Going to a doctor's appointment on a boat in a choppy sea is a slightly surreal experience but yet another I'll cherish from my island existence, writes islander and Herald columnist Elle Duffy

When you think of a doctor’s appointment, you might imagine sitting in a sterile waiting room with peeling posters and three-year-old magazines. But living on an island like Rum, that picture is slightly different.

I’m sitting on the bottom deck of a small boat, perched onto a surprisingly comfortable mattress in a tiny room which has a single window and a dangling light. It’s not a calm day at sea - even in the usually protected waters of Kinloch Bay, there’s a choppiness that pulls this boat from side to side, up and down.

I remember writing about the thrill of doctor’s appointments at home on Rum a few months ago, and the rapid cleaning spree that came beforehand. The cups of tea, the sigh of relief when I realised my doctor was a cat person. But now, I realise that home luxury is not always the case. Sometimes, the schedule is too busy, or the time is just too tight, and we need to go to them.

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