I've just got back from a west highland holiday from a tiny little place called Glenelg and tranquility is so evident there it could be bottled. For those not in the know, it is located about 75 miles from Glasgow, on the coast over a mountain and half a mile over the sea from Skye. We stayed in a cottage hired through a company called Emerald Cottages and although it came with all mod cons ( dishwasher, washing machine, cooker, microwave, TV & Video ) the best thing about it was the silence. The local shop/post office sells any food you might need for a weeks stay but was so enchantingly rural you would be hard put to get 6 customers in it. The local Hotel ( the Glenelg Inn ) had a gourmet resaurant where the food was excellent or a good old style friendly bar that did bar food and a realistic price for a good pint or dram. You havn't really soaked up the atmosphere until you have enjoyed a drink and a chat with the landlord whilst sat on fishboxes in an old style country hotel.
The Kyle of Lochalsh is 20 miles away with the bridge to Skye but if you just enjoy walking in the country and sunsets to die for this is the place. It is actually 3 miles along the coast from where Gavin Maxwell's "Ring of bright water" novel was written about and his old cottage may be gone but the spirit of his writing has captured a place that will never change and should never be allowed to. For the keen amateur naturalist, in one week there we saw Golden Eagles, White tailed Sea Eagles, Red Deer, Seals and most important of all, we had a family of otters pay us a daily visit to the beach our cottage was situated on. Anyone who has a hankering to leave the city and enjoy wild Britain really should check this place out, it's the nearest to heaven you can find on these islands.