A trip to Scotland Island

[Guest post by Kathleen Newman on Scotland Island, Australia.] My son got married recently. The wedding took place on Scotland Island, which is a tiny island in a beautiful estuary called Pittwater, an hour’s drive north of Sydney, Australia.

As access to the island is only by ferry, the small wedding party met at Church Point ferry stop to make the crossing together. After the crowds and traffic of the city, this area was wonderfully quiet and peaceful. With no restaurants, shops or public facilities, Scotland Island is not a tourist destination. It is an island of mainly bushland and holiday homes. There are four ferry stops around the island and our destination was the second stop – Eastern Wharf. The 15-minute journey was so enjoyable it was almost too short.

Geologically, Scotland Island was once a hill in a valley. When sea levels rose after the last ice age, water flooded the valley forming Pittwater and creating an island about 1km in diameter.

The families of the bride and groom had not met in person before this wedding and the group spent the long weekend sharing a house on the island. On the first morning we were awakened (too early) by a brilliant sunrise, shining water and the roar of speed boats leaving the many piers. Even the kookaburras laughed at our rude awakening. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Here is a sketch of a quiet corner in the wonderful house we stayed at.

The new extended family brought together people from Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. A beautiful wedding, stunning location, great house and a bonding of interesting people. It was such a happy and memorable few days.

Originally from Singapore, Kathleen Newman is an urban sketcher now living in Melbourne, Australia. She is a member of Urban Sketchers Melbourne. See more of her sketches on her website.