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The Scottish Islands - Outer this world
From the West Australian: March 2007
Driving through the Scottish islands is surprisingly easy but I'm rather glad that not many other people seem to think so. Perched on the northwest edge of Europe and closer to Iceland than southern England these islands are as exotic as any in the Pacific, full of history, mystery, magic and stunning beaches.
The Scottish mainland is also beautiful and fascinating but peak season can see tour bus traffic jams and visitors herded together around the major tourist sites.
According to many Scottish islanders the heart of Scotland is not at its centre but at the periphery, where some locals still speak Gaelic and others claim a closer affinity to Norse ancestors than mainland Scots. They consider Perth's spectacular sixteenth century castle to be a new kid on the block; they have seaweed-eating sheep that take to the sea to escape shepherds and the shortest scheduled flight in the world (two minutes).
The Scottish islands are the true jewels in the oft fought over Scottish crown - the Hebrides off the west coast, the Orkneys off the north coast and Shetland even further north. Each has a unique island landscape, history and culture and a visitor is quickly put in their place if they lump them all together.
With more than 200 sizable islands and several hundred smaller uninhabited ones the Scottish islands look fairly isolated on the map but regular ferry and scheduled flights make them surprisingly accessible........
