The community-owned Isle of Gigha is a short ferry ride across the sea from Taryloan on the west coast of Scotland. The ferry lands up to 12 or so vehicles and up to 30 odd walk-ons at the terminal which is about half way along the coast, next to the ‘marina’.

There is a small cluster of homes and businesses around this landfall. A store selling the basics, a hotel, (closed at present), a new cafe, canoe and bike hire shop, a fish restaurant. All that is needed if the weather gets so bad the ferry can’t run.

A single, single-track road runs the entire length of seven miles from North End, where the old wooden pier was used to unload passengers.

And South End, where the ferries dock overnight.

At its widest part it is under two miles wide with tracks & paths leading off on both sides to farms & sandy coves.

There is an excellent ice cream business on the island and milk is sent to the mainland. Salmon is farmed in convoys of pens and oysters cultivated in metal cubes.

The island has its own micro-climate, mild with higher than average sunshine hours. On the island we can feel smug as over the mainland to the east, dark menacing storms gather, build and dump their contents in grey curtains of wet stairrods. To the west a brilliant lampstand of sunlight drops glorious rays over gorse and heather, blanketing the landscape in a glaze of shining gold.

163 people now live on Gigha, following the community buy out of the island in 2002. This wonderful place is home for 4 days. More to follow.