Like so many around the globe my wife and I are stuck at home. The hardest part for me is that I am not allowed to visit my 97-year-old father. I had not seen him for a month when, yesterday, he had a dental emergency. I was allowed to take him to the dentist to get a tooth pulled. It was good to see him, even under the circumstances.
We do manage to get out of the house every now and then for a walk, and fortunately we are having a lovely spring. When you're out for a walk, and someone is coming in your direction, they usually cross the street to the other side. But it's something I'm used to, as I am a shady-looking character.
2020 will be the first year since 1989 that I won't be visiting the Hebrides. I was going to fly to Glasgow next week, and then take the train to Oban to guide a cruise on Hjalmar Bjorge. That trip has been postponed for a year, and I've spent the past few days cancelling hotels, trains, and flights. To fight the disappointment I've been reliving some of my past island journeys. Something I would not be able to fully do without a trove of journals dating back thirty years. Looking through them is a great way to armchair-travel while trying to forget what's happening in the world today.
While doing some of this armchair-travelling I came across a journal entry that described a brilliant day spent with a friend skimming over island seas and trekking island hills. I decided to write it up as a full length article, and it will be in the next issue of Scottish Islands Explorer. It will be my 30th story for the magazine since 2004, and the first since the magazine was acquired by Intermedia Services of Stornoway. It is gratifying to have now placed stories in all four vintages of the magazine: Linda Grieve and Peter Welch (2000-2006), Jeremy Smith (2007-2010), my good friend John Humphries (2010-2019), and now Fred Silver of Intermedia. In the face of all the challenges facing print media these days it is good to see the magazine keeping on.
2020 will be the first year since 1989 that I won't be visiting the Hebrides. I was going to fly to Glasgow next week, and then take the train to Oban to guide a cruise on Hjalmar Bjorge. That trip has been postponed for a year, and I've spent the past few days cancelling hotels, trains, and flights. To fight the disappointment I've been reliving some of my past island journeys. Something I would not be able to fully do without a trove of journals dating back thirty years. Looking through them is a great way to armchair-travel while trying to forget what's happening in the world today.
While doing some of this armchair-travelling I came across a journal entry that described a brilliant day spent with a friend skimming over island seas and trekking island hills. I decided to write it up as a full length article, and it will be in the next issue of Scottish Islands Explorer. It will be my 30th story for the magazine since 2004, and the first since the magazine was acquired by Intermedia Services of Stornoway. It is gratifying to have now placed stories in all four vintages of the magazine: Linda Grieve and Peter Welch (2000-2006), Jeremy Smith (2007-2010), my good friend John Humphries (2010-2019), and now Fred Silver of Intermedia. In the face of all the challenges facing print media these days it is good to see the magazine keeping on.
Information on how to subscribe, to either print or electronic versions, can be found here: Scottish Islands Explorer.
Hopefully things will clear up, and we'll all be back visiting the islands in 2021.
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| The head of Loch Shealg - Pairc, Isle of Lewis |
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