The Isle of Scalpay

30 (or more!) years ago somewhere in the Highlands of Scotland, a farmer pulled his car over to pick up a pretty girl he spotted hitching a ride. To his surprise, a bearded hippy-type bloke in flowing robes jumped out of the bushes to join the girl, having hidden himself away to prevent cars from being scared off. The farmer was an accommodating type though, and despite their smell and strange English, agreed to take them both with him. After travelling together for a while, the farmer even offered to take the pair (Marg and Simon, Jamie's parents-to-be) to his family's island (!). The travelling Kiwis accepted, and ended up staying 5 months..

The family were the Walfords, and the island is called Scalpay, 2000 hectares of windswept heather and sheltered lochs off the Isle of Skye. To this day, local legends remain of a wild-looking NZ farmer who fenced in bare feet (!) and a South Pacific beauty who cooked every recipe in the Mrs. Beatons Cookbook. Meanwhile in NZ, four kids were brought up on tales of an island in the mists of the North Sea, where deer roamed the glens and trout threw themselves from the loch to your feet..

Finally in 2007, these legends collided. The next generation of Foxleys (even more beautiful and clean-shaven) caught a bus (because their van was too crap) to Skye, where the original farmer's brother, Michael Walford, ferried them across The Narrows, and onto the wonderful place that is Scalpay. Thereafter followed days of wandering the hills, stalking deer without guns, hopping over frog's spawn in shallow puddles, being rained on sideways, soup and fresh bread from the Aga, stories of hurricanes and swimming cattle, and scouting of cliffs for likely climbing potential. What a place! Michael and his wife Veronica treated us like family, and we have promised to return in the summer.

Katie staying dry..ish

Michael Walford at the helm

Scalpay House

A slightly-sunken dinghy on one of the lochs