Take a View

This photograph of part of the Isle of Harris has won David Clapp a top award in a national competition. The details are presented in the Stornoway Gazette. Network Rail is involved in the sponsorship of the event while, of course, its presence in the Hebrides is non-existent.

Scottish Islands Explorer - always keen to display great images

Family and Free-Postage

There's something about the Bell Rock Lighthouse that makes the blood race. It was the last of the lighthouses to be commissioned in the days of sailing ships and yet it stands the test of waves and time. Roland Paxton has written a book on the dynasty of the Stevenson family that had engineering and construction in their DNA coding. When purchasing a copy enter another code and it's yours post-free.

Scottish Islands Explorer - also post-free for subscribers

Summer (Isles) Job

Here are the Summer Isles from Conival. You could be living, working and enjoying yourself on these islands this Summer. There is work available and so check out this advertisement and get your application in by Friday 6 January 2012. Tell  them that you first saw the position here.

Scottish Islands Explorer - always open to free-lance writers

Detailed Viewing Direct

DVDs certainly allow the armchair traveller to have detailed viewing direct. The stocks of DVDs at Scottish Islands Explorer permits highly-visual visits to the Highlands & Islands - whether to the west coast of the mainland, on ships and boats in and around the islands, to places that are relatively near or remarkably remote. A glance at the details of the score of videos on offer may revive memories, stimulate the urge to acquire, solve a present-buying problem.

Scottish Islands Explorer - good things for sale

Make Plans Now

This image of Mingulay is sufficient to arouse the interests of most Scottish island explorers. It can be experienced this year with the Islands Book Trust which has just released its annual programme of visits and events. This deserves a thorough scrutiny because here are opportunities to learn about some stimulating topics and to reach places seldom on offer. There's Scarp and the southern side of the Pairc in the Western Isles; Stroma, the only island off Caithness; together with Canna, Wiay, Ronay, Soay, Pabbay Mor and Pabbay Beag. Make your 2012 plans now.

Scottish Islands Explorer - refreshes parts not reached by other magazines

A Mill Transformed

The Bonhoga Gallery is to be found at Weisdale Mill on Shetland. It was originally a meal and barley mill, subsequently became a butcher's shop and was converted into an art gallery by the Shetland Arts Trust in 1994. Its range of exhibitions are extensive. A launch of the new Thames & Hudson publication, The New Artisans, will be held soon featuring, among others, two Whalsay textile designers.One of the framed photographs on sale at the gallery some three years ago was this compelling Shetland image by Phatsheep Photography - whose 2012 Calendar is now on sale through its website.

Scottish Islands Explorer - will feature the UK's most northerly gallery

Current Conversion

This stretch of the river at Buonvoneader, on North Harris, once powered a generator at the long-closed whaling-station. The waters continued to flow and now the North Harris Trust looks forward to constructing a micro-hydro plant to supply local needs and feed into the national grid. Across the Minch provides an interesting video of the ways in which old forces can new create new energies.

Scottish Islands Explorer - continuing to supply interest

Wild About Lewis

This image - courtesy of Murty Campbell and the Stornoway Canoe Club - indicates something of the club's activities and provides a taste of the scenes to be screened on the BBC Alba programme at 21.00 on Monday 5 December. Details are found in this Stornoway Gazette article. Here's a passive (and dry) way, by viewing the programme, of getting around a wild coastline and its off-shore islands.

Scottish Islands Explorer - also makes visits easy

Travelling Light and Right

There was a time when travelling informatively meant lugging books as well as luggage. Now the technically-savvy can go light and be right about their destinations, accommodation, attractions and events. Apps for downloading information to mobile phones are on offer through Welcome to Scotland and so for a couple of pounds sterling there is a vast saving on pounds avoirdupoids!

Scottish Islands Exploration - destined to have an electronic version

Trees on the Hebrides

The windswept conditions of the Hebrides are not conducive to tree-growing. Seeds and saplings have their 'predators' and so development is not easy. However, they are there and this blog drew attention to an official, commemorative planting in its Woods on Lewis item. Yesterday's entry on Across the Minch gives some interesting insights and certainly makes me look forward to progress reports.

Scottish Islands Explorer - growing with time ... and efforts