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FAIRYTALE FORESTS

& SECRET COVES

EILEAN

SHONA

Glenuig, Moidart, Highland

To get to this family-owned island, you

must first negotiate a tidal crossing to a

wild and remote peninsula in the east,

Shona Beag. Crossing just before the

causeway floods leaves the maximum

time for exploring. For the super-

adventurous it’s possible to ascend

Beinn a’ Bhaillidh – a ‘Marilyn*’ for

those interested in bagging a summit.

The views from the hills at the heart

of the island, across to Skye, Rum,

Muck and Eigg, are spectacular.

Eilean Shona is at the narrow entrance

to Loch Moidart and has several idyllic

holiday cottages and bolt-holes. There’s

a righttoroambutit ispoliteto

announceyourarrivalatthemain

houseandrespecttheprivacyofisland

guests.Thewholeislandisspecialbut

tinyBaramoreBeachonthenorthcoast

istrulybreathtaking– grassybanks

withviewsacrossthewatermakefor

a greatpicnicspot.

After a day here, you can appreciate

why the author of Peter Pan, J.M.

Barrie, chose it as his summer retreat.

Although encounters with Captain

Hook are unlikely, it is possible to spot

pine martens, white-tailed sea eagles,

otters, red squirrels, and even golden

eagles here and simply enjoy the magic.

Good fact The family keeps a ‘Book of

Feats’, in which alleged achievements

include eating a raw jellyfish,

swimming ten hours across open

watertotheIsleofEiggandclimbing

themountainatmidnight.

Don’tmissForagingforclams(and

spottingottersfeasting)onthe

Caribbean-likesandsatShoeBay.

Thefantasyforestsurroundingthe

mainhouse,fullofrarepinesand

ancientwoodland.

ALMOST ON

LONDON’S DOORSTEP

TWO TREE

Leigh-on Sea, Essex

Peaceful salt marsh, mudf lats and tidal

creeks are dotted with plantlife, and

the cries of migrant birds drift across

the estuary. Connected to Leigh by a

bridge, this piece of land was reclaimed

from the Thames Estuary in the 18th

century. Leigh Creek is dotted with

‘ghost’ boats, left to rot as they lie

lopsidedly, waiting for the sea to

claim them. In summer, the yellows

of golden samphire, greens of edible

sea purslane and mauves of the sea

lavenders add vibrant colour to the

glistening greys of the creeks. Halfway

around the island the slipway juts out

through Hadleigh Ray, its mud the

consistency and colour of crème

caramel. There are great views south

to Canvey Island.

Good fact The ‘Graveyard of Lost

Species’ is an art project that celebrates

the local tradition of wrecking boats on

the salt marsh. It records the wildlife,

people, dialects and folklore that once

f lourished in the Thames Estuary.

Don’t miss Avocets on the man-made

lagoon. Eating a dish piled high with

cockles at a seafood shack on the shore.

• A Marilyn is a hill or mountain exceeding 150 metres. There are 2,011 of them across the United Kingdom, Republic of
  26 Ireland and the Isle of Man; the term was coined by Alan Dawson in his 1992 book The Relative Hills of Britain.

Most of these islands are accessible via

causeways, bridges, beaches or sands

that are safe to cross only at lower tides.

Ensure you check tide timetables when

planning a walk. Some islands restrict

seaonal access to protect nesting birds.