Tiree, the Maze
Overview map
Tiree, Ceann a’ Mhara
Tiree, Ringing Stone
Tiree, Traigh Bhi from Carnan Mor
Tiree
The most westerly of the Inner Hebrides, Tiree is renowned for its long hours of sunshine in the spring and early summer. The fertile soils here have helped Tiree retain a healthy population of around 650 people, many of them living in whitewashed cottages with tall, hipped roofs – a distinctive Tiree style known as a Blacktop. The island’s Gaelic name Tir fo Thuinn means ‘the Land Beneath the Waves’, a reference to its flatness; this gives the wind free rein, and Tiree has become a centre for windsurfing.
Tiree is served by CalMac vehicle ferries from Oban which also call at the Isle of Coll en route; the ferries can be heavily booked in the summer season. There are also flights from Glasgow on Loganair, and twice a week from Oban (and Coll) operated by Hebridean Air Services. The island has shops and all types of accommodation including a hostel and campsite.
Find your way to the Maze 
Tiree is justly famed for its beaches of finest white sand, which extend around a substantial part of its coastline. All are splendid, but if we had to choose just one it would be Traigh Thodhrasdail on the west coast – commonly known to windsurfers as ‘the Maze’. On a fine summer’s day it is heaven, while when the westerly wind gets up, the breaking waves can be truly spectacular. There’s parking near Greenhill, from which it’s a kilometre or so to walk along the shore.
Climb Carnan Mor
Tiree has a reputation for being flat, and it’s true that most of the island is level and low-lying. However, there are three prominent hills rising from its western coastline, each of which provides a bird’s-eye view over these fertile grassy fields fringed by beaches and sea. At 141 metres and topped by a radar station, Carnan Mor is the highest; it can be easily reached along a tarmac lane up the western flank, or cross-country from Hynish.
Sound the Ringing Stone 
This massive boulder on Tiree’s northern shore is balanced on top of smaller rocks and makes a metallic sound when struck gently by another rock – but take care not to cause damage. The surface of the rock has many cup markings thought to have been made by the Beaker people who lived here around 4,500 years ago. It is not related to local geology and was probably deposited here from the Isle of Rum by a glacier during the Iron Age, though local legend says it was thrown by a giant on Mull. The stone can be reached by following a track from near Gott across to the north coast, then following the coastline eastwards, or from Vaul by following the coast west from Dun Mor broch.
Experience the wilds of Ceann a’ Mhara
The far western headland of Ceann a’ Mhara is this gentle island’s most rugged corner. There’s a parking area at Meningie, and the superb beach of Traigh Bhi at Balephuil Bay provides a perfect approach to the peninsula. Aim for the scant ruins of St Patrick’s Chapel then keep above the increasingly dramatic coastline to ascend by a fence line to the summit of Beinn Ceann a’ Mhara – with superb views over the beaches on either side as well as out to Skerryvore lighthouse.
Uncover the story of Skerryvore
Scotland’s tallest and most spectacular lighthouse, and often claimed to be the most graceful in the world, Skerryvore marks a treacherous reef in a very remote position some seventeen kilometres south-west of Tiree’s shores. The slender forty-eight-metre-tall tower is well seen from the island’s hills and western coast on a fine day. The remarkable story of how the tower was built can be discovered at the Skerryvore Museum, housed in the complex of buildings at Hynish that served as the lighthouse’s land station. Here are the lighthouse keepers’ cottages for when they were off shift, a signal station for communication with the lighthouse, and a picturesque harbour. Tiree Sea Tours run trips out on a RIB for a closer look at this iconic tower.
Munch a lobster baguette 
Seafood doesn’t get any fresher than straight off Frazer MacInnes’ boat at Scarinish harbour. As well as supplying oysters, langoustines and scallops – and local meats – Frazer has a trailer where you can buy a lobster or crab baguette to munch with your cup of tea as you sit by the bay – does life get much better than that?
