27 August 2020 A dreich day when they promised better. A woman came to the door needing a lift to Balure where she had left her mainland car keys. We have all done that. Nothing worse than getting to the ferry and remembering your other car keys read more

26 August 2020 Amy is here cleaning my shiny surfaces. As I type I hear soothing sounds with the odd squeak as she cleans the windows outside. Music as good as Bach. She arrived on her bike in the rain clasping her bucket and pole. read more

24 August 2020 The sea is silky, shadowed and inviting, the sky dappled with non-threatening clouds. Alas, Storm Francis is battering its way north. It’s early to name storms. Biked to the museum yesterday on bike-busy roads. Plenty of wandering cyclists plus a large family read more

21 August 2020 Our prescription crisis is rumbling on. No solution in sight. Yet. But we hope there will be. Several people are working ‘behind the scenes’ dealing with ferrymen’s concerns, privacy issues, as well as what ifs re theft. The latest news is the read more

20 August 2020 The wind is back. Torrential rain in the night. Yesterday was a great day for a walk to Bernera Island fully described in walk section. It lies off the south-west coast, so you need to know the tides. Two hours before low water read more

17 August 2020 Yesterday, on another truly summer’s day, we drove to Achinduin to walk the south coast raised beach. We had done this is June but on a slightly different route. As we went between the houses, I realised how, as a northerner, I have not read more

16 August 2020 Cooler today. Still fine, but the heat in my study is bearable. Possibly our hottest walk ever yesterday. Biked to the heritage centre and walked to Balnagown, climbing down a very overgrown steep track to the raised beach. Backtracked to the wall at read more

15 August 2020 Another roasting day in the office. Great walk yesterday. A repeat with variations. The roads were flowing with cyclists again, but we went as far as the heritage centre and then walked into Balnagown, on to Connel’s croft, once notable boatbuilders of read more

14 August 2020 Yesterday it was so hot, we biked only as far as the church. I love writing that. Lismore—advanced heat. Let’s boast.  The island is like a velodrome. Bikes everywhere. Some wobbly, some racing and many with no idea that biking on the left read more

Thursday 13 August 2020 A day in Oban yesterday for maintenance: eyes and hair. This was my first visit since 19 March (the day before lockdown) when I went for a haircut and overdue eye test, but not before agonising about whether it was worth read more

Tuesday 11 August 2020 The featured image above is near Farewell Spit in the north of the south island, one of my favourite places. A FaceTime meeting with Helen of Mòr Media. A few years ago, when I was in search of a sliver of read more

Monday 10 August 2020 Another hot day. Trouble sleeping, so listened gripped to a dramatisation of three of New Zealand writer Katherine Mansfield’s short stories. She’s the only writer Virginia Woolf praised highly and indeed wished she had written some of these poignant and finely-observed read more