OILEAN TORAIGH (TORY ISLAND)

Starting in the north, Tory Island lies about12 kilometres off the coast of Donegal. Access is by a daily, year round ferry service (www.Toryislandferry.com) although most tourists stick to the summer months. The island lies within the Gaeltacht (Irish speaking area), is about 3 km long and 1 km wide, and has a native population of around 130 people. Although an integral part of the Irish Republic, Tory Island still appoints its own King, though one without power of course.

Sites to see are the ruins of St Colmcille's monastery (6th century) and a round tower which was a defensive edifice intended to protect against Viking raids. There are other interesting fortifications to see, and the Tau Cross is said to be suggestive of early Egyptian Coptic Christianity, raising some interesting speculation about trading links, but it's perhaps a bit fanciful.

The island is rich in rare bird and plant life, and off the coast dolphins and whales can be spotted. For the tourist there is a hotel, hostel and Bed & Breakfast accommodation as well as bike and mini-bus hire. Remember though, this is Ireland, in the North Atlantic, and it is always windy!

OILEAN ACAILL (ACHILL ISLAND)

Achill is Ireland's largest Island, measuring about 20 km long and 19 km wide, and like Tory it lies in the Gaeltacht. Sitting close to the coast of County Mayo, Achill is linked to the mainland by a bridge, so is always accessible. The native population numbers about 3,000 people, but this increases significantly during the holiday season. Forts, ruined churches and deserted villages haunt the landscape, but perhaps one of the biggest attractions for Irish holiday-makers is the swimming. The island's beaches are clean, long and uncrowded, although local advice should be taken as to where is safe to swim and where is definitely not.

Spring and summer on Achill are the times for festivals. Traditional arts, crafts, music and food are regularly celebrated, and summer schools to learn traditional crafts and language are available as well as surfing schools. Achill is well equipped for tourism, but not in a brash holiday resort way. It maintains its traditional slow pace of life but has married it to modern comforts in a tasteful and unobtrusive way.

OILEAN INIS BO FINNE (INISHBOFIN ISLAND)

A year-round ferry service takes passengers from the village of Cleggan in County Galway to the island of Inishbofin (www.inishbofinislanddiscovery.com) which lies about 8 kilometres off shore. Inhabited for over 6,000 years, Inishbofin has long been a favourite haunt for fishermen, pirates on the run and exiled monks. Its name means “Island of the White Cow”, something to do with such a creature being sighted from under a blanket of fog that descended on the island centuries ago.

Defensive and monastic remains litter the place, but the big pull for people today is the vibrant traditional music scene and its festival during the summer. White sandy beaches which offer good swimming and surfing and rich bird and plant life are great attractions too. In recent years Inishbofin has become a breeding ground for the rare corncrake and there are also a few seal colonies on the rocks.

DAIRBHRE (VALENTIA ISLAND)

Valentia Island is a bit of an enigma as far as Irish islands are concerned. Its position in relation to the Gulf Stream makes for a balmier climate than is usual in Ireland, and its vegetation is uncharacteristically lush and colourful, even sub-tropical in places. So why do only 600 people live there?!?

However these 600 people were certainly not the first inhabitants of Valentia, nor were their human forebears. Tetra pod footprints have been found in the north of the island dating back to between 350 and 370 million years. The island (11x3 kilometres) like Achill is joined to the mainland by a bridge, but also by a car ferry, and in 1858 became the eastern terminal for the Atlantic telegraph linking Europe to Newfoundland.

The atmosphere of Valentia is rather stately and refined, and furnished the slate for the roof of London's House of Commons. This is Europe's most westerly inhabited island.

NA BLASCAODAI (GREAT BLASKET ISLAND)

This one is no longer inhabited, the last of its people having departed in 1953. However there are still ferry services to take visitors across the sea from County Kerry. The visitors come for a variety of reasons, mostly for walking, fishing and bird watching, but there are all the usual pre-historic remains to be inspected and the White Strand to swim at. The biggest drawback to being uninhabited is of course the lack of facilities on the island, and whatever you are going to need you need to bring with you. Still, the island is well worth the visit, even if it can be a bit eerie walking around the ruins of an evacuated civilisation.

And there are more. No room here to mention Dursey Island, the Aran Islands or Rathlin, which unlike all the others lies off Northern Ireland and so is British.

The Irish Tourist Board can fill in all the other practical details: www.discoverireland.ie

The Ottawa of today is a beautiful little city (one can walk across the city centre quite easily) with its parks, architecture and the Rideau Canal. There is something for everyone, as the saying goes. For the more culturally inclined, Ottawa has the National Art Gallery, the National Art Centre and the Bytowne Cinema. One can keep the kids (and parents) amused at the Bytown Museum, the Currency Museum, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Experimental Farm and the Aviation Museum. For a spot of reflection, visit the War Museum and the Canadian War Memorial. Elgin Street and the Byward Market are full of restaurants and bars. Athletes can run or bicycle to their hearts’ content along the Rideau Canal or boat on Dow’s Lake. There are plenty of hotels that cater to all types of people and many have suites, which include a kitchen (the Byward Market sells fresh local fruit and veg in the summer… time to fry up a fiddlehead).

