Scottish anchorages

I have always found Rum rather dark and gloomy, maybe because it just is dark and gloomy. Perhaps it is summed up by the sad state of the Rhouma launch which used to ferry passengers from the Mallaig ferry before the roll on roll off pier was constructed (at amazing expense per inhabitant I should imagine). The anchorage in Loch Scresort is too open, the new pier is a blot on the landscape, the row to the shore too far, the midges on land vicious, it rains a lot, and none of the 40 or so population are indigenous – they are all, or almost all, employees of Scottish Natural Heritage (previously the Nature Conservancy Council) who have owned and managed the island as a nature reserve since 1957 (which is fine if you are into nature, sea eagles and all of that). The island is neither pretty nor charming, it is rather severe and daunting. And somewhere lurking in Loch Scresort (the only proper anchorage) is a very large chassis which we once found with our anchor, another minus point. Furthermore, the island catches all the cloud and rain on the prevailing wind, unlike Canna from where Rum is so often enveloped in cloud, and the local population were horribly exploited by the lairds which you can read all about in 'Bare Feet and Tackety Boots' by Archie Cameron (Luath Press, 1988).

Rum features highly in a wonderfully dated - and rather dull - deering do novel by the well known mountaineering writer W H Murray (Five Frontiers, J M Dent and Sons, 1959); this is not a patch on that other deering do sailing novel, the Riddle of the Sands.

I have not surprsingly been done over for my negative view of Rum by one of the long term residents on the island. So do go there and judge for yourself, indeed go there for the big, really big attraction -  read on......