Out of the blue - Bay of Laig to Galmisdale

We woke to a sparkling morning, the view of Rum from our camp at Bay of Laig was very fine.  Mike and I had landed the previous evening at just about high water and so didn't have far to move the boats.  Over breakfast we watched the morning high water come and go - handily it wasn't far to move the boats back into the water.

Where the evening view of Rum was a silhouette backed by the sunset, the morning view is flooded with light, showing the features of the island.  We picked out each of the grand, Norse-named hills - from left to right are Sgurr na Gillean, Ainshival, Trollaval, Askival, the highest of Rum's Cuillin, and Hallival.  We were able to clearly pick out Glen Dibidil, enclosed by rugged ridges and at the left of the view the cliffs of Sron na h-Iolaire.

Sat around our fire  the previous evening we'd discussed various options for the rest of our trip.  We had another two nights available before both of us had commitments, and this helped us in deciding that a circumnavigation of Rum would be too long a route.  Even if we took the ferry from Kinloch to Mallaig we'd still have a further day's paddling back to our cars at Glenuig.  We also considered an out-and-back to Harris Bay on Rum's west coast but to both of us this seemed like making the crossing simply for the sake of it.  I've yet to paddle the west coast of Rum, but it'll wait until the time is right.

Some trips require detailed planning due to tidal constraints or weather conditions - but on this one we could be much more flexible.  We'd deliberately set out with no fixed itinerary other than a crossing to Eigg.  If the weather forecast changed dramatically we could simply use the ferry back to Mallaig and work back to Glenuig, otherwise we'd go with what seemed best at the time.  The settled conditions in the early morning looked good for a crossing to Muck, so that was what we decided on.

Heading out from Laig opened up the view to the north where the Black Cuillin of Skye floated above a sea mist.  We picked out individual peaks, re-living great days and hard battles on that amazing ridge.

From Bay of Laig there are no tenable landing places for 12 kilometres along the west and south coasts of Eigg; cliffs fall to jumbled boulder shores or straight into the sea.  Conditions were absolutely perfect to get close in and exploring this dramatic section of the island.

Buttresses, caves and crags are the predominant scenery here and we were treated to great views.  The warm sunshine, clear visibility and flat sea was quite a contrast to my previous journey along this part of Eigg, when Douglas and I were entranced by shifting mist and tantalising glimpses of great walls of rock on a winter journey in the Small Isles.

The low outline of Muck became visible as we headed around the coast, conditions were still good and we were looking forward to crossing with  a bit of sail assistance from a north easterly breeze which had started up.  Taking a bearing to keep us on track, we agreed the target as Gallanach Bay and hoisted our sails to begin the crossing.

We were soon spanking along as the breeze freshened a little, our boats surging forward under sail.  The breeze continued to freshen though, a smooth acceleration in wind speed up through Force 2 to 3, then to 4.  Mike and I made sure we were in close formation whilst enjoying this exhilarating ride down wind and sea, spray bursting from the bows of our boats - there are no photographs from this period as both hands were definitely needed on the paddle!

As the wind had reached Force 4 I'd been doing some thinking about the conditions.  A north easterly wind would quickly build a swell running onto Muck, and I knew from previous experience that Muck has reefs all around which amplify any swell.  Furthermore, a north easterly would be blowing directly from Eigg and would make returning from Muck a real slog.  We hadn't been able to get a forecast either from the Maritime Safety Information broadcasts on VHF or from Radio Scotland as there was no reception at Laig Bay - so we were working on a forecast from almost 36 hours previously.

Gradually, my internal alarm bells started ringing.  I've developed a healthy respect for winds from an easterly component which blow from clear blue sky in high pressure conditions - they have led to some of my toughest battles on the water.  The wind, now touching Force 5, was continuing to strengthen and both Mike and I dropped our sails as the power going through them was terrific with our boats laden with camping gear.  At that moment the VHF forecast was announced and we listened to it with full attention.  Winds of Force 5 or 6 from the northeast, then east were forecast - which settled the matter.  We turned about and battled back towards Eigg.  We had got just about half way to Muck and could already see the line of surf right along its coastline - a landing would have been quite sporting and getting off difficult if the wind continued as forecast.  It was a mighty struggle to get back to Eigg's south coast, the wind was pouring off the island as a steady, insistent force.

Eventually we won back close under the shore and in the wind shadow of the An Sgurr ridge - it was like a different world with just a light breeze.  Out to sea, the glittering surface was full of whitecaps - we felt we'd made the right decision.

Above us, the great ridge of An Sgurr was picked out in sharp detail by the morning sun, a dramatic sight....and we began to form an alternative plan for the day.........

