The Way of the Island

We heard of some friends who’d done a road and ferry trip along the entire length of the Outer Hebrides, and did a little research to determine whether it was affordable and do-able for us. And, I remembered a previous visit, some years ago … I won’t name the island, because I don’t know if there’s a Statute of Limitations on these things, and I don’t want to get the policeman into trouble …

A colleague and I were doing some military-connected survey work on a remote Hebridean island. Settling down to our first evening meal, we were approached by the island’s policeman, who peremptorily demanded to know who we were, what we were doing, who said we could do it and why wasn’t he told about it?

We were rather annoyed by his manner. We’d called at the ‘poliss hoose’ that morning, to ‘make our number’, found nobody in, and left a note, intending to return the following day. Maybe the policeman hadn’t seen it?

Our landlord said: ‘Don’t worry about him, lads! He’s new here, and hasn’t yet got the Way of the Island.’

The Way of the Island! I liked that expression. For me, it summed up all that was laid back and relaxed about the place.

We returned a year later, and stayed once more at the hotel by the long, lonely beach, and enquired for Angus, who we’d met on the previous visit, and lived at the croft out on the headland, nearly three miles away.

Angus had been a bad lad, said the landlord. He’d lost his driving licence after running foul of the Law on the mainland a few months before. That was bad news. There was no public transport at all on the island, and you either drove or you walked.

But, he’ll be here later, we were told and, sure enough, shortly afterwards, he arrived at the pub riding his motor-bike. It was quite legal, the landlord explained, … so long as he rode along the beach, below the high-water mark, and stayed off the road.

Our friend the policeman was in the bar. ‘I hope I didnae see you riding yon bike across the road, just now, Angus!’ he said.

‘Aye, I hope ye didnae see me, too!’ said Angus

The ‘poliss’ chuckled, and turned back to his beer. He’d found the Way of the Island!

Back to sunny Spain? My latest piece is live at  http://www.giftedtravel.com/the-way-of-st-james