1,600 miles later, Vittoria and I are back in the North of England. Normal blogging service will return soon (after a long-anticipated family party, which I am hosting tonight). In the meantime, here are a few pictures of the trip (click to enlarge).

L-R: Vittoria in the Assynt, the Scottish Crannog Centre, my silhouette on the loading ramp of the Islay Ferry, the mash house at the Bruichladdich distillery on Islay, David our guide at the Laphroaig Distillery shows the size of the peat that got away, Laphroaig's wonderful seaside location, a short stout, flat-bottomed Laphroaig still with its upward-sloping lyne arm in the act of producing my favourite tipple, Jonathan Livingstone (showing my age again) over Bowmore Harbour (where the Harbour Inn produces a very decent lunch) and finally New Lanark, which I visited on the run South.