Technically, Ottawa is in a temperate climate and therefore has four seasons. I have been visiting the capital of Canada for years and I think of it as having two seasons – weather- wise and culturally. Currently, I am in summer – the time of Open Doors Ottawa, Canada Day and – if you stretch the season a bit – the Tulip festival. Music and cultural festivals rule the summer season in Ottawa. At times, the list seems endless: Chamber Music, Bluesfest, Folk Festival, Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Capital Pride, Ottawa Fringe, CHIN Picnic, Carnival of Culture ….

In 1953, the Ottawa Tulip Festival became a date on the city’s calendar. The Tulip Festival occurs each May and brings to Ottawa colour so desperately needed after the long (exceedingly long) grey winter. It brings in visitors from all over the world (a sight in themselves). The tulips are planted all over the city but the majority are to be found along Dow’s Lake, which is part of the Rideau Canal. Other main sites are Parliament Hill, the Capital Infocentre, Commissioner’s Park, Major’s Hill Park and the banks of the Canal. At City Hall can be found wooden four-foot tulips, each painted with a different motif. The Tulip Festival owes its beginnings to World War II. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and her family were evacuated to Ottawa and here she gave birth to her third daughter in a hospital room declared Dutch territory for the day. In gratitude, tulips were sent and are still being sent.

Ottawa’s Open Doors Day is a yearly event that I attended for the first time. Over one weekend in June, buildings of historical or architectural significance open their doors to the public and volunteers lead tours. One of the most popular places to enter is the Ottawa Hostel, probably because of its appearance on the TV show Creepy Canada. Formerly the Carleton County Jail, this hostel (yes, you sleep in a cell… really) is noted for being the execution place of Patrick James Whelan for the murder of Thomas D’Arcy McGee, a member of the first Canadian Parliament. It is thought Whelan was framed, so his rather perturbed spirit is said to still reside within the thick walls on this 19^th Century structure. If ghost sighting is not for you, there are plenty of other places to see like the Cartier Square Drill Hall, the Laurentian Club, the Conference Centre, the Heritage Building of City Hall – hmm, there is a ghost there too.

Canada Day is the country’s birthday celebrating Canada’s becoming a self-governing Dominion on 1 July, 1867. The city is covered in red and white and maple leaves – on people as well as places! The main part of the celebration takes place on Parliament Hill where one can see the Mounties perform the Musical Ride, the raising of the Queen’s Flag, the presentation of the Ceremonial Guard to the Governor General (Queen Elizabeth’s representative), various musical acts and, to me the most stunning and dramatic event, the flyover of the Snowbirds. In addition, at Rideau Hall, a select group of immigrants attend a special citizenship ceremony. A recent addition to the day is the CHIN picnic. The CHIN multicultural radio station is the creation of the late bandleader Johnny Lombardi.  His experiences in World War II led him to believe that by learning about other peoples’ cultures through music and dance we could develop understanding and acceptance. One mustn’t forget the fireworks – the best place to see them – the new Corktown Footbridge.

Summer is not to be outdone in Canada’s capital. Winter boasts its own attractions in the Christmas Lights, Winterlude and the frozen Rideau Canal. As long as one is bundled up (winter is indescribably bitter and not for the fainthearted – frostbite awaits the unprepared), there is no stopping one enjoying an Ottawa winter.

From early December to early January, Parliament Hill is as colourful as it is during the Tulip Festival but with colour of another kind. As part of the Christmas Lights Across Canada, the Hill is festooned with thousands of bulbs. Varying images and hues are cast against the Parliament buildings themselves. There is nothing quite like standing in the queue for the free hot chocolate and the pastry known as Beavertails, while you wait for the illumination opening ceremonies with its dignitaries and choir.  Afterwards there is the chance to toast marshmallows on the Hill and munch on popcorn at the Infocentre (a good place to defrost fingers and toes). Get to the Hill by way of Confederation Boulevard, also a sea of colour in lights.

February sees the arrival of Winterlude and often then the Rideau Canal Skateway is at its best. Winterlude was created to celebrate the northern climate and culture. The best parts of Winterlude are in the city centre. At City Hall, the visitor will find musical entertainment and an ice cafe. During the day, head to Confederation Park to see the ice sculptures in progress – try to guess what they will be when finished and check back a few days later. Artists from all over the world create the sculptures and they range from the hilarious to the fantastic to the poignant. At night they are illuminated and the park takes on an ethereal atmosphere – it truly is a Crystal Garden. More musical events occur in the Snowbowl and if you are lucky you will get to see waiters on skates compete in races on the canal.  In winter, part of the Rideau Canal is lowered and it freezes creating the “world’s largest skating rink” – 7.8 km (4.8m) from Dow’s Lake to Parliament Hill. Once the ice is thick enough and the temperature is low enough, the ice is prepared for skaters (and we walkers). At night, holes are drilled through the ice to allow water to flood the surface and provide a fairly smooth skating ice sheet. Stalls (those Beavertails once again) are set up along the canal’s length for Winterlude. Once the canal is officially open, everyone is on it (including me, but rarely do I stay upright on the ice for long)!

