12. The Big Strand

The highlight of this Saturday, my second day on Islay, was to be a day trip to Colonsay, but with the ferry not departing until midday, I had time for a bracing post-breakfast walk on the wide, expansive sandy bay called the Big Strand, or Laggan Bay. Just a short walk from my B&B, besides the perimeter of Islay airport, this is a classic walker’s beach – seven miles from Laggan Point to Kintra in the south, backed by dunes and seemingly endless. Even with some light drizzle, it was the perfect way to clear the cobwebs and prepare for the day ahead.