The Isle Of Skye (an t-Eilean Sgiathanach in Gaelic) takes its name from the old Norse sky-a meaning “cloud island”, a Viking reference to the often missed-enshrouded Cuillin Hills. It’s the biggest of Scotland’s island, a 50 mile long smorgasbord of velvet moors, jagged mountains,...
Floating off Scotland’s remote northeast coast, the Orkney and Shetland Islands are captivating archipelagos forming an antithesis to modern urban grit. Life has always been different in this part of the country. Things move a bit slower and local folk appreciate a smile and a...
One a strongly fortified harbour town, Youghal (pronounced ‘yawl’) is now a popular seaside resort with wide sandy beaches. Its Irish name means ‘yew wood’, from the forests that once covered the hinterland. Youghal is strategically placed at the mouth of the River Blackwater. It may...
Shetland’s most impressive archaeological attraction. This large settlement, with buildings from Prehistory through Norse times to the 16th century, was hidden under the sand until it was exposed by a gale at the end of the 19th Century. It’s a thought-provoking place, mainly in ruins, but...