Halton Island

I find everywhere interesting. Even boring places can offer something - once, anyway. But, sometimes, I find myself somewhere so extraordinary it doesn't seem real.  One such was this afternoon.

Nine of us went on a boat ride, not quite knowing what to expect, but imagining an old tub, sitting outside in the freezing rain and creeping along the coast line between the islands. 

The first surprise was the boat; an almost new, very luxurious number. We set to sea, seemingly to Greenland, it seemed so far.  Obviously, it was bitterly cold and raining but a few of the hardier amongst us stayed on top.  Eventually, 20 nautical miles off shore we reached our destination.  

Holtan Island was, until 1988, a fishing community of around 1000 residents with a large fish salting plant.  A more remote spot it would be hard to imagine.  Living there year round would have been an unbelievable hardship.  There was even a school there.  Now, it sits, like an abandoned film set with just a few hardy fishermen who come to fish during the summer.

The whole thing looked as if it had been styled by the art department.  Unreal. Deeply evocative and mesmerising, eerie. It was like the setting of a Hitchcock movie.  Unforgettable.