The Journey
Getting to Rum was an adventure in itself!
I flew out from New York on the evening of Monday August 4th and arrived in Edinburgh at 8:30am Tuesday (it’s five hours ahead). I grabbed an Airlink bus into the city center then got a DayUse hotel; my train wasn’t until 5:15pm so I decided having someplace to set down my bags and freshen up would be a good idea. Plus, it allowed me to get a nap in as I adjusted to the time difference.
I’ll visit Edinburgh more fully on my way back so I didn’t prioritize exploring too much, though I did see a few sights close to my hotel while I searched for Smidge, the anti-midge bug spray (I was unsuccessful - eek!). Then it was time to hop on my train. I switched in Glasgow after an hour, then settled in for the full five hours to the coast. It was a gorgeous ride, winding along stunning lochs and breathtaking mountains; see photos below.
I got into Mallaig (Mal-leauge) quite late though, and after a short walk in a very Scottish mist I was grateful to collapse into bed at my BnB (The Moorings Guest House).
The next morning (Wednesday the 6th, for those keeping track) it was time to actually get to Rum! Storm Floris had just torn through the area a few days earlier, so lots of travelers were still stranded and excited that the ferry was finally running again. I was very lucky that I didn’t have any disruptions! The crossing wasn’t terrible, but the sea hadn’t really calmed down from the storm yet, so it was pretty choppy. After about an hour, the peaks of the Rum Cullin started to show up on the horizon; it was pretty wild to see the island I’d been reading so much about rise up out of the mist.
Once the ferry docked, I made my way to the Ivy Cottage BnB, where I’d be spending my first three nights. All of the (forty-person) population is located in the town of Kinloch which circles Loch Scresort and there’s only one road, so it was easy to find.
Map of Kinloch Village
I was eager to get out into the island (and frankly, after three days travelling, to stretch my legs a bit) so I went back out immediately and tackled a few paths close to town. The first one was the Nature Trail, a short loop that goes along the north side of Kinloch Glen. It gave me my first views into the gorgeous interior of Rum (everything outside of the village is a Nature Scot Reserve).
Energized by the views, I headed over to the otter hide trail, which is just behind where the ferry dropped me off. It’s a short path that goes by some very old settlements and ends in a little hut where you can peer out and unobtrusively watch wildlife.
(More soon!)