Get into surf culture at Tiree Wave Classic 
For a week every October, Tiree plays host to the world’s longest-running professional windsurfing event. Spectators can experience the very best of wave culture, with social events through the week; you can also try out surfing, windsurfing and paddleboarding for yourself.
www.tireewaveclassic.co.uk
Tiree Music Festival
Founded by a musician from renowned Tiree-based band Skerryvore, Tiree’s annual music festival has grown to become one of Scotland’s best-known smaller festivals. The TMF is usually held each July and run by the local community. Numbers are limited to a maximum of 2,000 for a very special event with some of the best bands from across the Gàidhealtachd, Scotland and beyond.
www.tireemusicfestival.co.uk
Tiree Agricultural Show
An altogether more placid event, the agricultural show is one of the few in the Hebrides and is held in July. It’s a real chance to get a peep into local island culture, with prizes for best cattle, sheep, poultry, tractors and even pets. There are demonstrations to watch, stalls to browse and the day’s events draw to a close with the tossing of the sheaf! It’s all rounded off with the obligatory evening ceilidh.
Coll
A casual glance at a map suggests that Coll may be a twin to its neighbour Tiree, but while it’s a similar size, Coll is an island of a quite different character. Although it’s low-lying, the landscape here feels far more wild and rugged, with fewer roads and less than half the population. The white shell sands which surround the island are stunning.
Coll is served by the same CalMac vehicle ferry from Oban that continues on to Tiree; the ferries can be very busy and get booked up in the summer season. There are also flights which operate twice a week from Oban, also landing at Tiree. Coll has a general store as well as the T.E.S.Co shop (The Ethical Sales Company), a cafe, hotel, bed and breakfast, bunkhouse, campsite and cottages to rent; all facilities are at Arinagour.
Coll, Hogh Bay
Tiree, boats at Loch Bhasapoll
Tiree, Hynish signal station
Coll, Breachda Castles with distant Mull
Coll, hotel
Coll, Ben Hogh
Coll, Sorisdale
Coll, corncrake Photo: David Main
Coll, the road to the north-west
See the Breachacha castles
These two spectacular castles were once the seats of the Macleans of Coll. The older of the two is a fifteenth-century tower house set right on the island’s shores; it was replaced by the impressive Georgian pile built further inland in the 1750s. Both of the castles are now private residences with no public access, so do respect the owners’ privacy and keep out of their garden grounds.
Traigh Feall and Chrossapol 
These two wonderful beaches are the largest on Coll, lying on either side of the narrowest part of the island. Feall Bay to the north and Crossapol Bay to the south make for a grand thirteen-kilometre circular walk, especially if combined with an exploration of the Calgary Point peninsula beyond. It’s also worth ascending little Ben Feall nearby for an aerial view over this beautiful landscape.
Reach far Sorisdale
The long, narrow strip of road that runs to the northern end of Coll is ideal for cycling. It terminates just short of the former crofting and fishing community of Sorisdale. While a few houses here have been restored, most of the buildings are abandoned, their old thatched roofs collapsing. This is an atmospheric place to ponder on the past challenges and future of island life. Just beyond – as goes without saying on Coll – is a fine sandy beach, while faint paths northwards lead to the massive dunes that back Traigh Tuath.
Hear the call of the corncrake 
Corncrakes were once a common bird through much of Britain, but the decline of uncut meadows has seen the population collapse. Today it hangs on, predominantly on only a few remote islands, and the RSPB reserve at Totronald is one of the few remaining strongholds. The birds are very seldom seen as they hide amongst the long grasses, irises and nettles, but listen during the summer months for their unmistakable rasping call, which sounds like the teeth of a wooden comb being stroked. There’s also – you guessed it – a wonderful beach on the reserve, Traigh Hogh.
