South West
Accessible islands with Wheely Braw
I embarked on my first Hebridean adventure back in 2022 and, as an ambulatory wheelchair user (someone who both walks and wheels), I’d be lying…
14 ways to get active on the isles in 2024
By Robin McKelvie Looking for somewhere you can throw yourself into active sports and activities? Look no further than Scotland’s islands, a world-class playground for…
Sustainable island travel
By Robin McKelvie e-bikes at Eigg Adventures Leave your car on the drive. Take the train to Mallaig. Jump on the CalMac ferry and arrive…
Isle of Jura
By Robin McKelvie There is clearly something about Jura. George Orwell may have hailed Scotland’s eighth largest island “extremely ungetatable”, but he chose Jura to…
Shaping Our Islands
Shaping Our Islands travelogue By Robin McKelvie In the world of glossy TV documentaries the soaring mountains and tumbling glens of Scotland are left, front…
Bute: community, farmers and Stuarts
By Robin McKelvie I cannot think of many islands in the world where one family dynasty has as tightly controlled a whole island for so…
Gigha, a community buy out success
Gigha ferry By Robin McKelvie Sometimes I approach Scottish islands with a degree of trepidation, concerned that the hurdles facing the local community may have…
Meet the Makers
By Robin McKelvie Much of our world today is dominated by retail hegemony and the mass-produced. We tend to slog through most of our shopping…
Getting away from empty beaches: A passport to real community
By Annie Delin. Published in Scottish Islands Explorer. February / March 2023. Everyone knows that Scotland’s islands are wild, deserted, spectacularly…
Arran, the not so remote isle
By Robin McKelvie Off to Arran! Seeking a ‘remote’ or ‘untouched’ Scottish isle, the type so beloved of gushing TV presenters? Well, sorry, but you…