Polly Pullar explores Scotland’s treasured islands

Polly Pullar takes us on a magical journey around the Small Isles off the coast of Scotland.

WHAT is it about islands that we find so very fascinating? Above my bed there is a beautiful watercolour painting that transports me to a very special island.

As a child I spent many happy hours playing on the sandy beach, where this island panorama entered my soul – Rum, Eigg and Muck, the Small Isles – which also include Canna, but in my painting it is Muck and Rum that feature strongest.

Despite the fact that this glorious view constantly came and went through blankets of cloud, heavy squalls and incessant rain and dominated my early life, it would be many years before I came to know and love the island of Muck, in particular, on a very personal level.

Most years throughout my adulthood, I have had the privilege to spend time on an island or two. It has proved to be a vital part of my life and work, and is something I relish and look forward to immensely.

Last year was different and this wonderful islandtrotting was curtailed.

I have missed it terribly and dream of the day I can head back to some of the diverse islands that make up the Hebrides, or to Orkney and Shetland in the north.

The most fascinating aspect of islands is that no two are ever the same. Each has its own particular character, and comparisons can never be made.

It’s also largely about the weather when you are there – and this can be fickle.

It matters not how many times you visit, the light will always have the power to surprise.

During my numerous island visits, I have also made some wonderful friends – people who have shared with me the stories of their life and work, people who forge ahead despite the difficulties of the remoteness of their situation, the wildness of the weather, and long periods cut off from the mainland.

I have also seen how, in some cases, there are also those who move to islands in the hope that they may escape their problems. It’s a well-known fact that if you had problems before, they may well be exacerbated while living on an island.

For me, islands and their wildlife, history and wildness have always provided valuable interludes that replenish.

Though often the weather can be savage, and views may be lost for days at a time, when the sun breaks through, the unveiling of vibrant colours sets the soul afire.

I would like to take you on a little visual island tour from past visits – I hope it brings you inspiration for your own trips, and for a brighter future ahead for everyone. ■

My journey begins on the lovely Hebridean island of Muck – it’s approximately two miles long by one mile wide and has been owned by the MacEwen family since 1896.

I had the privilege of writing the fascinating story of Lawrence MacEwen and spent much time with him. Molly always accompanied me and loved her visits as much as I did. This photo is of Molly (right), with island dog Tara.

Hands that have worked tirelessly since childhood. Now that he is getting older and is less able to work so hard, Lawrence MacEwen enjoys knitting and creates some wonderful garments.

Rum’s vertiginous summits are sometimes referred to as the Rum Cuillin; some of their names reflect the presence of Viking settlers – Askival, Trollaval and Ainshival. High in their midst, mysterious Manx shearwaters nest in burrows and emit eerie sounds that early settlers believed were made by trolls – hence the origins of the name Trollaval.

Eigg, like all the Hebridean islands, has a wealth of wildflowers. In most cases, the lack of pesticides, chemical sprays and artificial fertilisers helps precious native flora to bloom freely, though the flowers are often diminutive and stunted due to the severity of the weather. I loved these sea pinks, also known as thrift, set against a backdrop of Rum’s towering peaks.

The picturesque and colourful sea front at Tobermory has featured on many calendars, postcards and tourist brochures. During the summer months the bay bustles with the arrivals and departures of numerous yachts and other small boats. As well as regattas, art and music events, Tobermory now has a book festival. Molly, Maisie and Pippin enjoy their island trips, too, and usually have a sausage for a treat during our journeys on CalMac Ferries .

I took dozens of photographs of Lawrence during my visits, but this is the one that I like best. Rum’s moody peaks are gradually appearing out of cloud, and I loved the atmosphere created by Lawrence feeding their sheep high on the hillside overlooking the tidal Horse Island on a winter’s morning.

Wild and ruggedly austere, the Isle of Rum has a particularly heavy rainfall, and exceedingly voracious midges. Its population of red deer and wild goats have formed the basis for a long, important scientific study. The island is also renowned for the bloodlines of its extraordinarily beautiful Highland ponies.

The geology of the neighbouring island of Eigg is fascinating. Wandering along the shoreline of Laig Bay reveals a wealth of colour and a profusion of rockpools – perfect marine gardens overflowing with microscopic life.

I have been regularly visiting the Island of Mull since childhood. We often went across from our home in Ardnamurchan on the passenger ferry to Tobermory. Now it’s possible to take the car across from Kilchoan. It’s an island of superlatives. It is the only one outside Skye with a Munro – Ben More, a scree-covered hill over 3,000 feet. Mull is one of the best places to see both sea and golden eagles, as well as otters.

Whatever way you view this extraordinary rock formation, it reveals faces and heads carved out naturally by the rigours of thousands of years of weathering. Heather has colonised the rock top and creates a Mohawk-like hair tuft that adds further to the impression of a large head and craggy face.

Read Part 2 of Polly’s island adventures in Special 213, on sale August 18.