Visit the Queen’s Stone on Ben Hogh
Ben Hogh is the only hill on Coll to top 100 metres in height, though the impression that gives of a flat island is belied by the reality of the landscape, which has many rocky mountains in miniature. Ben Hogh itself is well worth climbing, revealing superb views across the whole island. Near the summit is the Queen’s Stone, a dramatic erratic boulder deposit by an Ice Age glacier atop three much smaller stones. The easiest ascent is from Clabhach, starting on a grassy track but rough and pathless towards the top.
Find your own secret cove on the north-west coast
While Coll has some magnificent wide sweeps of beach, probably its greatest sandy delights are found in the many tiny coves of perfect sand cradled amongst the rocks all along its north-western coastline. For several kilometres either side of the Iron Age fort of Dun Morbhaidh you can explore and find your own slice of perfection.
Be a greedy gannet
Coll has only one hotel, but it has a great reputation, having been run by the same family since the 1960s. The bar here is the heart of the local community, while the Gannet restaurant overlooking the harbour is renowned for its superb freshly caught seafood. Everything is made on site, right down to the burger rolls and spaghetti. www.collhotel.com
Gaze at the Milky Way
The first island to be awarded Dark Sky status, and one of only a few official sites in Scotland, care has been taken to reduce light pollution from the few settlements on Coll. Observing the skies here on a clear night is a humbling experience – particularly in winter. The Milky Way can be seen in all its glory with around 6,000 stars visible to the naked eye on a good night.
Look for basking sharks
The second-largest fish in the world, basking sharks can grow to twelve metres in length and weigh up to nineteen tonnes. Present throughout the Hebrides, the seas off Coll are regarded as a particular hotspot in summer. Basking sharks feed on plankton, their huge mouths able to filter vast quantities of water as they swim just below the surface with their often floppy dorsal fin and tail visible above. You might be lucky enough to see one from the shore or the ferry; boat operator Basking Shark Scotland offers one-day tours from Coll (advance booking needed) that can even give the chance to swim with these great beasts of the ocean.
www.baskingsharkscotland.co.uk
Eigg, the Finger of God
Eigg, Cathedral Cave
Coll, Basking shark Photo: Shane Wasik, Basking Shark Scotland
Eigg, the Sgùrr from Galmisdal
Eigg
Even by Hebridean standards, Eigg is a special island. The most populated – though not the largest – of the magical Small Isles, it has a striking appearance, dominated by the improbable rock peak of An Sgùrr. The whole island is packed with interest and history, running right up to modern times when the islanders themselves finally took on ownership after years living under absentee landlords. Eigg’s community has a green ethos and has developed its own renewable energy. Eigg has its main shop and cafe near the ferry pier at Galmisdale, and there is a variety of accommodation here, including self-catering cottages, a bunkhouse, a bed and breakfast, private bothies to rent, wooden wigwams and yurts.
Eigg is served by CalMac’s Small Isles ferry from Mallaig on a complex timetable that takes in a different combination of islands in a different order each day; only residents are allowed to bring vehicles over. During the summer months there is also a regular passenger service on the M.V. Sheerwater from Arisaig.
Climb the Sgùrr
A first glimpse of An Sgùrr can make you doubt the evidence of your own eyes. This massive block of pitchstone lava was the result of one of the final eruptions of a volcano whose core now forms the nearby island of Rum. The lava filled a glen and solidified, and the surrounding rock later eroded away to leave this inverted landscape. It looks impregnable, but a rough unmarked hill path from Galmisdale forks off from the Grulin track and heads round the northern side before climbing up to a bealach west of the summit. From here the highest point can be reached with a short rocky scramble; the views are unforgettable.
Explore the Massacre and Cathedral caves
These two fascinating caves on the southern coast of Eigg are reached by a track and then a rough path – partly waymarked in purple – from Galmisdale. From where the path reaches the coast, the Cathedral Cave can be reached by heading along the shore to the west but only if the tide is out. The massive entrance and roomy interior are said to have been used for Catholic services after the 1745 rebellion. Along the shore to the east is the much smaller entrance of the Uamh Fhraing (Cave of Frances) – better known as the Massacre Cave. This can be carefully explored if you have a torch; after a narrow passage it soon broadens to a roomy interior around seventy metres long. The story of the cave is a grim one; 395 islanders – Macdonalds – were killed here during a clan feud when the Macleods from Skye lit a fire to suffocate those hiding inside. Later the Macdonalds carried out a revenge massacre of the Macleods at Trumpan Church on Skye.
