VENTURE CAPITAL — Dom Faulkner

The warning sign says - ‘Danger Keep out’ - but curiosity already had the better of me. Negotiating the chain link fence wasn’t too hard and within a few strides I stood at the edge of the abandoned and once iconic swimming pool. From here the view drops away to the ocean and the rocky outcrop of Redonda ten miles out to sea. All that remains of Air Studios now is an abandoned shell of a building, the once state of the art recording facility open to the elements, all a sad legacy to Montserrat’s glory days before the volcano. The list of rock stars and musicians who have posed and partied here is impressive: the Police, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Lou Reed and Eric Clapton.

When former Beatles producer, George Martin, built Air Studios in 1979 he chose Montserrat deliberately. He wanted somewhere for bands and musicians to immerse themselves in their music – no doubt well away from their usual distractions. His reputation was such that artists queued to buy into his way of working and over 70 albums is proof of the studio’s success.

To many, Montserrat is now synonymous with the volcano that after years of dormancy erupted again in 1997. But it wasn't actually the volcano that marked the end of Air Studios but Hurricane Hugo in 1988. Devastation across the island was severe and Air Studios with its expensive recording equipment was irreparably damaged. It was enough for George Martin and after little more than a decade the studio never reopened.

The island had barely recovered from the hurricane before the volcanic eruption led to a mass exodus. As a British Overseas Territory Montserratians were offered residency in the UK and the population has now reduced from 12000 to less than 5000. Over the years services on the island have steadily reduced and while there are still a couple of restaurants there are not many options. But this is still a hidden gem for the adventurous traveler. If you hike in the hills, you are unlikely to see anybody and the birdlife and iguanas are prolific. A third of the island is still off limits with an exclusion zone, but a climb of Garibaldi Hill offers a view of the former capital Plymouth. On the east side of the island the road finishes below Jack Boy Hill where there is a viewing point. From here you can look across the impressive pyroclastic flows that wiped out the former airport. There are stunning beaches as well, the black sand of Woodlands Cove is a delight but the best is at Rendezvous in the north of the island. Getting there entails a boat trip or a steep 40-minute hike, but the white sand and snorkeling make this a really precious place. One thing is for sure; Montserratians are renowned for their welcome and this is somewhere that draws visitors back time and time again.