I’ve had amazing trips: gondola rides in Venice, climbing the Great Wall, sipping wine in France. But the one that stands out is a trip with my childhood friend to the Isle Of Mull last summer. A holiday in Scotland? With unpredictable weather? Really? Yes! Or maybe I just have a terrible memory of past trips...

With just a car and a pack of chocolate brioche buns, we set off at 6am to catch the ferry from Oban (note to future travellers: book the ferry in advance). We sat on deck, soaking in the rare Scottish sun, chatting about life while I devoured a bacon roll. We felt like voyagers taking to the sea as excitement filled the air. 

In Tobermory, we embraced our inner old ladies, browsing independent shops for soaps and candles, followed by a stop at Glengorm Coffee Shop where we indulged in a sweet treat before taking a windswept walk to the nearby standing stones. Time slowed and a deep sense of stillness settled in.

No Scottish holiday is complete without a dip in the sea. In pursuit of this, we drove down winding, single-track roads where, at one point, I completely forgot how to reverse. A row of buses watched as I zigzagged backward towards a passing place, while sweat dripped down my friend’s forehead in sheer embarrassment. Somehow, we finally arrived at Calgary Bay, where we struggled into wetsuits in the car: no Baywatch moments here, folks! My friend, wearing my dad’s oversized wetsuit, inflated like a balloon as icy water rushed in. We howled with laughter before adjusting to the cold, floating in the sunset by a near-empty beach.

So, with all of this chaos, why is it still my favourite holiday? It’s these moments of silliness that make a trip special and full of great stories. It wasn’t about grand adventures but about the quiet moments: singing in the car, chatting with a B&B host over a fry-up, taking a boat to Iona. It was about connection, stillness and stepping away from the rush of life. That’s the definition of a good holiday to me.

Rhona Macfarlane’s As The Chaos Unfolds is available now on Rhona Macfarlane Records.