The week that was
I went to the island of Rum for a work related matter this week. I've not been there before and I was pleasantly surprised by three things:
1. The cost of the Calmac ferry from Mallaig.
It was only £8.30 for a return trip. I think it is subsidised. The boat was modern, spotless and the staff friendly and helpful. The only downside is that one cannot book in advance. I was told that it could be busy, what with it being Peak Tourist at the moment, so I arrived early to ensure that I would manage to get on the boat. It In fact, it was only moderately busy. The return trip was almost full though and the slow moving traffic on my return dash back to Foyers via Fort William had me using my full vocabulary of expletives! :/
2. It is well worth a trip.
The people were friendly and helpful and there is a nice ambience at Kinloch, the place where the ferry docks and the islanders live. There's a great cafe and a well stocked shop, camping in a number of forms, lots of paths and walks, otters, eagles and archaeological interests, including the abandoned settlement of Harris, which sounded like a great place to wild camp.
Sadly, I didn't have the time to do any of that. I was working don'tchaknow...
3. There are hardly any midges.
Actually, I was very lucky in this respect. Normally, I think the midges on Rum are reputed to be among the worst. I took my full arsenal of midge protection and defence but the hot sun, stiff breeze and dry conditions kept them all away.
I was hassled by them more in my own garden at Foyers when I finally got back home :D
All told, the island is well worth a day trip or an overnight stay (or more).
Here are some pictures that I took:
The Calmac ferry docked at the modern pier at Kinloch, Rum.
I was quite busy for my four hours on the island so I didn't take many photos. Here's one taken from Kinloch, showing the nice aspect and the far-from-treeless hills.
This is the view from the boat on the return to Mallaig. The views of Skye (very close but not appearing in the picture) and the hills of Glen Shiel, Knoydart and Arisaig were amazing. This picture really doesn't do them justice.
The ferry passes by Eigg on the way home. On most other days of the week it stops at Eigg, so it is possible to get a closer look. I wanted the quickest journey so I went to Rum on a Wednesday, on which the ferry heads straight back to Mallaig from Rum instead of calling in at the other islands.
A (slightly blurry) photo of the castle at Kinloch. The ponies are a breed of Highland pony that is specific to Rum. After the clearances in the 1800s they were abandoned and left to go wild. They were subsequently used by deer stalkers. They are well tempered and hardy (the ponies not the deer stalkers).
Unrelated to Rum, here's a picture of a Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi) caterpillar I chanced upon in my garden in Foyers while weeding last weekend. I had no idea what it was until I googled it. While this is not an uncommon species, I noted that there is no record of this species occurring in Foyers according to the National Biodiversity Network 10K Atlas. I think the photo is a pretty conclusive sighting, so I ought to report it really.
On that note, I should end this long post on what has been a busy and varied week, which is just how I like it. A Friday night beer beckons for me, as I hope it does for you. Have a good one!