Skye and the Small Isles - The Rough Guide to Scottish Highlands and Islands - page 287

Muck
Barely two miles long, tiny Muck is the smallest and most southerly of the Small Isles.
Low-lying and almost treeless, it is extremely fertile, so has more in common with Coll
and Tiree (see p.88) than its neighbours. Its name derives from muc , the Gaelic for
“pig” (or possibly muc mara , “sea pig” or porpoise, which are plentiful) and has long
caused embarrassment to lairds - they preferred to call it the “Isle of Monk” because it
briefly belonged to the medieval church.
PORT MÓR is the hub of all activity, where visitors arrive and the thirty or so residents
live - a tenth of the 320 of the early 1800s. A mile-long road connects Port Mór with
the island's main farm, Gallanach , which overlooks rocky skerries on the north side.
The nicest sandy beach is Camas na Cairidh, to the east of Gallanach. For a stiffer
challenge, Beinn Airein (2hr return), in the southwest corner of the island, is worth
climbing, despite being only 450ft above sea level, for a 360-degree panorama of
surrounding islands from its summit.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMAT ION

5

MUCK

By ferry Summer timetables are: Canna-Muck (Sat
1 daily; 1hr 35min); Eigg-Muck (Tues, Thurs & Sat 1 daily;
35min); Mallaig-Muck (Tues & Thurs-Sun 1 daily; 1hr
40min-4hr 20min); Rùm-Muck (Sat 1 daily; 2hr 45min).

Tourist information The Craft Shop (see below) doubles
as an information point. See also W isleofmuck.com, a
useful website.

ACCOMMODAT ION AND EATING
To wild camp on the island, check in at the Craft Shop to find out about any areas currently off-limits.

The Craft Shop Port Mór T 01687 462990. The only
shop on the island prepares daily soups and sandwiches
made from fresh home-baked bread, plus afternoon teas
and dinners of tasty Scottish home-cooking prepared on
request. April, May & Sept hours vary; June-Aug daily
11am-4pm.
Gallanach Lodge Gallanach Bay T 01687 462365,
E [e-mail]. A purpose-built luxury lodge
opened in 2013 that takes full advantage of a superb
position above the beach to provide fantastic views to Rùm.
The style is island boutique - rustic, handmad e bed s in
rooms with hotel-style mod cons. Full board only. £170

Isle of Muck Bunkhouse Port Mór T 01687 462042.
Just six beds in three rooms and not a bunk in sight in the
island's simple wee bothy, sited near the port. Life revolves
around the Raeburn stove in the simple living room a nd th e
kitchen. Hardly luxurious but full of character. Dorms £12
Port Mór House Port Mór T 01687 460089,
E [e-mail]. The MacEwen family, who
have owned the island since 1896, now let their nine-
bedroom house as a self-catering property, but provide
B&B in its pine-clad rooms plus dinner for guests (or £18
to non-guests) when the house is not booked exclusively
for a week. Phone for rates.

Canna
Measuring a mere five miles by one, Canna is managed as a bird sanctuary by the
National Trust for Scotland (NTS). There are no roads, just open moorland stretched
over a basalt ridge, and few people now the population has dwindled to eight. While
Canna doesn't receive many visitors by ferry, plenty come by yacht for the best harbour
in the Small Isles, a sheltered bay off Canna's main hamlet, A'Chill . Notwithstanding
walks (see below), you come to Canna for birdlife; this has been a sanctuary since 1938
and 157 species have been recorded, including golden and white-tailed eagles, and
Manx shearwaters, razorbills and puffins on cliffs at the western end.
Although less obviously scenic than other Small Isles, the flat(ish) terrain makes for
enjoyable walks . You can circuit the entire island on a long day (10hr; 12 miles), or
from the dock it's about a mile across a grassy plateau to the cliffs on the north shore
and Compass Hill, named because its high iron content distorts compasses. A mile
west is Carn a'Ghaill, Canna's summit at a heady 688ft.