Across the sea again

At 7:45 am the sound of a hairdryer blasts me awake, followed by exaggerated whispering – WTF. At the ferry terminal I chance sitting on the grass, remembering how I clocked 13 ticks, one day here in 2017. The spellbinding view and excellent coffee from The Sandwich Station café are perfect companions. The traffic queue for the Kintyre ferry is crazy long. And my high-season snapshot of Arran shows a similar dynamic in Brodick. And again in Lamlash. The “Holy Isle Ferry”, now run by Grant Ross, was rebranded as “Lamlash Cruises” some years ago. But there are a number of changes since I was here in June 2023. By the pier are picnic tables and a shelter with colourful posters advertising a range of cruises, and other activities on the island. Grant’s business has morphed from service to Holy Isle to cruise entrepreneur. If it suits him, volunteers can “piggyback” on the day trips – which are now a structured 4-hour visit. He calls these “barnacle runs” – but it is a precarious arrangemen...

When I finally take a turn around the garden, views and judgment are quick to surface. Last year the semi-abandoned vibe could be ascribed to Julie “finding her way”. This year it’s clear that – apart from the big polytunnel, which is bursting with healthy tomato and cucumber plants – the lack of productivity and controversial aesthetic is a choice. I would need to find a degree of acceptance beyond what I can currently muster to work in this environment. Just as well, then, that my 3 island days haven’t put me there. I have a bit of time before Grant takes me off the island. So I mozy along to the 15-minute meditation session that some of the volunteers have instigated in the refurbed yurt. It’s a strange development. What’s wrong with the beautiful shrine room and scheduled sitting sessions that have served us non-Tibetan Buddhists for decades? “Some people don’t like the icon of Buddha”, Graham says. Oh come on. I have found it physically tough, this visit. Am I coming to the en...