Friends

I feel sad this evening.

In 2004, when Sue and I first came to Skye searching to buy a holiday cottage, we happened by chance to stay at a Bed-and-Breakfast on the island run by a lively and bubbly landlady named Andrea and her husband Ian. They had only been on Skye a couple of years, having moved here from their former lives in Cheshire. I think we only stayed at their B&B for two nights, but by the time we left, we had already become friends.

I’ll cut a long story short, and just say that in the first couple of years of Sue and I owning and operating our holiday cottages on Skye (while we then continued to live in the south of England), Andrea and Ian were life-savers to us on more occasions that I dare to remember.  

It goes without saying that after Sue and I moved to Skye, we became closer friends with Andrea and Ian. There was always loud laughter when we met with A and I. In particular, Sue and Andrea would often go to the cinema together, and took regular two-day ‘girly’ shopping trips to Inverness, staying overnight at the Royal Highland hotel.

But today, we waved them farewell from Skye.

A and I made their decision to leave the island, and bought a cottage in a village near Penrith in Cumbria. They will set off south tomorrow morning. I wonder if they will ever return to Skye? I don’t doubt that we will see them again – just not as often as before. I wish them every happiness in their new home, and look forward to seeing them there.

But, I still feel sad this evening.