......which first called for us to head for Galmisdale, Eigg's main settlement (but don't expect a busy town!).  Pulling our boats up on the sand opposite the pier, we got by a friendly reception from a dog who clearly felt that sea kayakers arrived here simply for him to play with.  Having carried the boats well up the sand, we noticed that we weren't the only paddlers in town.

Two boats sat at the top of the beach, meaning two paddlers with almost certainly  the same intention we had.....

Mike and I strolled over to the Galmisdale Cafe where we ordered lunch - and we can report that the home-made burgers with salad and hand cut chips are simply superb!  Over lunch, we finalised our revised plan for the day which would involve very little sea kayaking, but quite a lot of walking.

Cracking the north of Eigg

Mike and I set out from Kildonnan in late afternoon heat and headed north.  The coast from Kildonnan to the north tip of Eigg is rugged and dominated by a line of cliffs falling steeply to the sea - there are almost no viable landing places and those which do exist require flat calm conditions.

We were glad of the shade provided by the cliffs as the heat was terrific - not usually that much of a consideration in Scotland!Sheep were grazing right along the talus slope below the cliffs and we were regularly entertained by the antics of small lambs dashing about playing "hide and seek" and "king of the castle" with each other, their bleats echoing off the steep rocks.

Rubha nan Tri Chlach (point of the three stones) provided perhaps the only reasonable landing opportunity on this coast, but we decided to push on towards our intended camp for the night.  The map at the link clearly shows the vertical flanks of the pitchstone ridge forming the spine of Eigg, from An Sgurr in the south to Dunan Thalasgair in the north, giving the island its distinctive profile and character.

As the north tip is approached there's a subtle change and the steep rock falls straight into the sea.  Near Sgorr Sgaileach (appropriately, peak of shadows) the skeleton of a boat has been wedged into a cave entrance by the power of the sea.  This is possibly a section of the Puffer "Jennie" which sank after hitting rocks here in 1954 - or maybe part of the "Lythe" which sank whilst trying to retrieve "Jennie's" cargo.  The heavy plates and riveted construction would certainly be right for the way in which puffers were constructed.

Rounding the point we came back out into the evening sunshine which lit the basalt columns of Eilean Thuilm beautifully.  Suddenly, from having paddled a couple of hours in close proximity to the cliffs, the view sprang to widescreen and we were treated to........

.......the rugged outline of Rum and its Norse-named peaks silhouetted in the eye of a brilliant sun. Great "reveals" like this are one of the joys of paddling amongst island groups - a real thrill.  The good visibility across the Sound of Rum was quite a contrast to when Douglas and I last crossed this stretch of water. 

Mike and I were now pretty tired, we'd paddled a fair distance in warm conditions to crack the north of Eigg.  Fortunately, from Sgorr nan Sgaileach it wasn't too far to where we hoped to camp for the night and we still had hours of daylight on a long Hebridean summer evening.

Time well spent - an evening on the Sound of Arisaig

My camp on the Sound of Arisaig was on a stretch of short grass above a curving white sand beach; it's a great spot.  I was in sunshine for most of the evening and also in a breeze which kept away any midges - always a consideration in summer.

Having met with the team undertaking their Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition I had time to spare and so after dinner climbed up above the bay to get a wider view.

From the top of a grassy hill behind the bay there's a great view across the Sound of Arisaig to Moidart and Ardnamurchan. The island in the foreground has a raised beach from when the land was much lower at the end of the last Ice Age and built onto the raised beach are the remains of a stone fort, one of several in the Arisaig area.  The shape of one of the walls can still be made out, but little else remains.  The name of the site is Eilean a'Ghaill (island of the foreigner (or stranger)) and it's possible that this indicates occupation by fort dwellers from outwith the area.

The plants prominent in the foreground are Bog Cotton (Eriophorum angustifolium), a member of the Sedge family and also known as Cottongrass and Hare's Tails.  It's a common plant of damp, peaty soils and is pollinated by the wind, an ideal method on the west coast of Scotland!  Once pollinated, the bristles of the "cotton" grow longer and really do resemble cotton wool.  The seeds are eaten by a number of heathland birds and the "cotton" heads were once used as candle wicks, for stuffing bedding and for wound dressings.

Back down near the shore, with the island of Eigg as a backdrop there was a colourful display of Thrift (Armeria maritima) contrasting with the bright yellow and pale grey of lichens.......

Thrift (also called Sea Pink) is one of my favourite plants; if Primroses herald the Spring, then Thrift is the flower I most associate with early Summer.  It seems to prefer the most hostile of environments and grows on salt-lashed shorelines and mountain tops equally well.

