The next day I took an e-bike over the Tongue Causeway, along the coast to Skinnet Beach. I cycled through clouds, then sat drenched on a bench looking down at the sand and water below, in the direction of the Faroe Islands. Here is a dramatic, painterly landscape that reminds you the Scottish Highlands have more in common with Scandinavia than with anything south of the border.

All of this makes Lundies House, originally an 1840s manse, a near-perfect place to stay in the highest point of the Highlands. It’s the jewel in the Wildland crown – part conservation project, part boutique hotel chain, owned by the Danish billionaire Holch Povlsen family. The aesthetic is arty and luxurious, christened “Scandi-Scot”. 

There is soft bouclé upholstery, grey wool velvet sofas, stacks of art books, and vases full of foraged flowers. The details are cheering. Before a day out, I was handed a packed lunch – a heavy and delicious salami and cheese sandwich made with freshly baked bread, wrapped in old fashioned waxed brown paper, tied up with string. Very Labour and Wait. Also joyful: the sandwich was part of the very generous full-board package.