Where is it?
The Isle of Lismore, or Lios Mor - “Great Garden” in Gaelic - on Loch Linnhe in the Inner Hebrides. You can go from Oban or get the foot ferry from Port Appin.
Why do you go there?
I feel a connection with the island because I was born in Lismore, Australia, a town named by a Scotsman who’d honeymooned on Lios Mor before settling on the other side of the world.
A river runs through Lismore and its banks are steep and green. I can imagine it might make you think of Scotland if you were far from home. I go to the island of Lismore to walk, to swim, to watch birds and to look at wildflowers.
It’s a limestone island and so it is very fertile. In the spring there are early purple orchids, marsh marigolds, primroses, and cuckooflower. Wheatears nest on the ground.
If I feel like easy walking, then I stick to the road from where I can see the medieval St Moluag’s Cathedral, or the beautiful village of Port Ramsay.
But I can veer off onto rougher tracks and visit the old lime kilns and ruins at Salen, or Castle Coeffin, or Tirfuir Broch. Apparently, there’s a sinkhole too. I’ve not found it yet.
How often do you go?
Not as often as I’d like - it takes a bit of coordinating to get away in a group.
How did you discover it?
My friend Rose took me. She knew I was born in Lismore and thought I might like it. We got the passenger ferry. The island taxi picked us up and dropped us at the house we’d rented, a converted smithy. The local shop left our groceries on the table.
The weather was incredible - blue skies, clear air. Rose taught me the names of the flowers. We saw so many birds. I was hooked.
What’s your favourite memory?
I have two. Once we saw a great northern diver in its summer plumage. We watched it bobbing on the waves with binoculars. That same visit we dunked in Kilcheran Loch. It was my first swim in cold water in Scotland. I haven’t stopped since.
Who do you take?
Usually, I go with my girlfriends. But recently I took my husband and youngest son. It was my first winter visit. We swam in the sea every day.
What do you take?
Bottled water. The local shop is well stocked - the island’s water can taste a bit saline. Walking boots. My swimming costume. Books. Binoculars.
What do you leave behind?
Work, although I do take my writing - it’s so peaceful there.
Sum it up in five words.
Blue. Green. White. Bright gem.
What other travel spot is on your wish list?
I want to go back to Colonsay. I went in 2016 and loved it. I want to walk across the causeway to Oronsay and I want to eat the locally produced honey - it tastes like summer.
Guests by Cherise Saywell is shortlisted for the 2023 BBC National Short Story Award with Cambridge University and included, with the other shortlisted stories, in an anthology (Comma Press, £8.99), out now
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here