A closer look again at the boulders near the beach revealed the variety of lichens which covered them.  The brown and green areas here are Map Lichens (Rhizocarpon geographicum) which thrives in cold climates with exposed rocks and only in areas of low air pollution.  The lichens grow incredibly slowly and each lichen has a line of black spores on its perimeter; when lichens grow adjacent to each other the appearance of a map is created.

Biologists have used the known growth rates of map lichens to estimate the age of glacial deposits - the growth rates of each lichen were calculated by measuring examples on gravestones to get the diameter of plants of a known age, then compared to growths on glacial moraine rocks. In a more dynamic experiment, Map Lichens which were exposed to space in an open capsule for ten days were found to have suffered no ill effects when they were returned to earth - an incredibly tough plant.

Whilst I'd been wandering around looking at rocks and small plants the time had moved on, and when I climbed back to the hill behind the beach......

...a blazing sunset was lighting the clouds above Eigg.

I sat with a coffee and watched as the sun set and a delicate purple afterglow washed the sky, etching the Cuillin hills of Rum in sharp silhouette - it was another west coast sunset in which to participate rather than merely spectate.

I'd spent several hours within a hundred metres or so of my tent, just wandering around slowly and absorbing the place in which I was camped - it felt time very well spent.

An misty crossing from Rum to Eigg

 It was mid morning by the time we were preparing to get back on the water after our brief look at Kinloch Castle.  We also chatted briefly to Sandy, who with his wife Fliss runs a small craft shop.  Sandy is also a master furniture maker, designing and constructing beautiful pieces from wood sourced on the island.  When we mentioned the Eigg B & B we'd be staying in he was able to tell us that he'd made the beds we'd be sleeping in - another nice coincidence!

The morning was very misty and calm as we paddled out of Loch Scresort and turned south down the coast of Rum.  Our timing was good - the ebb tide would be running our way and would give some assistance, though we'd need to take account of it during our crossing to Eigg later.

Near the mouth of Loch Scresort are some of the remains of a settlement at Port-na-Caranean; Rum was subject to Clearances as many parts of the Highlands and Islands were.  The population of the island in 1795 was recorded as 443 people; in 1800 the island was leased to one Lachlan MacLean of Coll who wanted to use the land to graze sheep.  By 1826 the population had been reduced to 50 people by forced clearance and the majority of these were removed by 1828.  MacLean diverted a couple of families of MacLeans who were themselves being cleared from Skye to act as shepherds.  The ruins here are the remains of the houses they built on the shore.

Initially these just looked like another "rickle o' stanes", but a closer look showed us that the site had been chosen with care.  Two sills of rock reached out from the shore and the beach between had been cleared of stones to make a boat "noust".  It's probable that this work predated the MacLean shepherds by hundreds, if not thousands of years and shows that sites were frequently re-used.  Heavy seas have moved stones back into the noust, but the site is clearly visible still.

The price of mutton fell dramatically in 1839 and MacLean sold the island to the Marquis of Salisbury in 1850, who reduced sheep numbers and vastly increased the numbers of deer in order to convert the island to a shooting estate.  Port-na-Caranean was abandoned in the same year, some of the people moved to Kinloch and others left the island altogether.  The population has ebbed and flowed since then with the fortunes of the sporting estate.  There was dramatic change after World War I, and under SNH ownership together with the Isle of Rum Community Trust the current population is a little less than 40.  The future seems good for the island and its people though - we mostly found folk optimistic about opportunities and the way forward for the community.

The east coast of Rum south of Loch Scresort has only a couple of landing opportunities.  We planned to land at the first of these, a small beach at Bagh na-h Uamh (bay of the caves) to have lunch prior to making the crossing to Eigg.

The sand on this beach was a warm buff colour from the underlying Torridonian sandstones.  Whilst we ate lunch, the mist came down further and we could no longer see the outline of Eigg across the 8 kilometre wide Sound of Rum.  We carefully watched two vessels of the Koninklikje Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy) which were moving south down the Sound at slow speed - we didn't wish to get in their way!

As the ships passed us we set out on the crossing, using a combination of compass bearings, GPS waypoints and observation to keep ourselves on track.  The beaches we were aiming for are the only landing places on the west side of Eigg - we wanted to make sure we arrived at the right spot.

As we crossed the Sound of Rum, the coast of Eigg slowly emerged from the mist.  It was very atmospheric and very quiet on the water, the only sounds really were our paddle strokes and conversation.  Once again we reflected on how fortunate we were to be able to make this journey.

