‘These islands don’t just provide scenery; they change the tempo of thought’

by · Australian Financial Review

Ian Kemish
Jun 18, 2026 – 5.00am

Ian Kemish, a former Australian diplomat, is the author of the thriller Two Islands, published earlier this year. Set on a remote island in the Scottish Hebrides, where he has roots, it centres on a young man who has fled there seeking sanctuary from people who want him silenced for what he saw in the Balkan War. Here, Kemish shares why the Scottish isles are a literary feast – and worth a visit.

In the Hebrides, the weather sets the rules.

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