Ailsa James, by email

Anglesey – a place of mystery

Reading your article on Great British Islands, I was pleased to discover Anglesey amongst the top 10. Nodding enthusiastically over the authors description of the islands rugged cliffs, I recalled how it felt to walk along the edges of that same land.

Anglesey has always been a special place to me. Part of my family moved there when I was a child, and my visits are often a mix of the familiar and the strange. During one trip to the island, a friend described this feeling to me as being in a thin place, a place where the veil between the known and unknown is thinner.

My first trip to the Blue Flag Llanddona beach epitomised this feeling. Located at the eastern edge of Red Wharf Bay, Llanddonas long sandy beach is soaked in mystery, with tales of shipwrecked wanderers settling on the shores. When I visited I saw a woman leading a horse through the pebbles, and the sea was so calm it could have been a photograph. To me, Anglesey evokes a sense of wonder and peace that comes from more than the view it is born in the air and lives in the soil. Helen Cocker, by email

West Highlands peninsula

I really want to query the lack of mention of one of the most accessible yet exciting parts of the British Isles, the Ardnamurchan peninsula in the West Highlands. I admit it takes a day to get there and a ferry ride, but take it easy and stay in such gems as the Crianlarich Hotel or the Fox and Hounds pub in Cotherstone. Explore gently on the way up and enjoy clean hotels, excellent food and stunning scenery. OK, perhaps the two hour last few miles on single track roads will put you off, but you may see seals, otters, numerous RSPB treasured birds and of course, deer. Last time we were near loch Mudle we were eyeballed by over 40 deer. If you love walking, scenery and wildlife and the best fish restaurant ever (Caf Fish) go quickly before the rest of the world descends on it. Pippa Brown, by email

Isle of Man omission

Having read the article on “Islands” in last Saturday’s Travel Section, I feel that, once again, you have left out one of the islands with much to offer, the Isle of Man. This is a place with beautiful glens and beaches, good walking, including a 90 mile circumnavigation of the island and other long and shorter walks. There is an integrated transport system which is run by the Government and covers steam railway, electric railway and buses. This is not only a place for the motorcycle enthusiast but has a great deal to offer the traveller, culturally and for leisure. As it is set in the middle of the Irish Sea, it is easily accessible by ferry from both sides, there are also good connections by air. All sorts of accommodation are available from hotels to campsites. If the publication of this letter encourages anyone to visit the Island, I am sure that they will not be disappointed. Robert Faragher, by email

As a committed island lover I really lapped up Nick Cranes article. Our daughter, from a young age, has always been adamant that an island is only an island if you can stand and see all the way round it. I cant go along with that, but am equally adamant that the only way to arrive on an island is by boat. I had a real tussle with my husband when we visited Skye (possibly the most beautiful place on the planet) and had to compromise by arriving by ferry and coming back over the bridge.

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