Author: The Hampden Collection

The Optimist docks at Steam Boat Quay, and I disembark onto Broomielaw Street. I walk past Glasgow Bridge to Custom House, a Greek revival building built in 1840 by John Taylor. Here, Custom Agents record all imports and exports, collects duties, and register all ship's details. This beautifully appointed building is scheduled next year for … Continue reading Chapter 185 – Steam Boat Quay →

I leave Islay onboard The Optimist, which steams out from Port Ellen Harbour bound for Glasgow. Emelia and the children are staying on Islay for the summer, allowing the children to practice their Gaelic, Emelia to review her distillery operation and enable me to focus my mind in Glasgow. This great tragedy has changed my … Continue reading Chapter 184 – The Forever Optimist →

Arabella bursts into the room and throws open the curtains, shouting "Sunrise." The glowing red sun pierces the blue sky with a perfect warm radius.My two boys rub their eyes, leap off their bed, and join their sister. We spend the morning dressing in black and make the return trip to the south of the … Continue reading Chapter 183 – Skirl of Bagpipes →

We spend the night consuming a sumptuous dinner provided by our fabulous cook, Effie. At the end of the meal, Emelia whisks up the children for bed. A child’s conscious mind quickly forgets, but I am concerned about their unconscious state.“I will be up soon,” I said to Emelia, “One last nightcap.”“You are in with … Continue reading Chapter 182 – Settling A Debt →

We board the two Kilnave House Carriages, which patiently waited for us. There is ample room for everyone, as our belongings are somewhere in the Atlantic. Our twenty-mile trip from Port Ellen to Kilnave is a welcome relief, with dry ground looking particularly beautiful today.Emelia's Family Estate lies in the North West of Islay, extending … Continue reading Chapter 181 – House of Kilnave →

The gathering of mourners leave, and I find Emelia with the children at the Post Office, in deep conversation with the Post Master, explaining last night’s events. We gather and provide our own testimony and brutal detail of last night.“We will hold a joint ceremony for all those lost, tomorrow,”, said the Minister.“That quick?” I … Continue reading Chapter 180 – Silence, Shock, Grief →

Captain MacDonald faces the assembled crowd, where murmurs fall silent, and waves lap against the pier's pillars, providing sombre background noise, "The Osprey was lost last night in heavy seas, and these people are the only survivors."The brutal honesty of the situation turns my stomach, and shocked silence breaks with a dramatic emotional outpouring."Console each … Continue reading Chapter 179 – Waves of Tears →

Any survivor dreads this walk. I turn to Emelia, “Please go into the Post Office with the children and send word to the mainland. John, Iain and I, will find those in charge and inform them.”“Captain MacDonald is the Harbourmaster.”, said Emelia, pointing to a figure at the end of the pier.We walk through the … Continue reading Chapter 178 – Sad News Bearers →

Pàdair and Simidh, our two newly introduced saviours, tow our rescued party into Kilnaughton beach, where we reach dry land. Mother Nature has demonstrated life's fragility and showed the force of her ferocious capability.Emelia and the children gather into a family hug. I have never felt such proximity to Death, who was trying to shepherd … Continue reading Chapter 177 – Kilnaughton Beach, Islay →

The lifeboat gently pitches in the Sound of Jura. Emelia stands at the bow, scanning Islay for life from her makeshift crow’s nest. John Falcon and Iain Hudson rest after last night’s trauma while I tend the children, keeping their spirits high. Suddenly, Emelia starts shouting at the top of her voice.The two sleeping crewmen … Continue reading Chapter 176 – Sound of Jura →