With so much to do – summer and winter – check out the National Capital Commission’s and the city’s websites. You never know what you might be missing!

Arran is a small island, 20 miles long and 56 miles round, located off the south-west coast of Scotland.

Ferries run from the Scottish mainland to the Isle of Arran. Most people reach the island via Ardrossan which has a direct rail service from Glasgow.

The history of Arran is of strong interest to local Archeologists, tourists, and residents.

The first people on Arran to leave visible signs of their life and times here were the Neolithic people, who lived on the island in the period between 4,500BC and 2,000BC. They were farmers, and traces of their field systems have been found on Arran. However, they have left their most distinct legacy on Arran in the form of stone circles, standing stones and cairns. We do not know what these monuments were used for, but it is safe to assume that they had some kind of ceremonial function.

Machrie moor standing stones is a small ancient circle protected by a stone wall. Continue on the footpath and you will reach the main site, three-quarters of a mile across the fields.

Robert Pollock has produced an excellent guide with diagrams which details these and other circles on this site. Two of the circles have recently been excavated, and the amount of peat growth over the original prehistoric ground surface can be seen as a tidemark on the stones. Indeed one of the circles had completely disappeared under the peat.

Druid Stone is likely to be a Neolithic or Bronze age stone, despite its local association with the Iron Age priesthood. A druid was a member of the priestly and learned class in the ancient Celtic societies of Western Europe, Britain and Ireland.

Ruins of Lochranza Castle are located north of Brodick.

It features the striking ruins of a 14th century castle, a former hunting lodge of the Scottish Kings.

It has been claimed that Lochranza Castle has literary connections, being used as the basis for the castle in the Tintin adventure "The Black Island".

Brodick Castle is made up of red sandstone and it lies at the foot of Goatfell Mountain 1.5 miles out of Brodick; the main port on the Isle of Arran off the west coast of Scotland.

The name Brodick comes from the Norse words, meaning 'broad bay'. Arran means 'peaked island' in Gaelic.

It's a fascinating Island filled with mysteries and folklore. Visit now before the times destroy it.

In pre-Christian days, these sites were common witnesses to pagan blood sacrifices, but with the coming of the “Irish” saints , Patrick and Bridgid, all that was steeped in paganism was tweaked to become part of the new Christian faith and philosophy.

Thus the mounds of blood and death, became sites of inspiration for new brides, and waters of hope and healing for the crippled and the maimed, much like the Scriptural “Pool of Siloam”.

Today, the Holy Wells form part of traditional Catholic practices.

Special Masses and the Stations of the Cross are now included as part of the Holy Wells' personal devotions and corporate worship services.

The myths and legends surrounding the Wells have their basis in the pagan ritualisms and beliefs of the Otherworld, the land of the dead and of eternal youth.

The Otherworld was thought to be hidden under the earth and protected by the Irish mists.

From this mysterious place emanated all sources of power and wisdom, carried by the rushing waters which subsequently were guided to fill the selected well sites.

It was believed that supernatural fish which lived in the wells could supply lucky pilgrims with the ability to seek out and understand omens with special reference to future events.

With the rise of Christianity, the symbols and rituals of the Wells were transformed to represent Christ and His Cross, and thereby became places where His goodness and blessings and guidance would be poured out upon a faithful few.

Today followers of the Wells claim the existence of as many as over 3000 throughout the country.

Most of them still exhibit the three-core foundation of early Celtic paganism --- the well and water, the sacred tree and the standing stone.

Often women would lie prostrate on the stone wishing to ensure a pregnancy or a safe birth.

Tying swaddling cloth to the sacred tree was considered sufficient to transfer illness from the person to the cloth.

Coins were also tossed into the well both as an offering and an appeasement to the various deities believed to dwell within. Today, the standing stones bear the “worn away” results of the kissing and rubbing of faithful pilgrims.

As Christianity spread, many Catholic churches were built on “Holy Well” sites.

The water fonts were frequently moved inside and to this day, in most churches, the “Holy Water” font, generally placed close to the entrance, bears the evidence of years of rubbing and kissing by the faithful.

The “holy Wells” customs are still practised by many faithful Catholics, with frequent pilgrimages arranged in various counties. As you travel the length and breadth of Ireland , should you see a “clootie” (the swaddling cloth) tied to a tree branch, you will know you have entered a Holy Wells habitat.

St. Declan's Well in Waterford