12. The Big Strand

I stay overnight at the superb Glenegedale House B&B and it’s the first time I’ve spoken to anyone about my fledgling project. I get some tips from owner Emma. Today’s highlight is the trip to the Isle of Colonsay and I’m super-excited. The sailing is at midday, so after breakfast I have time for a bracing walk on the wide, expansive sandy bay called the Big Strand, or Laggan Bay. From the B&B, it’s a shortish walk alongside the perimeter of Islay airport. This feels like a classic walker’s beach – seven miles from Laggan Point to Kintra in the south, backed by low dunes. Some light drizzle is threatening to spoil the day, but this is as bad as it gets and it soon disipates. It’s the perfect way to clear the cobwebs and prepare for the day ahead.