Finlaggan

I'm still having a great holiday on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. Yesterday I visited Finlaggan, a small island within a loch that was the home of the MacDonalds, Lords of the Isles, in the middle ages.

The ruins on the site show habitation from the middle ages until quite recently. One of the ruins is a lovely chapel that still has a peaceful atmosphere despite the wind rushing through its broken wall.

Windy weather is normal on this island, being on the edge of the Atlantic, but it has been warm and sunny for most of the week so far. A local man, who I got into conversation with outside the general store, thanked me for bringing the good weather - although I certainly hadn't mentioned doing any weather magic before I came :)

Getting into conversation with strangers here is easy though - everyone is friendly. It is the norm to smile and say hello to people you pass or when you go into a shop or bar. I have never found London to be quite as hostile as some people make out, but the friendliness here in Islay is something I will miss when I return home.