If you drive four hours north from Glasgow to Kyle of Lochalsh, take the bridge over to the Isle of Skye and then the car ferry from Sconser to the Isle of Raasay, you’re bound to find solitude. And this was where Australian singer/songwriter, Stu Larsen, spent the month of May 2024.

Staying in an isolated cottage, Stu must have felt he had Raasay all to himself. And, when the weather was clear, he could enjoy glorious views back across the water to the Isle of Skye.

May 2024

Stu seems to have finally achieved his goal of finding solitude on this island.

Though, having found solitude, his first thought is to share the feeling with a friend. Paradoxically, it seems solitude in a magical place is too overwhelming to experience alone!

Stu’s song for the month, titled One Thing, includes the lines:

i find my rhythm with a touch of the blues
i got this solitude, but i wanna share it with you, baby with you

You can find all the lyrics to this breezy celebration of solitude and love by clicking on the top line of the YouTube link and then clicking on ‘more’.

Enjoy the song, but enjoy the images in the video as well. The unsullied vistas, expansive scenes of emptiness and space to roam free make you want to live life at a slower pace.

Hopefully, the haiku I wrote in response to Stu’s song captures that sense of sharing open space with a special friend:

two black sheep
on the crest of a hill
with you