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Highlights
New for 2021, this fantastic sailing and hiking holiday is the perfect way to explore the stunning Small Isles! These wonderfully varied Inner Hebridean islands are rightly famous for their beautiful landscapes, dramatic light and abundant wildlife. This holiday samples the best of Rum, Eigg. Muck and Canna and will be an unforgettable island experience. During the week we will be based on board the comfortable MV Monadhliath, originally an off-shore fishing vessel but now lovingly converted into a specialist live-aboard wildlife watching and coastal cruising vessel. With the freedom of our own boat we will be able to explore secluded anchorages, hidden bays and spectacular coastlines that are unreachable by any other means. Note that the itinerary below is a guide - when visiting any islands you are always subject to the vagaries of the weather, and this is even more true in the case of the Small Isles. We will try to keep to the itinerary where we can, but be prepared for changes if the weather is wild! |
How long: 6 nights, 5 days walking
Grade: Moderate / Challenging (see our Grading Information page for more details on how we grade our tours) Start: Mallaig Price: £1,915 (2022); £2,010 (2023) No single supplements! |
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Itinerary
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Getting Here
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What's Included
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Grade
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Boat Information
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Note: the following is our intended itinerary for the week. HOWEVER...this trip is very weather dependent and our exact route will depend on the weather conditions, wind and sea state each day. Every evening we will look at the forecast for the following day and, if necessary, amend the programme so that we have the most enjoyable trip possible. If there are strong winds this may mean that we visit sheltered parts of the mainland coast around Knoydart and Skye (these, of course, are spectacular areas in their own right!).
DAY 1 - ARRIVAL
This holiday starts and ends at Mallaig, a small west coast village that serves as the main ferry port for the Small Isles. Mallaig can be reached by train from Edinburgh and Glasgow (via Fort William) or by bus from Inverness. Your guide will meet you outside the entrance to Mallaig train station at 2pm from where we will walk down to the harbour for a tour of the boat.
After a safety briefing the group will be provided with an update on the weather forecast for the week and the proposed itinerary. If the weather forecast is favourable, we will then set sail and anchor for the night at the island of Muck, the smallest of the Small Isles.
DAY 2 - MUCK
We will spend our first full day walking the beautiful coastline of Muck, exploring sandy beaches, fertile meadows, impressive seacliffs and caves and listening out for corncrakes. The sea views on this walk are superb!
In the evening we will set sail and anchor for the night off the east coast of Eigg.
DAY 3 - EIGG: THE SGURR
The Sgurr of Eigg gives the island its classic sloping profile, making it so recognisable in views of the Inner Hebrides. It is not high, but it does make a great walk, with tremendous views of the other Small Isles and the west Highlands.
The walk will be followed by an evening sail to Loch Scresort on the east coast of Rum.
DAY 4 - RUM: BARKEVAL
Today we will hike up Barkeval, the easiest of the Rum Cuillin mountains. Although steep the ascent is not difficult and the spectacular views from the summit are well worth the effort!
In the afternoon we will take a tour of Kinloch, wandering through its beautiful bluebell woods and visiting Kinloch Castle, a remarkable Scots Baronial castle built by a Manchester industrialist at the end of the 19th Century. The inside has been preserved in an Edwardian time warp and is a fascinating insight into the privileged lives of the nouveau riche at this time.
DAY 5 - RUM: ORVAL & THE WESTERN HILLS
The Rum Cuillin mountains may not be as famous as their Skye namesakes, but they are still reasonably well known. Far fewer people know about Rum's fine western hills.
This was my favourite walk when I lived on Rum, a delightful high-level stroll on short cropped turf, with Cuillin mountains both to the north and the south! A wonderful hike that you will remember for a long time…
In the evening we will sail round to the neighbouring island of Canna.
DAY 6 - CANNA
Canna is a beautiful little island with a fascinating history and spectacular scenery and landscape. For our final hike we will walk round much of the island’s coastline where there will be many delights waiting in store. Towering sea-cliffs, secluded meadows, leafy pockets of woodland, wild moorland, towering sea-cliffs, puffins, skuas and maybe even some basking sharks. The views along the way are unsurpassed: Rum to the east, Skye to the north and the long line of the Outer Hebrides away on the western horizon.
