Not really Island Hopping, however, I did get to the Outer Hebrides and Orkney this year and they were both hugely rewarding, however, the extreme variations in weather I encountered suggest to me that if travelling without a vehicle (as many were clearly doing on the ferries) you do need the flexibility of travelling when the weather is good (or at least better) as some days are simply impossible. I needed multiple changes out of sodden clothes some days and was in shorts and T shirt the next. Even with my own vehicle to sleep in and taking my own food to cook costs soon rack up simply due to the distances involved (from South Lincs in my case clearly London and South even more). Having said that I can't wait to get back and visit some of the more Indie sites on the less accessible islands and would definitely not want to put those travelling without a vehicle off, just needs a little more planning. Sunset and sunrise with a nice glass of Talisker, as close to paradise as one is going to get.