For Gary, this was a well-earned break from work. He absolutely loves his job as a freelance wildlife photography guide, but however much you love what you do, it’s still important to step away now and then.. The only way he can really do that is by physically leaving home. He never completely switches off (he’s always reachable online, emails and social media ticking away in the background), but being away brings a change of scenery and that feeling of being away from it all, which makes all the difference.

For me, the trip offered a much needed distraction from an anxiety dip I’d been struggling to work through for a while. Sometimes you just need space, distraction, and something new to focus on.
Our original plan was to head to the Isle of Arran, a place that has long had my heart, or Islay, which Gary and I both long to revisit. But even weeks in advance, ferries to both islands were fully booked. So, we changed our plans and opted for some smaller Scottish island hopping near Oban, and it turned into a fabulous trip.

We explored the stunning Slate Isles: Easdale, Seil and Luing, as well as the beautiful Isle of Kerrera. Each island had its own unique charm, and of course I continued my little tradition of climbing to the highest point of every island I visit. Gary even joined me for all but the Isle of Seil.

The Slate Isles are reached by crossing the iconic “Bridge Over the Atlantic” (the Clachan Bridge) onto the Isle of Seil. From there, small ferries transport you across to both Easdale and Luing. We based ourselves for a few nights in the lovely village of Ellenabeich, motorhome-friendly, with overnight parking and a warm, welcoming atmosphere. We really loved it there.

One evening, we found ourselves parked next to a 79-year-old man who had been living and travelling in his van since losing his wife ten years ago. His story was heartbreaking, but also incredibly inspiring, proof that no matter your age, you can still chase adventure and choose a life that makes you happy.

Easdale Island itself is reached by a tiny ferry from Ellenabeich. There are no cars on the island, which is home to around 60 residents. The first thing that greets you is a row of colourful wheelbarrows which is the residents’ method of transporting belongings to and from the ferry. I loved that.

Easdale is a fascinating place with a rich industrial past. It was once heavily quarried and apparently there were 7 quarries here and up to 500 residents at its peak. Today, the flooded quarries have become a playground for wild swimmers and stone skimmers. The World Stone Skimming Championship is held here each year.

The island’s highest point is only 38 metres high, but the views are anything but small, stretching across to Mull, Scarba and the Garvellachs. Gary and I took the ferry over in the morning, walked around the island past the flooded quarries, climbed to the high point, and then wandered some more before catching the ferry back to Seil. We had wanted to have lunch at the little café there but sadly it was still closed for the season.

There’s also a fabulous walk from Ellenabeich up into the hills above the village, which is well worth doing and I did it twice during our visit. The views over to Mull and down to Easdale are just wonderful and I was lucky enough to be blessed with perfect weather, stopping to sunbathe and eat my snack while gazing out across the sea towards Mull and other islands.

I also climbed to the highest point on Seil, Meall a’ Chaise. I’d searched online beforehand for route descriptions but found very little, and there were no paths marked on the map. So I set off on my own little exploration, working things out as I went. I picked up some quad tracks heading roughly in the right direction, which eventually gave way to open pathless heather moorland, luckily there was good visibility and I could see the hill ahead that I needed to climb so didn't really need to use my map.

On the return, I found a more defined trail that took me down a completely different route. I love this kind of exploration….. when it works. When it doesn’t, it can be frustrating, especially when you come across deer fences or barbed wire that are impossible to negotiate with a dog in tow. Thankfully, there was only one barbed wire fence on this route, and I found a section without barbs where Nala could safely jump.

The summit has a trig point which is always a bonus for me. I love trigs. It’s a lovely high point, though for me, the very best views are found from Creag a’ Bhiorain and Dun Mor, the little peaks above Ellenabeich. From these summits, you’re treated to fantastic views over Seil’s rugged coastline, across to Easdale, Mull, the Garvellachs and Scarba. The coastline here is wild and beautiful, dotted with sea stacks and fascinating shapes carved by the sea.

If you ever find yourself on Seil, I can’t recommend a visit to Tigh an Truish highly enough. The restaurant sits right next to the Bridge Over the Atlantic, and we were invited there by a lovely client of Gary’s who lives on the island who has since become a good friend of ours.

They shared some of the history of the place with us. Tigh an Truish means “House of Trousers” in Gaelic. After the Jacobite rebellion, wearing kilts was banned, so islanders would stop here to change into trousers before heading to the mainland. It became an unofficial changing post. I love learning about little historical quirks like this.

The food and service were outstanding. Gary had a steak sourced from a farm just down the road on the island. I opted for the vegetarian dish because it sounded intriguing: Hispi cabbage with roasted artichoke on a bed of puy lentils and it was absolutely delicious.

