The southernmost of the Hebrides are islands of stark contrasts. The largest, Islay, is the closest of Scotland’s isles to Ireland and, green and fertile, it is dubbed the ‘Queen of the Hebrides’. Close neighbour Jura is as wild and rugged as anywhere in the Highlands, its interior a mix of moorland and gaunt, scree-clad peaks, with settlements clinging only to its eastern strip. The smaller Colonsay is more remote but is a complete delight, mixing idyllic beaches, a distinctive community and a landscape punctuated with miniature rocky peaks.