Skye

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Jutting out from the mainland like a giant wing, the bare and bony promontories of the Isle of Skye (An t-Eilean Sgiathanach) fringe a deeply indented coastline that makes the island never more than twenty-five, and sometimes as little as seven, miles wide. Justifiably, Skye was named after the Norse word for "cloud" (skuy), earning itself the Gaelic moniker, Eilean a Cheo (Island of Mist). Yet, despite the unpredictability of the weather, tourism has been an important part of the island's economy for a hundred years, since the train line pushed through to Kyle of Lochalsh in the western Highlands in 1897. From Kyle, it was the briefest of boat trips across to Skye, and the Edwardian bourgeoisie was soon swarming over to walk its mountains, whose beauty had been proclaimed by an earlier generation of Victorian climbers.

You might not guess it from the large number of English settlers who run much of the tourist industry - the B&Bs, museums and so forth - but Skye also remains the most important centre for Gaelic culture and language outside the Western Isles. Despite the Clearances, which saw an estimated 30,000 emigrate in the mid-nineteenth century, around forty percent of the population is fluent in Gaelic, the Gaelic college on Sleat is the most important in Scotland, and the Free Church maintains a strong presence. As an English-speaking visitor, it's as well to be aware of the tensions that exist within this idyllic island, even if you never experience them firsthand. For a taste of the resurgence of Gaelic culture, try and get here in time for the Skye and Lochalsh Festival, Feis an Eilean, which takes place over two weeks in mid-July.

The most popular destination on Skye is the Cuillin ridge, whose jagged peaks dominate the island during clear weather; to explore them at close quarters you'll need to be a fairly experienced and determined walker. Equally dramatic in their own way are the rock formations of the Trotternish peninsula in the north, from which there are inspirational views across to the Western Isles. If you want to escape the summer crush, shuffle off to Glendale and the cliffs of Neist Point or head for the island of Raasay, off Skye's east coast. Of the two main settlements, Broadford and Portree, only the latter has any charm attached to it, though both have tourist offices, and make useful bases, especially for those without their own transport.