Watch the sunset from Laig Bay
Laig Bay is Eigg’s largest beach, almost a kilometre of sand facing west towards the mountains of Rum, and the mix of sand colours here often form beautiful patterns. A visit at sunset can be an experience to remember as an orange sky silhouettes the jagged mountains across the sea, often reflected on the wet surface of the sand. The bay is a short walk from Cleadale in the northern part of Eigg; it can also be reached by a longer trip from Galmisdale, or by bike – cycle hire is available near the pier.
See the Finger of God
The rocky escarpment of Sgorr an Fharaidh in northern Eigg is little known and visited, but for the discerning visitor it provides a memorable hillwalk and a great alternative to the more popular An Sgùrr. A tiny unmarked path heads up from just south of the road fork in Cleadale; this peters out before the plateau is reached, but once atop the escarpment a grand walk heads northwards along the clifftops before descending from Dunan Thalasgair in the north. Along the way is a rock pinnacle known as ‘the Finger of God’, which provides a dramatic foreground to a view over the bays to Rum.
Make the Singing Sands sing
Camas Sgiotaig beach at the north end of Cleadale has an outlook that rivals that from Laig Bay. In dry weather the grains of quartzite sand make a rasping or singing sound as you scuff your feet on them, or even when blasted by the wind. The bay can be reached by either of a couple of paths from each of the road ends in Cleadale; the two routes make for a good circuit but as usual a map is required.
Discover the Kildonan beaches
If you don’t have time to reach the beaches on the northern half of Eigg, Kildonan near Galmisdale offers an alternative. The bays east of the old pier are attractive and give good views of the Sgùrr, but it’s worth following the path above Poll nam Partan to meet the track to Kildonan Farm before heading south towards the point for the finest beach in southern Eigg. While in the area make sure you head to the ruins of Kildonan Kirk just north-west of the farm to see the remains of a very fine carved Celtic cross.
Dine at Eigg’s cafe
The cafe/restaurant at Galmisdale Bay – in the same building as the shop – is yet another great reason to visit the island. It serves home-made burgers and as good a bowl of local Arisaig mussels as you’ll find anywhere, accompanied by hand-cut chips. If you score one of the tables on the terrace then the view out over the sea isn’t too shabby either.
www.galmisdale-bay.com
Dance at the Anniversary Ceilidh
Eigg was owned by a string of private landowners over many years, and in 1995 was sold to an eccentric German artist known as Maruma. By 1996 it was on the market once again and many of the islanders had had enough; after a national campaign and much fundraising, the islanders themselves secured ownership the following year. Now every June, Eigg celebrates its Independence Day in the community hall with a cracking community ceilidh – a raucous live music event that draws plenty of visitors too.
Rum
The largest of the Small Isles, Rum is magnificently wild and rugged, dominated by the jagged mountains of its Cuillin ridge. For a long time it was known as ‘the forbidden isle’, as visitors to the island were discouraged by its private owners, and even after it was sold to the Nature Conservancy Council in 1957 (now Scottish Natural Heritage) it was used as a nature reserve for scientific study. Only in recent years has the area around Kinloch become owned by its local community trust and visiting the island become much easier.
The island is served by CalMac’s Small Isles ferry from Mallaig on a complex timetable that takes in a different combination of islands in a different order each day; often the ferry calls at Rum, sails on to Canna and then returns to Rum on the way back to Mallaig, enabling very short day visits for those who don’t want to stay over. Only residents are allowed to bring vehicles on the ferry. During the summer months there is also a passenger service on the M.V. Sheerwater from Arisaig. The island has a hostel, a bed and breakfast, camping pods and a campsite at Kinloch (pack midge repellent). There are also a couple of remote bothies.
