Bonny Scotland

Loch Assynt in Sutherland

We are on the return leg of an amazing week in Scotland visiting relatives, friends and old haunts. By the time we get back to London, we’ll have traveled over 2,000 miles in a week.

Much of our time was spent in the very far north west of Scotland in Sutherland visiting special people in Scourie. We stayed at the Kylesku Hotel which is highly recommended and has the most amazing views at breakfast.

One place we didn’t manage to stay as it was booked out for Feis Rois was the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool – our favourite hotel where we got married.

Judge for yourselves, but for me, Sutherland is the most beautiful part of the country.

Stac Pollaidh

Western Sunset

Arnish Oil Fabrication Yard

Men working at Arnish

Many men in the Hebrides are skilled engineers, as they have worked around the world in the merchant navy and in the oil industry.

Pictured in 1998, these men were using their skills on the island, building massive steel piles for the North Sea. Arnish oil fabrication yard in Stornoway employed many men and produced qualilty heavy engineering work for the oil industry but it’s now closed. Most of the men now hunt for jobs away from their Island home.

There is speculation that the yard may be re-opened but this time to build turbines for a new, ambitious wind farm project in Lewis.

Population Decline

Deserted Building

A deserted house in the North of the Hebrides.

Population decline has been an endemic problem in the Hebrides for centuries.

There are many reasons for this decline in population, but the cost of travel to and from the islands is often quoted as one of the main factors.

On the 14th of April 2002 an economy return flight from London to Los Angeles was £202 whilst an economy return flight from London to Stornoway was £100 more expensive.