Behind us, the island of Rum disappeared into the mist.  We'd had two fantastic days paddling some of the coast and exploring a little of the island - and we know that we'll return soon.

Up to the north, the tip of Eigg was catching some sunlight through a hole on the banks of mist.

Whilst ahead of us the line of surf showed that we were right on track to land at the beautiful silver sands of Camas Sgiotaig.  We had arrived on Eigg!

Opulence, wealth, eccentricity and scandal - the amazing Kinloch Castle

 Douglas and I managed to contact Rachel, the manager of the Kinloch Castle Hostel, who we'd met by chance on the slipway the previous day.  Rachel showed us to our room and also the adjacent bathroom, featuring a bath which was over 2 metres long and nearly a metre deep!  It was to be the first of a series of superlatives at Kinloch.

Before dinner we wandered across to the community shop (which doubles as an unofficial gathering place) to buy a couple of items - specifically some sports recovery drinks.  These came in handy sized  containers and were Guiness flavoured :o)

We cooked our dinner in the self-catering kitchen and over our meal met up with Gordon, a contractor carrying out infrastructure works on the island.  The conversation flowed along with a couple of drinks; we were joined by Rachel and her assistant Abby later on and spent a really pleasant evening hearing some of the history of Kinloch and much about the more contemporary affairs of the Small Isles.

There was another fortuitous meeting too.  We'd asked about accommodation options on the next island we planned to visit, Eigg.  Alastair, one of the folks working with Gordon is a resident of Eigg and was happy to recommend a B & B.  We also enquired about eating options for an evening meal and were told that the proprietor of the B & B, Sue, did evening meals.  We were informed that Sue was an excellent cook and that we'd be well looked after.  Douglas asked if Alastair ate there often... to which he replied "Well, you could say that, Sue's my wife!".  So, our lodgings for the following night arranged, we retired for the evening having been offered a quick tour of the castle in the morning.

After a fine Hostel breakfast, Abby showed us some of the truly astonishing Kinloch Castle.  Started in 1897 and completed in 1900, it is a monument to opulence in every way, but in many ways was also at the cutting edge of the technology of the day.

 

Nothing is "ordinary" about Kinloch Castle.  At today's prices, the building would have cost £15 million to construct and decorate - and that's before the hundreds of art and collectible items are added in!

It's just as well that Sir George Bullough was an extremely wealthy man.  His grandfather had made a fortune in the spinning business in Lancashire, the family fortune was greatly expanded by his father; and essentially, Sir George spent it.  George's father bought Rum and built a shooting lodge on the island, but George wanted something altogether grander.

The main hall is decorated with stags heads, stuffed game fish in cases line the halls and there are innumerable objets d'art.  The building is made of red Arran sandstone - not the best choice as Kinloch is sheltered from drying winds, has a moist microclimate and sandstone is very porous.  Right from the outset there were problems with damp in the building which continue to the present day.  Sir George imported Lancashire stonemasons to build the castle, paid them extra to wear kilts then paid extra again for the workmen to buy tobacco in order to deter the midges!  This was the typical Bullough solution to everything - just throw more money at a problem until it went away.

This rather tatty lion was shot by Sir George on an African safari.  He owned a 221 foot steam yacht, "Rhouma" on which he sailed around the world.  There is a portrait in the castle of his wife, Lady Monica Bullough, sitting naked on this very lion pelt.  George married Monica, a society beauty of French extraction in 1903.  She was a divorcee and Sir George was named in the divorce proceedings.  Theirs seems to have been a marriage of convenience in many ways; each had their own lives and (it is widely rumoured) lovers to stay at Kinloch - which was only ever used for a few weeks each year.

At the end of the Hall, one of the more jaw-dropping items is this bronze incense burner in the shape of a monkey-eating eagle.  It seems that Sir George outbid his friend, the Emperor of Japan, for this item......

The Dining Room has the finest panelling in the castle; both panelling and dining table came from the "Rhouma" and were fitted into this room precisely.  The chairs (also from the yacht) have swivelling bases to allow the ladies to sit and stand more easily.

The Billiards Room was one space where cutting edge technology was employed.  It had the first air conditioning in Scotland to remove tobacco smoke - the castle as a whole was the first private residence in Scotland to have an electricity supply; and this was generated by a hydro-electic scheme.

The castle also had one of the very first telephones in Great Britain, linked to the mainland by a specially laid submarine cable.

At the far end of the Hall is a musical device known as an "Orchestrion".  The Orchestrion at Kinloch is probably the best preserved example in existence and CD's of music can be purchased.