Eigg, Rum from the Singing Sands
Eigg, Kildonan beach
Eigg, summit of the Sgùrr
Eigg, Kildonan Cross
Visit Kinloch Castle
This massive sandstone edifice was built as a holiday home and shooting lodge by the island’s then owners, the Bulloughs – industrialists from Accrington in Lancashire – between 1897 and 1900, and it looks strikingly incongruous in such a place. Today the castle is in a state of decay, but an association has been set up to attempt to safeguard and restore it for the future. It can be visited on a guided tour that usually operates between the times that the ferry calls. The interior is simply astonishing: a bizarre time-capsule of Edwardian opulence and excess, including an automated barrel organ known as an orchestrion and showers that shoot jets of water in all directions.
Watch for otters
A much more recent and fitting construction on the island is the otter hide overlooking Kinloch Bay. Reached by heading up the track from the ferry jetty and then taking a signed path on the left, a lovely ten-minute walk soon leads into woods past some old ruins to reach the hide. Otters are elusive creatures and tend to put in an appearance when least expected – sometimes they can be seen playing around the ferry as it turns in the bay, but they are shy and the hide at least gives you a chance to watch for them undetected. A much rougher walk continues on an often indistinct and boggy path parallel to the coast to reach the atmospheric deserted settlement of Port na Caranean, abandoned when the residents were moved to Kinloch.
Rum, Kinloch Castle
Rum, otter hide
Rum, cycling back to Kinloch
Hike to the Harris mausoleum
If Kinloch Castle didn’t convince you of the size of the Bulloughs’ egos, this remarkable building on the wild west coast of the island certainly will. Constructed around 1900 in the form of an enormous Doric temple, it replaced an earlier structure decorated with mosaics that was demolished after someone remarked that it resembled the lavatories at Waterloo station. It has a stunning position above Harris Bay and is linked to Kinloch by eleven kilometres of Land Rover track through the heart of Rum, making for either a very long out-and-back walk, or a ride on a mountain bike (hire is available).
See the deer at Kilmory Bay
Rum is not commonly associated with sandy beaches, but the magnificent sands on the north coast at Kilmory are the exception; they have superb views out to the Cuillin of Skye. The beach is roughly a nine-kilometre hike or bike along a good track from Kinloch, perfect for a bike ride if you don’t mind the initial climb. The area behind the beach has been the subject of a continuous study of red deer since 1972, one of the longest running surveys of wild animals in the world. The rut here was featured on BBC TV’s Autumnwatch series, and you are very likely to see these magnificent creatures as you head to the beach.
Stay in an island bothy
Volunteers from the Mountain Bothies Association maintain around a hundred simple shelters – mostly in old cottages – around Scotland, which offer something like camping but with a roof. They are free to stay in for anyone who follows the bothy code – taking all your litter away and behaving responsibly. Two of the eight bothies situated on islands are on Rum – Dibidil on the rugged southern coastline below the Cuillin, and Guirdil in the remote north-west. Both require challenging hikes to reach, but for those who are properly prepared and equipped they offer an island bothy experience to remember.
Rum, the deserted village of Port na Caranean
Rum, Harris mausoleum
Experience the Rum Cuillin
The dark volcanic peaks of the Rum Cuillin dominate the island. Steep, rocky, rugged and challenging, the range is a smaller version of its most famous namesake on the nearby Isle of Skye and offers unmatched views of mountain and sea. The complete traverse – from Kinloch, over all the peaks and descending to Dibidil bothy – is an epic expedition with tricky terrain and a good deal of scrambling, and is one of the great challenges for UK hill baggers. For the average hillwalker an ascent of Hallival is a dramatic objective from Kinloch in its own right, with only minimal scrambling.