DAY 7 – WILDLIFE WATCHING
On our last day we will take a leisurely cruise back to Mallaig, keeping a good look out for marine wildlife along the way. We aim to arrive back in Mallaig by 3pm.
DAY 1 - ARRIVAL
This holiday starts and ends at Mallaig, a small west coast village that serves as the main ferry port for the Small Isles. Mallaig can be reached by train from Edinburgh and Glasgow (via Fort William) or by bus from Inverness. Your guide will meet you outside the entrance to Mallaig train station at 2pm from where we will walk down to the harbour for a tour of the boat.
After a safety briefing the group will be provided with an update on the weather forecast for the week and the proposed itinerary. If the weather forecast is favourable, we will then set sail and anchor for the night at the island of Muck, the smallest of the Small Isles.
DAY 2 - MUCK
We will spend our first full day walking the beautiful coastline of Muck, exploring sandy beaches, fertile meadows, impressive seacliffs and caves and listening out for corncrakes. The sea views on this walk are superb!
In the evening we will set sail and anchor for the night off the east coast of Eigg.
DAY 3 - EIGG: THE SGURR
The Sgurr of Eigg gives the island its classic sloping profile, making it so recognisable in views of the Inner Hebrides. It is not high, but it does make a great walk, with tremendous views of the other Small Isles and the west Highlands.
The walk will be followed by an evening sail to Loch Scresort on the east coast of Rum.
DAY 4 - RUM: BARKEVAL
Today we will hike up Barkeval, the easiest of the Rum Cuillin mountains. Although steep the ascent is not difficult and the spectacular views from the summit are well worth the effort!
In the afternoon we will take a tour of Kinloch, wandering through its beautiful bluebell woods and visiting Kinloch Castle, a remarkable Scots Baronial castle built by a Manchester industrialist at the end of the 19th Century. The inside has been preserved in an Edwardian time warp and is a fascinating insight into the privileged lives of the nouveau riche at this time.
DAY 5 - RUM: ORVAL & THE WESTERN HILLS
The Rum Cuillin mountains may not be as famous as their Skye namesakes, but they are still reasonably well known. Far fewer people know about Rum's fine western hills.
This was my favourite walk when I lived on Rum, a delightful high-level stroll on short cropped turf, with Cuillin mountains both to the north and the south! A wonderful hike that you will remember for a long time…
In the evening we will sail round to the neighbouring island of Canna.
DAY 6 - CANNA
Canna is a beautiful little island with a fascinating history and spectacular scenery and landscape. For our final hike we will walk round much of the island’s coastline where there will be many delights waiting in store. Towering sea-cliffs, secluded meadows, leafy pockets of woodland, wild moorland, towering sea-cliffs, puffins, skuas and maybe even some basking sharks. The views along the way are unsurpassed: Rum to the east, Skye to the north and the long line of the Outer Hebrides away on the western horizon.
DAY 7 – WILDLIFE WATCHING
On our last day we will take a leisurely cruise back to Mallaig, keeping a good look out for marine wildlife along the way. We aim to arrive back in Mallaig by 3pm.
This holiday start and finishes in Mallaig, a small village on the west coast of Scotland, some 40 miles west of Fort William.
TRAINS
Mallaig can be reached by train from Edinburgh or Glasgow via Fort William. The section from Fort William to Mallaig includes a crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which in recent years has become world famous thanks to its being on the route taken by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies!
Train tickets can be purchased through many websites, including the following:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
The cheapest tickets usually come on sale 12 weeks before departure date.
If you wish, you can travel the Fort William to Mallaig section by steam train. This leaves Fort William several times a day in summer and can be booked through the following website:
https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm
BUSES
Regular bus services run from Inverness and Fort William to Mallaig. These can be booked through:
www.citylink.co.uk
CAR
The drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Mallaig is a classic Highland car journey, taking you through the famous pass of Glencoe then the bustling town of Fort William before heading along the Road to the Isles to Arisaig and Mallaig.
Mallaig is also easily reached by car from Inverness.
Approximate journey times (not including stops and allowances for slow traffic) are as follows:
Edinburgh – Mallaig 4.25 hours
Glasgow – Mallaig 4 hours
Inverness – Mallaig 2.75 hours
TRAINS
Mallaig can be reached by train from Edinburgh or Glasgow via Fort William. The section from Fort William to Mallaig includes a crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct, which in recent years has become world famous thanks to its being on the route taken by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies!