As part of the marriage "deal", Lady Monica essentially got half of Kinloch Castle to do with as she wished.  The result is an almost schizophrenic arrangement where one half of the building is resplendent in bold red and heavy wood panelling, while the other half is much lighter and has original silk wall coverings.  Lady Monica was canny enough to opt for the sunny side of the building and the difference in the auality of light is remarkable.

She also had the only en-suite bathroom adjoining her bedroom.  This is no ordinary shower, there are water jets absolutely everywhere!  It still works (the whole castle is still operating the original water heating and central heating arrangements) and we were assured that a shower here is an unforgettable experience!

Parts of the outside of the castle were glass colonnades containing tropical plants, hummingbirds and (amongst other exotic species), alligators in heated tanks.  After one of the glass panes broke the unfortunate hummingbirds died of cold - Lady Monica had them stuffed and placed in a glass case.  One of the Alligators also met an untimely end when it escaped and wreaked havoc among the guests.  Sir George promptly shot it.

Perhaps the most intriguing space in the castle is the Ballroom.  It has a sprung floor, silk wall hangings decorated to match the stars embellished on the ceilings and lighting designed to give an impression of being out in the open under the stars.

Colourful and salacious stories abound concerning the goings-on in the Ballroom; reputedly there was somewhat more than dancing indulged in by the Bulloughs and their wealthy guests.....  The windows are certainly arranged in such a way that the ballroom is not overlooked from any other part of the castle, and there is a unique serving hatch arrangement which prevented the Butler from seeing into the room!

Sir George died in 1939 whilst playing golf in France, Lady Monica lived until 1967.  She stayed in the castle on and off but in 1957 sold it to the Nature Conservancy Council along with the rest of the island.  Rum (or Rhum as the Bulloughs tried to have it renamed) was strictly off limits whilst they owned it.  The NCC (which later became Scottish Natural Heritage) initially sought to maintain the discouragement of visitors but the stance gradually chaged and altered completely with the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act in February 2003.  Rum is still a nature reserve, there are studies of Red Deer population dynamics underway and the island has also been the focal point for the reintroduction of Sea Eagles to Scotland - which is probably the very best legacy possible.

Responsible access is now encouraged and the castle can be visited in summer - we were extremely grateful to both Rachel and Abby for their hospitality and for giving us a glimpse into the crazy, opulent world of the Bulloughs.  If you get chance to travel to Rum, do visit this amazing place.

Return to a Rum retreat

I took no photographs at all on our crossing of the Sound of Canna from the west end of Sanday, around the south of Sandy and across the open water to the north tip of Rum.  Douglas took one image just as we left Sanday and it shows the swells beginning to build up - and this was some 3.5km from the main tidal race.

As soon as we left the shelter of the bay we'd camped in we were exposed to an Atlantic swell and a good deal of clapotis generated by the swell crashing onto the south coast of Sanday.  We moved out into more open water and kept close together, if we got separated it would have been easy for us to lose sight of each other.

Initially the wind blown chop was the dominant sea condition, but fairly soon we moved into the main tidal race which was pushing  eastward.  Though in its final third this was still quite strong, and was maginfying the big swells coming in from the open ocean.  these swells were being further compressed as they were funnelled into the Sound and we were very aware of their increasing size.

Several times we backed off the crests of these swells as they threatened to become rollers - but they rarely actually broke.  After about an hour of these conditions, which could fairly described as "having our full attention" we passed out of the narrower part of the Sound of Canna and the swell and tidal movement gradually subsided, allowing us to use the now much more manageable swells to push us towards the tip of Rum.

Exposure to the weather is a feature of the Small Isles, any trip here is at the mercy of the conditions.  We'd hoped to have paddled right around Canna and to have journeyed down the west coast of Rum; neither of those would have been prudent (or enjoyable) in the heavy swell and gusty wind.  Here, the flexibility of our plans served us well.


Turning the cornerat the north tip of Rum was to enter another world......

Entirely sheltered from both wind and swell, the east coast of Rum was glassy calm.  The mist and low cloud hid the view of Skye completely.

We landed back at the beautiful bay of Samhan Insir for first luncheon and a small measure of Golden Steadying Liquid.  Although today wasn't a sunny day like the previous day when the breathtaking colours of this beach were fairly zinging.....

There was still plenty to admire....

In the intricate patterns of water on the sand.

Suitably fed and watered, we mad our way down the coast to Loch Scresort.  Here too it was glassy calm; we could clearly hear voices over a couple of kilometres of water.  We shuddered to think what the midges would have been like on a still, overcast evening like this had it been summer!

Our accommodation for the night would be somewhat different from the tents of the previous night!