Hear or see the shearwaters
Amazingly, a third of the world’s population of Manx shearwaters nest on the Rum Cuillin every summer. You may hear their eerie call from underground on the ridge of Hallival; Norse settlers thought it was the noise of trolls, hence the name of one of the other summits on the ridge, Trollaval. Witnessing 100,000 pairs of birds returning to their burrows to feed their chicks at night is an incredible experience – but remember that these mountains are a challenging enough place even during the daytime, so it’s not one open to everyone.
Canna
Canna’s position – remote and hidden away behind Rum in views from the mainland coast – has led to it being far less well known than its neighbours. Make no mistake though, this is a beautiful island, with emerald-green pastures, pockets of woodland, wild moors and dramatic cliffs. Canna is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
Like its Small Isles neighbours, Canna is served by CalMac ferries from Mallaig on a complex timetable that takes in a different combination of islands in a different order each day. The island has a guest house, a small bunkhouse and a campsite including camping pods. There’s also a cafe and a small community shop.
See Coroghan Castle
This crumbling ruin is situated atop a dramatic coastal outcrop high above a lovely beach, making it Canna’s most picturesque sight. The small rectangular tower is thought to date from the seventeenth century, and according to local tradition it was used as a prison, once employed by Donald Macdonald of Clanranald to confine his wife Marion. It was described by the early traveller Thomas Pennant in 1772 as ‘A lofty slender rock, that juts into the sea: on one side is a little tower, at a vast height above us, accessible by a narrow and horrible path: it seems so small as scarce to be able to contain half a dozen people’. Today it is in a dangerous state and is far better appreciated from the sands below.
Get deflected to Compass Hill
North from the foot of Coroghan Castle’s crag rises Compass Hill – so named as the magnetic rock of the hill is said to affect the compass needles on passing ships. The ascent of Compass Hill is best made by heading up the landward side of a fence from near Coroghan and passing through a gate. The coastal cliffs become increasingly impressive towards the top of the hill; for a tough and pathless but superb all-day excursion you can make a traverse from here right around Canna’s northern coastline.
Discover Gaelic heritage at Canna House
Canna’s grandest house was the home of the renowned Gaelic scholar Dr John Lorne Campbell and his wife Margaret Fay Shaw. They dedicated their lives to recording the traditions, folklore and heritage of Hebridean culture, and bequeathed both the house and the whole island to the National Trust for Scotland. The house still contains the remarkable archive they amassed. It’s currently closed to the public, but the gardens – entered via a tunnel of escallonia – are worth the visit.
Canna, view to Rum from souterrains
Rum, on Hallival, looking to Askival
Canna, coast near Compass Hill
Canna, cafe
Sanday, Am Mialagan beach
Go underground at the souterrains
There’s a wealth of more ancient remains to be found around the island, including an early Christian cross and a prominent standing stone amongst the bluebells, both situated fairly near the shop and cafe. A much longer walk is needed to visit the souterrains – reached by following the main track as far as Tarbet Bay until a marker indicates the start of a faint, boggy path heading north. These underground passages date from prehistoric times and are thought to have been used to store food. With care you can lower yourself into the entrance to feel how much cooler they are inside; the large stones lining the sides and roof of the passageway can still be seen.
Eat truly local at Cafe Canna
This tiny whitewashed cafe has an enviable location on the sheltered southern shoreline looking across to neighbouring Sanday. Don’t be deceived by its modest appearance, the menu here includes truly local food such as Canna rabbit stew, lobster landed here on the island, Arisaig moules frites and haddock in Skye Ale batter; bookings are highly recommended for evening meals. www.cafecanna.co.uk
Sanday
Connected to Canna at low tide by mudflats and sand – and at high tide by a bridge – Sanday provides shelter to the pier that serves the two islands. There’s a string of buildings along the north shore facing its larger neighbour with which it really forms a single community. The impressive deconsecrated St Edward’s Church once operated as a hostel and Gaelic study centre but is now locked, and there’s a self-catering cottage for rent but no other facilities for visitors to the island.
