Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION
Raasay House
T
01478 660300,
W
raasay-house.
co.uk.
The MacLeods' rebuilt manor serves as an outdoor
centre. Accommodation ranges from B&B in simple
modern bunkrooms to large Deluxe rooms with
balconies and views to the Cuillins, via hotel-style four-
stars that overlook the garden. It also has camping.
Among activities on offer (Easter-Oct, weather-
dependant other months) are guided walks and
13
can
yoning, coaste
ering
, kayakin
g and
sailing. Camping
£6
/person; dorms
£25
; doubles
£125
Raasay SYHA
T
01478 660240,
W
syha.org.uk.
A two-
mile track from the wharf cuts up behind the village to
Raasay's hostel, small and simple throughout - just one loo
and one shower - but with beautiful views to the Skye Cuillins
and well placed to
explore
the islan
d. A s
uperb getaway.
Late
May-Aug.
Dorms
£17.50
; doubles
£39
The Small Isles
Seen from southern Skye or the west coast of the Highlands, the
Small Isles
-
Rùm
,
Eigg
,
Muck
and tiny
Canna
- lie scattered in a silver-grey sea like a siren call to
adventure. After centuries of being passed between owners, most islands have stabilized
into tight-knit communities of crofters. While Muck
is still privately owned, Eigg
was
bought out by its islanders in 1997, ending more than 150 years of property
speculation, while other islands have been bequeathed to national agencies: Rùm, by
far the largest and most-visited of the group, passed to the Nature Conservancy
Council (now Scottish Natural Heritage) in 1957; and Canna has been in the hands of
the National Trust for Scotland since 1981.
Many people come on a day-trip from Mallaig, yet the Small Isles deserve longer.
hey are an opportunity to experience some off-grid island life while walking,
birdwatching or simply admiring seascapes. Accommodation requires
forward planning
and public transport on the islands is non-existent. But regular ferries mean you're not
as cut off as the atmosphere suggests. Better still, services link all islands for a happy
week of island-hopping.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
THE SMALL ISLES
By ferry
CalMac (
T
01687 462403,
W
calmac.co.uk)
sails from Mallaig (late March to mid-Oct daily, otherwise
Mon-Sat), although doesn't sail to all islands each day.
Long day-trips are possible on Sat. Sheerwater (
T
01687
450224,
p.444) to Eigg plus Rùm or Muck from late April to late
Sept. The ride doubles as a wildlife cruise, so while
enjoyable is more expensive than travelling with CalMac.
Be aware that boats are frequently cancelled by bad
weather, so check forecasts.
W
arisaig.co.uk) sails daily from Arisaig (see
Rùm
After almost a century as the “Forbidden Isle” - the exclusive sporting estate of
self-made Lancastrian industrialists the Bulloughs -
Rùm
has opened up. Indeed, since
it passed to Scottish Natural Heritage in 1957, visitors are positively encouraged. Many
come to hike the eight-mile
Rum Cuillin Ridge Walk
, tracking a crown of peaks that are
modest by Skye's standards - the summit of Askival is only 812m - but every bit as
impressive in looks. And in recent years, crofting land has been released as Scottish
Natural Heritage (SNH) tries to encourage a community. Most of the island's forty
inhabitants live around
KINLOCH
on the east coast, and many are employed by SNH,
which runs the island as a National Nature Reserve. Of its wildlife, the island is most
famous for its
Manx Shearwaters
,
which nest in burrows of high peaks. You can learn
more about the flora and fauna in an unmanned
visitor centre
halfway between the
wharf and castle.
he best beach is
KILMORY
in the north of the island, a flattish walk on tracks
through Kinloch then Kilmory glens (10 miles, 5hr return from Kinloch). Bear in
mind that Rùm is the wettest of the Small Isles, and is infamous for
midges
(see p.41) -
come prepared.
