzle while walking the lighthouse trail in Tobermory in the morning. The afternoon in Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula was just a little wetter. It was easy to see that the area has the characteristics of a temperate rainforest, with lichens and mosses dripping everywhere.

When rain clouds part they leave dramatic skies, while it is the wind that makes dramatic seas. Post-lunch, en route past the Ardamurchan Peninsula and the islands of Eigg and Rum, white caps danced along with us. Hopefully everyone had safely stowed the wee dram of whisky and glasses that were complimentary gifts from the Tobermory distillery! Once inside Loch Nevis, the wind continued to blow but the sea surface calmed and the white caps took a rest.

And so the day ends with patches of blue peaking between silver and grey as we discover what life is like in a tiny, isolated Scottish community.