Take time out at Am Mialagan beach
The finest beach on either of these two islands is situated on Sanday, just around a corner west of the bridge that links them. The perfect white shell sands look back north across to Canna; they are little known to the wider world and see very few visitors, offering perfect peace and solitude.
Peek at the puffins on the stack of Dun Mor
The great blocky sea stack of Dun Mor stands detached from the dramatic cliffs of Sanday’s south-eastern corner and presents the island’s finest scenic feature. It’s a fair yomp over some pathless moorland to see the stack, which is worth it for the rock scenery alone. However, in early summer there’s another compelling reason to make the effort, as the stack is the home to a large colony of puffins, filling the air above it when seen from the nearby clifftop. Great skuas are well aware of the puffins too and these airborne pirates can often be seen harrying the puffins as they bring in their beakfuls of sand eels.
Muck
The smallest of the Small Isles, Muck appears from a distance to be relatively low-lying and lacking in the distinctive features that make its neighbours so enticing. Appearances are deceptive, however, as Muck is a wee gem. Most of the island consists of a single farm at Gallanach, while many of the small population of thirty-eight live in and around Port Mor where the ferry calls.
Muck is served by by CalMac’s Small Isles ferry service from Mallaig on four or five days each week, based on a complex timetable that takes in a different combination of islands in a different order each day. There’s a surprising amount of accommodation available, with a fine modern country lodge, several self-catering cottages, a bed and breakfast, a bunkhouse and a yurt. There’s also a craft shop and cafe.
Cross Muck to Gallanach Bay
The only road on the island runs from the ferry jetty at Port Mor in the south to Gallanach on the north coast, where the fine sands look north towards Rum. If you aren’t wanting just to sit on the beach, you can walk further, passing the farm buildings and heading on to the Aird nan Uan peninsula, which gives rougher walking. Near the end is a ring of stones – the remains of a Bronze Age cairn and more recent graves. Beyond it is Eilean Aird nan Uan, or Lamb Island. Not really an island at all, it can be reached by a wee scramble except at the highest tide. Further out is Eilean nan Each – Horse Island – which is linked to Muck by seaweed-covered rocks only briefly at the lowest spring tides.
Climb Beinn Airein
The trig point marking the summit of Beinn Airein may be only 138 metres above the sea, but its dramatic position and 360-degree panorama make the ascent well worth the effort. Begin the climb from Gallanach, passing to the right of the farm buildings and then turning left through a small gate, following tractor tracks uphill initially; there’s no path up the hill but there are gates as you make the climb.
Indulge yourself at the Muck tea room
It may look like a simple stone bothy, but Muck’s tea room is an unmissable port of call on any visit to the island. Just about everything is home-made, including all the cakes, soup and bread, but perhaps best of all are the huge set-menu evening meals, which must be booked in advance. It’s a craft shop too, specialising in hand-knitted clothing and homespun wool.
www.isleofmuck.com
Stay in a yurt
Though there are other islands with yurts – including neighbouring Eigg – few can match the experience of a stay in Muck’s solitary yurt. Set on the west coast, the sunsets from here – looking out to the mountains of Rum – are simply unforgettable. The yurt houses a stove and has both a double bed and additional camp beds, and a gas hob and grill, though you’ll have to pop outside to use the composting loo.
Eilean Shona
Shona guards the entrance to Loch Moidart. between the Moidart and Ardnamurchan peninsulas of the mainland. Its eastern half is richly wooded, while to the west it rises to rugged, bare hills and a height of 265 metres at Beinn a’ Bhaillidh. The eastern part of the island is accessible at low tide via a tidal causeway and track from the A861 road, but its main house and cottages are usually reached via a boat to a pier that looks out to Castle Tioram in Moidart. There is no regular boat service for visitors, but most of the cottages and the house itself are available for short-term holiday rentals – guests are picked up on a RIB.
Muck, Gallanach Bay and Eigg
Muck, yurt
Muck, tea room
Muck, graves at Aird nan Uan