Scottish anchorages

The south anchorage on Muck is the easy one, even easier now it is buoyed making the old leading line involving the plantation on the skyline redundant, and so it is even more crowded. The 2000 roll on roll off ferry pier is rather large and lumpish, so the anchorage is not as pretty as it once was – and there can be swell. Nonetheless, it still retains its charm, as does the whole island. Just up from the pier is a delightful small craft shop and tea room crammed with interesting bits and pieces, and serving home made scones, buns and so on – come to think of it, these things could hardly not be home made here. And they do evening meals, by arrangement (ph 01687 462 990). And there are two more craft shops nearby, presumably reflecting the number of tourists who can come across from Arisaig on the Shearwater for a day trip. Just up the hill you can buy eggs, crab and lobster when available. Do walk across the island, the views of Rum and Eigg are excellent.

The Port Mor House Hotel next to the south anchorage looks rather nice. I have not been there but they do dinner for non residents by arrangement (ph 01687 462 365). Just above here you will find a burial ground, and it is a surprise to find a war grave there, and further up an abandoned village - A'chille.

The whole island is extremely pleasant and well organised - and farmed, probably because it has been in the hands of the MacEwan family since 1896 and so spared the chaos of the fast changing ownership of Eigg at the end of the last century, and the degradation of Rum by the Edwardian nouveau riche from Northern England. Nowadays Muck has a population of about 40 (at its height in the early 19th Century it was in the 300s, before the people were 'cleared' in 1828).