Monday 24 May: We’re on our way to our ‘Northern Office’, and though there will be some domestic duties to attend to, there will also be opportunities for outings – some on my own, when I can be a little more adventurous…

The weather at home has not been great recently, and as we drive through Dalwhinnie, taking the road to Spean Bridge, the car tells us it’s just 5°C outside. The steady drizzly rain, which has caused much spray on the A9, appears to be falling as wet snow on the mountaintops, which are just-about visible through the cloud and mist enveloping them. We’ll pause for a few minutes and a very short leg stretch (it’s still drizzling) where the river Pattack flows peaty-brown through a little gorge beside the road.

A little over three hours later, we’ve arrived. The rain has stopped – Skye is dry! – and the sun is gradually going down behind the Western Isles. The light catches a shower in the Minch. I stand (too much sitting today!) and gaze at the scene, glass in hand, and the long drive begins to unwind. Tomorrow will be a better day.