Scotland's islands remain a final frontier on the edge of what was once the known world - warmed, watered and walloped by the continuous, restless attentions of the North Atlantic. Their unique cultures and wild, unspoilt, often breathtaking scenery have long attracted travellers. Today, they still do. For although this is not quite the land that time forgot, it is a place where time is slowed and, distorted. Priorities are re-ordered. Perspective is renewed. Here, the interplay of land, sea, light, weather and people creates and recreates the possibilities for an endless journey of. delights and surprises. Although having some of the oldest rocks and human habitation in the world, the islands remain a frontier for undiscovered or long forgotten lifestyles, for the soul of Scotland, and for Europe's last great wilderness.

Many travellers want to distance themselves from their usual lives - in the cliche, to get away from it all. They savour the quiet thrill of escaping by boat, and take time to enjoy the peace and the islands' rugged scenery. For the motorist or cyclist, there is hardly a road that does not offer great views. For those wanting to walk, climb, fish or, take to the, water, all are quiet and easily reached. And for those days when the views aren't all they might be, there is the attraction of a peat fire, a good book and a dram of Islay single malt whisky.

But the islands are not only a place to escape. They are a place to be welcomed and to learn about the people's unique culture. For the Scottish islands have, been visited and settled by prehistoric farmers, later by monks and Vikings. To the Hebridean west, they maintained the Gaelic language and culture of their Celtic heritage. Bitter clan feuds were pursued. Huge numbers of people were cleared off the land and sent to Canada and America, because landowners found sheep farming more economical. To the north, they were being deeply influenced by more than a thousand years of Viking domination and trading. Island people farmed the thin, rocky soil, cut peat from the earth for fuel, and harvested birds from the sea cliffs. They took to the sea: to plunder the rich fishing banks, to provide the backbone for Britain's navies and to extract the black gold of the North Sea oil boom.

Such a past has moulded people with a variety of subtly distinct cultures on each island, combining their past, their traditions, their strong church adherence and their language and dialects. Scottish islanders value their communities, their land and the sea in a way long forgotten in more developed areas. Crofting - the small-scale system of part-time farming found only in the Highlands and Islands - is not the only lesson held in trust for a world outside which has re-discovered the importance of protecting the environment.

So island-hopping in Scotland provides a wealth of natural contrasts and beauty, combined with rich and diverse island cultures. The two come together in some of the great experiences and attractions. Climb the mountains of Skye's Cuillin range. Marvel at the slender sea stack of Orkney's Old Man of Hoy. Or land by scheduled plane on the cockle beach, when the tide is out at Barra. Visit the prehistoric remains of Skara Brae in Orkney, the Mousa broch on Shetland or the mysterious Callanish stone circle on Lewis. Walk the holy turf of lona to see its ancient abbey and vibrant modern religious community. Wind-surf in world-class conditions off the beach at Tiree. Thrill to Shetland's festival of fire, Up Helly Aa, in which a Viking longboat is ceremonially burned. Or sample Islay's superb whiskies after a tour of its distilleries.

This really is a great resource if you want to visit any of the islands since it includes many things only a local would know about. If you want to experience the islands at their best then this is the book for you. This guidebook has been written by experienced travellers and islanders and is full of inside knowledge and quirky observations.

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