Isle of Luing

The next tick on our Slate Isles adventure was the charming Isle of Luing. Getting there is part of the fun, a tiny car ferry that was slightly nerve-wracking in the motorhome. We were perched right on the very edge, looking straight down at the water below. The crossing only took a couple of minutes, though at nearly £30 it’s certainly not the cheapest way to travel!

We could easily have visited as foot passengers and done our walk from the ferry, but with Gary’s knee playing up, he preferred to drive over. The ferry crew were cheerful and incredibly helpful, even suggesting a great overnight parking spot should we decide to stay on the island.

We drove first to Luing’s main village, Cullipool, a charming cluster of white cottages standing out sharply against the dark slate beaches. The contrast is striking and very characteristic of the Slate Isles.

From there, we headed for the hills, walking up to the island’s highest point of course , namely Cnoc Dhomnuil. The summit is marked by a lovely Vanessa-style trig point and gives sweeping views over land and sea. The landscape here is a beautiful mix of rolling hills and rocky crags, and despite again finding very little information online about the route, it turned out to be straightforward and thoroughly enjoyable. I’d definitely recommend it if you ever visit Luing.

We’d planned to visit the Atlantic Islands Centre back in Cullipool, having heard great things about it, but sadly we were a day too early for its seasonal reopening. I did have a lovely chat with the owner though, who kindly let us park in the car park while we headed up the hill , another example of the warmth and friendliness we experienced throughout the trip.


Isle of Kerrera


After years of gazing longingly at the Isle of Kerrera from the Mull ferry, it was wonderful to finally make the journey across. Only a short hop on the wee ferry from Gallanach, near Oban but it felt like stepping into a completely different world, one with no cars and just a beautiful simplicity.

From the moment we arrived, it felt as though the rest of the world melted away. Life here is slower and simpler and simplicity is something I find myself craving more and more.

Gary joined Nala and me for the walk up to Carn Breugach, the highest point on the island. Along the way we passed a charming little farm shop with an honesty box, selling everything from homemade cakes and ice cream to crafts and meat raised right there on the island. I absolutely love places like this. I bought some homemade cake and Gary later bought some meat and ice-cream on the way back to the van.

At the summit, we were treated to the incredible sight of three sea eagles soaring overhead. Huge and majestic. We stayed at the trig for some time, watching the eagles and the views stretching in every direction. It was lovely soaking it all in in the warm sunshine.

From there, Gary headed back down while I continued on alone, descending the far side of the hill towards the southern tip of the island where Gylen Castle stands watch over the sea. The ruins are dramatic and hauntingly beautiful, perched on a cliff with waves crashing below. I wandered around for a while, taking my time, before heading to the nearby tea garden, which I was thrilled to discover had opened that very day for the season.

I ordered a coffee and a slice of lemon drizzle cake and sat outside in the sunshine, savouring both, looking out at the views.

The walk back along the west coast of the island was incredibly peaceful. Birds were singing, the views were spectacular, and there was that sense of being wonderfully removed from the noise of everyday life. Eventually, I found myself back at the little farm shop, and then at the ferry, where I waited for the crossing back to the mainland and back to the motorhome, where Gary was waiting.

I loved Kerrera. It’s a deeply restorative place, one that brought me a real sense of calm. I’ll definitely be back.


An unforgettable boat trip

We ended our Slate Isles adventure with an unforgettable pre-season boat trip around the Garvellachs and Scarba, thanks to our friends Jean and David on the Isle of Seil who run Sealife Adventures. The experience was absolutely magical, made even more special by the glorious weather we had.

We spotted golden eagles, white-tailed eagles, red deer, eiders, divers, black guillemots, common seals and more. It was one of those days that stays with you long after it’s over. This lovely couple don’t just run wildlife boat trips, they’re passionate conservationists too, working to protect the local marine ecosystem. David did an observation dive while we were out there which was fascinating to witness. If you’re ever in the area, I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Our trip was cut slightly short, sadly. During the boat trip I began experiencing tooth-ache, which quickly escalated into extreme facial pain down one side of my face. I was in absolute agony, and it was decided that we should drive home through the night so I could get to my dentist.

What followed were a couple of weeks of uncertainty, where I was given 2 courses of anti biotics, it was firstly thought it was sinusitis (I knew it wasn't), then trigeminal neuralgia, 2 different dentists assured me it wasn't tooth related. Eventually, the pain eased, and then soon after my tooth quite literally fell apart. It turned out to be a root fracture and the pain had stopped because the nerve had died.

As annoying as it was to have been left in pain for so long and told it wasn't tooth related when it was, it was a huge relief to finally have answers, and even more so to learn it wasn’t trigeminal neuralgia. The pain had been so severe because the fracture had gone into the trigeminal nerve apparently. Thankfully, an emergency dentist managed to save the tooth, and all was well in the end.
But it’s safe to say I never want to experience pain like that again.

Despite the abrupt ending, this trip gave us exactly what we both needed, we loved every minute.