"In the last issue I described an outing in an electric launch on a fenland river. Two weeks later I was embarking as a lecturer on a much larger vessel for a much more adventurous cruise around the Scottish Islands. The highlight, I hoped, would be a landing on St Kilda. In the event, the weather was kind and we were able to land on the main island, Hirta. This fulfilled a 33-year-old ambition."