As the minuscule ferry pulls into the harbour of Feolin on a glorious July afternoon, it’s strange to think that this astonishing landscape helped inspire one of the bleakest novels of the 20th century. The vast sky is the purest, deepest blue. Etched against the heavens are a series of meandering rocky peaks, cast from quartz and granite and set into a tapestry of burnished, open landscape. A rippling sea, waves cresting into foam, frames the picture. Given the usual weather suffered by Scotland’s Western Isles, my welcome to the far-flung isle of Jura couldn’t have been more auspicious.

But the trip over to Jura is, weather permitting, an enjoyable and essential cruise through some of the most spectacular scenery in the UK. First you’ll need to reach Kennacraig, a small ferry port just south of Tarbert on the mainland. From there Calmac (08705 650000; calmac.co.uk) will ship you to either Port Ellen or Port Askaig on the island of Islay. To reach Jura it’s a five-minute hop by ferry to Feolin (1) from Port Askaig.. First catch the ferry – twice

07.00: There’s only one way in and one way out of Orwell’s island – unless, of course, you own your own boat. Other attractions include a steam railway, caves, a model railway, museums and mazes..

Enjoy a three-mile amble along the walk, which features unique works by artists such as Liza Gough Daniels. After my experience of the previous day, I couldn’t help agreeing with him.Contact Silver Lining Tours (001 281 759 4181; silverliningtours ) for details of storm-chasing trips. British Airways (0870 850 9850; ba ) fly from London Heathrow to Denver daily Fares from £529 return from September onwards. SOUTH WEST

1 Sculpted walks: step out on the England and South Wales border and take in the Forest of Dean sculpture trail. That night, the storm turned into a tornado that wrecked buildings and brought down power lines.The next morning I met some of the locals whose property was damaged; they were not impressed when they found out why we were there “I prefer to run when one of those storms comes.

I can’t understand why anyone would want to go looking for them – I think it’s nuts,” said one farmer. Every single panel was dented, bits of plastic had been ripped off and patches of bodywork were stripped down to the bare metal.Hours later, it became clear we had had a lucky escape: after patching up the car, we limped on to the nearby town of Glendive, East Montana, passing by felled trees and overturned trucks. The whole experience probably lasted only three minutes as the core of the storm passed directly overhead, yet it felt like a lifetime.Afterwards, a survey of the damage to the Mini provided a indication of just how strong this storm had been. Hail cascaded into the car and we curled up into balls, protecting our faces This was no longer an adventure; frankly I was terrified. The stones were the biggest I had ever seen, causing the windscreen to flex worryingly as they bounced off it.Suddenly, the side window caved in, showering my passenger and I in glass.

While everyone else hurtled off, I got stuck behind a lorry in the Mini I was driving, and was forced to pull off the road as the centre of the supercell engulfed the car.The hail arrived shortly after, driven by 90mph winds. As the huge mushroom cloud descended on us, Roger ordered every-one into the cars. Our aim was to get around to the side of the storm, avoiding its destructive centre But we had left it too late. However, none of them had come quite as close as the monster we were now facing in Montana.