In early 1973, George Harrison and Pattie Boyd travelled by train and ferry to the Isle of Skye in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland to visit Donovan and his wife, who owned a house there. Interviewed by Ken McNab for his 2008 book The Beatles in Scotland, Donovan remembered: Linda and I were delighted to show our dear friends the beauty of Skye. We had our little one-year-old daughter Astrella with us, and George was enraptured by her. As I let my feelings drift back to that long-ago summer, I see four young friends walking the grassy slopes of island cliffs, gazing out to sea at the shimmering terns and the clear blue sky. All the world was young, and the possibility of peace was in every gentle heart. Donovan's friend Sam Richards, who was occasionally part of the company, adds: George was a very sweet guy, very humble. We went down to the Stein Inn and had a couple of pints in there. For the most part Don and he kept themselves to themselves. He signed a couple of autographs, but by and large he was left alone. I’m sure the locals were surprised to find a Beatle in their midst, but no one bothered him much. I think he was just enjoying some peace and quiet away from all the hassles people like him have to go through. Most of the time they just hung out with each other, playing guitars. George had travelled up from London and he and Pattie got the ferry over from the mainland. I remember it was bitterly cold at that time of year and I gave George a big hug to keep him warm. I don't think he even had a change of clothing. I seem to remember him leaving in the same clothes as he arrived. The weather was so wild I remember him saying you could die out there. So he started fantasising with Donovan about how you could build a tunnel from Don's house down to the boathouse. And they were both talking about how it could be done. They were always joshing with each other, a lot of banter.
Pattie Boyd: George was never happy with his celebrity status. He hated being recognised, people feeling that they owned him and never giving him any peace, and it had got to the point where we simply stopped going out altogether. So the trip to Skye was the most wonderful experience, for both of us.
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