A force that demands respect

Editor Marcin Miller puts his faith in Mother Nature

This has to be the best time of all to be in Scotland.

Whatever it is that draws you to visit this most attractive of countries, you should make the most of the summer months. Unless your name is Tiger Woods. At the time of writing, the greatest golfing talent of all came to Scotland determined to become the first golfer to win all four majors in the same season. Sadly, the Tiger was undone by a typical Scottish summer's day: gusting winds of 30 miles per hour coupled with driving rain made him look distinctly ordinary as he posted a score of 81, the worst round of his entire professional career.

You sometimes get the feeling that the gods of Scotland take pleasure in laying the best laid plans to waste. From the storm-ravaged Tiger to more mundane occurences. I was fortunate enough to join last year's Classic Malts Cruise. This annual event celebrates whisky and sailing. Split into three legs the Cruise visits the distilleries of Oban, Talisker on Skye and Lagavulin on Islay as well as taking in some of the beauty of Scotland's Western Isles en route. Our problem was that there wasn't a breath of wind to carry us across from Oban to Jura thence to Islay. Rather than a couple of days of hardy sailing, all I got was two days diesel cruising in the blazing sunshine. Be flexible in your planning. Don't underestimate Scotland. From a walk in the park to a camping holiday, from a simple picnic to some serious hill-walking the fates may conspire against you.

Man's mortality i...

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• By : Marcin Miller
• In : Editor's View
• Issue : 4
• Page : 3
• Words : 700