Following our trip to Tiree in early June we have started uploading our selections to our photographic view Scotland website. We have created a new Tiree Gallery and will be filling it with more images over the next few days.
It was a week of changeable weather to say the least. Out of seven days we got one complete good weather day and two half days where it was light and warm. The rest was wind and rain. In Tiree you need to expect the wind.
Tiree is the furthest west of the inner Hebrides. As such it gets the full force of any Atlantic weather system. It is generally flat and the roads around and through its crofting layout link various sandy beaches.
The island is a watersport mecca and on beaches like Gott Bay and Balevullin there are businesses offering surfing lessons.
The Millhouse hostel website contains a useful list and links to the activities available. David at the Mill-house gave us a tour of his restored water-mill.
We did get one west-coast sunset and watched the ball drop off below the horizon. Always a fantastic sight. The west coast of Scotland and the Highlands and Islands especially attract artists because of the clear and colourful light. Tiree is no different and we made a trip around Tiree’s artist studios – buying prints and pottery to take home. More of that in the next post.

Most of the houses and cottages on the island are whitewashed but this is the old traditional style. Sadly the funds are not available to keep it in heritage condition so it looks like it is going to ruin. © Paul Carroll 2015
For now I’d like to finish on a favourite joke which works if you know the geography of the Scottish Islands. If you don’t get the joke look up a map.
“They are still trying to work out the result of election in Tiree. It is too close to Coll.”