The north and northwest Highlands - The Rough Guide to Scotland - page 442

Cnoc-na-Faire Back of Keppoch, 1 mile north of Arisaig
T 01687 450249, W cnoc-na-faire.co.uk. Highlands
meets Art Deco in a hotel with smart modern-country
rooms of tartan fabrics, stainless steel and blond wood. It
also prepares breakfasts, light lunches and dinners, all of
fine Scottish cuisine: expect venison and sloe gin jus,
seafood pastas or fresh fish priced around £14 -18. D aily
8.30-9.30am, 11.30am-2.30pm & 6-10pm. £110

Old Library Lodge and Restaurant Arisaig T 01687
450651, W oldlibrary.co.uk. The best rooms overlook the
bay; those in a garden annexe are modest motel numbers
with mod cons like flatscreen TVs and wi-fi. The dining
room offers Scottish dishes: Cullen skink or delicious crab
sandwiches for lunch (around £8), venison pie or sea bass
for dinner (average £13). Feb-March Tues -Sat noon-
2.30pm (except early season) & 6-9.30pm . £96

Mallaig
he fate of MALLAIG , 47 miles west of Fort William, is to be seen as somewhere to go
through to. Before the railway arrived in 1901 it consisted of a few cottages, and now
rather than as the main embarkation point for ferries to Skye, the Small Isles and
Knoydart, in season it's full of visitors. Mallaig is nothing if not well-placed for
day-trips and even if not especially pretty it is a solid wee town, given a workaday
honesty by its local fishing industry - it once had one of Europe's busiest herring ports
and the harbour remains the source of the village's wealth.

Mallaig Heritage Centre
Beside the train station • April, May & Oct Mon-Fri 11am-4pm, Sat noon-4pm; June-Sept Mon-Fri 9.30am-4.30pm, Sat & Sun
noon-4pm • £2 • T 01687 462085, W mallaigheritage.org.uk
Apart from the hubbub of the harbour, the only sight is Mallaig Heritage Centre -
nothing to quicken the pulse but worth a browse for displays on the area's past and
information about lifeboats, fishing and the highland galleys that once plied the waters
of the Inner Hebrides and are direct descendants of Viking longships.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE

12

MALLAIG

To/from Skye Regular services shuttle between Mallaig
and Armadale (Mon-Sat 8 daily; also mid-May to mid-Sept
Sun 6 daily; 30min). Reservations are recommended in
peak season.
To/from the Small Isles There are services between
Mallaig and Eigg (Mon, Thurs, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 1hr
15min); Rùm (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 1hr 20min);
Muck (Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat & Sun 1 daily; 2hr 5min); and
Canna (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat & Sun; 1 daily; 2hr 30min).
To/from Knoydart Bruce Watt Cruises ( T 01687 462320,
W knoydart-ferry.co.uk) sails from Mallaig to Inverie every
morning and afternoon (mid-May to mid-Sept Mon-Fri;
mid-Sept to mid-May Mon, Wed & Fri; 45min).

BY TRAIN
A direct service arrives from Fort William (Mon-Sat 3-4
daily, Sun 4 daily; 1hr 25min) and Glasgow (Mon-Sat 3
daily; 5hr 15min), via Glenfinnan and Arisaig.

BY BUS
There are regular buses from Fort William to Mallaig via
Glenfinnan and Arisaig (Mon-Fri 3 daily, Sat 1 daily; 1hr
20min).

BY FERRY
The CalMac ticket o ce ( T 01687 462403, W calmac
.co.uk) is just west of the harbour.

INFORMATION
Tourist o ce Beside the harbour (Easter-Oct daily
8am-8pm, Nov-Easter 9am-4pm; T 01687 462883,

E [e-mail]).

ACCOMMODATION
Mallaig Backpackers' Lodge Main St T 01687 462764,
W mallaigbackpackers.co.uk. There are two mixed dorms, a
small kitchen and a lounge in this relaxed, independent
modern hostel. “Reception” is in the Tea Garden resta urant
opposite the harbour. Closed Jan to late Feb. Dorms £17
Seaview Main St T 01687 462059, W seaviewguest
housemallaig.com. Snug dimensions and surprisingly

smart decor - tasteful shades of taupe and grey with a
leaning towards modest boutique - set the tone in this
central B&B, which has harbour views fro m the front. Note
that only one room is en suite. March-Oct. £65
West Highland Hotel T 01687 462210,
W westhighlandhotel.co.uk. Uphill from the harbour, this
traditional pile is slowly being upgraded since 2008. Rooms