Train tickets can be purchased through many websites, including the following:
www.scotrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
The cheapest tickets usually come on sale 12 weeks before departure date.
If you wish, you can travel the Fort William to Mallaig section by steam train. This leaves Fort William several times a day in summer and can be booked through the following website:
https://westcoastrailways.co.uk/jacobite/jacobite-steam-train-details.cfm
BUSES
Regular bus services run from Inverness and Fort William to Mallaig. These can be booked through:
www.citylink.co.uk
CAR
The drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow to Mallaig is a classic Highland car journey, taking you through the famous pass of Glencoe then the bustling town of Fort William before heading along the Road to the Isles to Arisaig and Mallaig.
Mallaig is also easily reached by car from Inverness.
Approximate journey times (not including stops and allowances for slow traffic) are as follows:
Edinburgh – Mallaig 4.25 hours
Glasgow – Mallaig 4 hours
Inverness – Mallaig 2.75 hours
The following are included in the price of the holiday:
- 6 nights' B&B accommodation on board the MV Monadhliath.
- 6 evening meals.
- Packed lunches.
- The services of an experienced guide for the duration of the trip.
- Visits to cafes or visitor attractions.
- Travel to and from Mallaig at the start / end of the trip.
- Travel insurance.
The grade for this trip is Moderate / Challenging.
This is the most demanding trip we run and you will need a reasonable level of fitness to join this tour. However, we are not talking marathon or endurance athlete levels of fitness! If you can manage the following you should be fine:
This is the most demanding trip we run and you will need a reasonable level of fitness to join this tour. However, we are not talking marathon or endurance athlete levels of fitness! If you can manage the following you should be fine:
- Able to walk between 8 - 12 miles a day over uneven, often pathless ground.
- Able to walk up moderate hills (e.g. smaller Lake District or Snowdonia peaks).
- Able to go up and down vertical ladders and steep staircases.
- Able to land on sandy or rocky shores using the boat's dinghy tender.
- Not prone to excessive sea-sickness!
Our base for the week will be the MV Monadhliath. The fine, beautifully converted fishing boat is fully certified with the Marine Coastguard Agency to carry passengers up to 60 miles offshore in complete safety, which means that it carries all the relevant safety equipment to stay safe at sea. The crew are highly experienced: Tony, the skipper is an ex-lifeboatman and harbourmaster so you could not be in safer hands!
The boat has been specially adapted for wildlife watching, with a raised outside seating area providing excellent views of the birds and marine mammals that we will encounter.
Whilst the accommodation is comfortable, space is at a premium. The boat is not a cruise ship and it is very important that you understand the type of accommodation on board. It is a similar size and standard to other touring boats in its class. The Monadhliath can sleep up to 9 guests but for this trip we will be limiting numbers to a maximum of 7 people to increase the comfort of all onboard.
All the berths are below deck and are a combination of single, double and triple - all beds are bunks, there are no double beds on the boat. Bunks are small, so you need to be comfortable with this and, if travelling alone, you will probably need to share a berth with another client of the same sex.
There are two toilets and two showers on board. There is also a comfortable mess room where we will eat meals and socialise during the cruise. All meals are provided during this holiday - we will be dining on board the boat.
The vessel benefits from having a full heating & hot water system giving central heating throughout and hot water for showers at all times. It has two toilets and two showers for guest use.
The boat has been specially adapted for wildlife watching, with a raised outside seating area providing excellent views of the birds and marine mammals that we will encounter.
Whilst the accommodation is comfortable, space is at a premium. The boat is not a cruise ship and it is very important that you understand the type of accommodation on board. It is a similar size and standard to other touring boats in its class. The Monadhliath can sleep up to 9 guests but for this trip we will be limiting numbers to a maximum of 7 people to increase the comfort of all onboard.
All the berths are below deck and are a combination of single, double and triple - all beds are bunks, there are no double beds on the boat. Bunks are small, so you need to be comfortable with this and, if travelling alone, you will probably need to share a berth with another client of the same sex.
There are two toilets and two showers on board. There is also a comfortable mess room where we will eat meals and socialise during the cruise. All meals are provided during this holiday - we will be dining on board the boat.
The vessel benefits from having a full heating & hot water system giving central heating throughout and hot water for showers at all times. It has two toilets and two showers for guest use.