I boarded the ferry dressed only in a thin sheet, having been forced to leave all my belongings – including my clothes and glasses – with our hosts at the the shoreline.

The ride across the inlet was short and speedy – and by powerboat so much more exciting than the usual Calmac ferry. A school of killer whales accompanied the vessel, much to my pleasure and that of my mother and two sisters.

Our destination, however, was a great disappointment. The house was partially demolished, it looked like we would be sharing with strangers, and the only entertainment appeared to be some shabby old board games (but even these looked hopeless since the contents of their boxes were incomplete).

When we ventured further to explore the countryside by car I was further annoyed because I could not appreciate it without my glasses, nor could I photograph the snowy mountain peaks because both my camera and iPhone had been confiscated at the start of our journey.