Southern Skye & the Small Isles

Sound of Sleat

Across from the deep sea lochs of Hourn & Nevis, on Skye's Sleat peninsula, lies the pretty village of Iseornsay. It is home to the Eilean Iarmain hotel and pub, a whisky & gin shop where you can taste locally distilled gins and blended whiskies, a lovely Scottish clothes & accessories store called Floraidh Skye and a small art gallery. The latter features changing artists through the summer, often very local artists and there are usually pictures, prints and postcards for sale.

Nearby, the Isleornsay lighthouse was once one of Gavin Maxwell's homes; he wrote Ring of Bright Water about his life with otter Midge and it was made into a film – which was filmed locally. The cottage in which he lived with the otters was sited across the Sound of Sleat near the Sandaig islands. The original cottage is no longer there, but there is still a ruin close to the beach.

South of Ornsay at Teangue, is a new Skye distillery called Torabhaig. Like Raasay Distillery they have been recently launched their first legal whisky.  Well worth a visit.

Continuing down the Skye side of the Sound of Sleat brings us to Armadale. This is where the ferry from Mallaig drops foot and car passengers onto Skye. There are a number of craft shops and eating places close to the ferry dock, but just along the road is Armadale Castle, Museum of the Isles and gardens and home to Clan Donald. This is a must see if that's your clan!

visitsleat.com

isleofskye.com

armadalecastle.com

Soay, Lochs Slapin & Scavaig

Heading west around the Point of Sleat brings us first to Loch Slapin, which is generally by-passed on the way to the dramatic Loch Scavaig. However, Slapin can provide a sheltered anchorage and access to walks in the Cuillins. In 2021 we explored Loch Eishort, which leads off Loch Slapin, for the first time and found a delightful anchorage near a waterfall with views back to the Cuillins.

Loch Scavaig has quite a fearsome reputation as it is not the best place to be in a strong winds. It has very steep sides which can barrel the wind down into the relatively small loch and cause problems for boats at anchor. However, in the right conditions it is a truly awesome place to be and we experienced that last season when we spent a night there, seal watching in the evening and in the morning.... a very long otter spot! From Scavaig you can walk to Loch Coruisk which is very popular with the day boats who land at Elgol. At some way from Coruisk, above Loch Brittle ( inland Loch) are the famous Fairy Pools – which are now in danger of being 'over- visited'.

Just to the west of the entrance to Loch Scavaig is the tiny island of Soay. It was also once owned by Gavin Maxwell after the Second World War and he ran a shark hunting operation from there – also writing a book about the time “ Harpoon - at a Venture”. Thankfully, that is long gone but some of the ruined buildings on Soay date from that time. It is possible to visit the island by tender, which is privately owned and still inhabited.

The Small Isles

To the south of Skye lie the wonderful Small Isles. A fabulous place to cruise and offering great wildlife spotting opportunities on the cruise between islands. There are five islands including the lighthouse at Hyskeir – which is more properly known as a skerry and is uninhabited.

Rhum

Rhum is the largest of the Small Isles with its main anchorage in Loch Scresort on its eastern coast.

Ashore is Kinloch Castle which is a late Victorian mansion. It was built as a private residence for Sir George Bullough, a textile tycoon from Lancashire whose father bought Rhum as his summer residence and shooting estate. Currently the castle is closed awaiting a buyer who might restore it to its former splendour.There are also walks on a number of paths around the island. There is a small general store and a couple of craft 'huts' along one of the walks.

Rhum is particulalrly attractive to colonies of Manx Sherwater who like to have 'raft parties' there in the autumn. Kittiwakes can also be seen and we have spotted eagles while at anchor there.

isleofrum.com

Eigg

Next in size is Eigg which is often our first stop in a Small Isles cruise. We usually anchor on the south coast in – South Bay! A short walk ashore will take you along a lovely wooded path to Massacre and Cathedral Caves. The latter so named because of its lofty roof and the former because of a skirmish between the Macdonalds, who owned the island, and the Mcleods of Skye. A rather grisly tale. There is a cafe and small craft shop at the small harbour where we take the tender in. Eigg makes a great lunch stop for us before heading south to Muck or west to Rum and Canna. With a longer stop you may be able to make the hour plus walk to the famous 'singing sands' at Cleadale Beach on the northwest of the island.

isleofeigg.org

Muck

This island is owned by the McEwen family and there are about forty residents at the moment. There are various sites of ancient historical interest and Muck is the smallest of the Small Isles- apart from Hyskeir lighthouse island. The island has no mains electricity but is powered by a community run wind/photovolatic power scheme with a back-up diesel generator to supply electricity.

It is a lovely island with white sandy beaches and there is a nice walk between Gallanch Bay on the north coast, where we usually anchor, over to the main settlement of Port Mor, where ferries come in. At Port Mor is a small Craft Shop which sells local pottery and various other delights.

isleofmuck.com

Canna

Canna is the westernmost of the Small Isles archipelago. The island is in the care of the National Trust, Scotland. It was left to them by folklorist and scholar John Lorne Campbell. Canna House houses his collection of Gaelic materials.It is linked to the neighbouring island of Sanday by a road and sandbanks at low tide. The island is approximately 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. It is really rather a gorgeous place with some easy walking and lots to explore quite close to where we mainly anchor in Canna Harbour.

It boasts Canna Cafe, a post office and community shop. Of interest are the three churches which are dotted around the harbour – the Presbyterian 'Rhu Church' , or more affectionately 'Rocket Church'; St Columba's Chapel originally built after 1770 and the main place of catholic worship until 1897 and finally, the imposing building of St Edward's Chapel stand on nearby Sanday. It was built in 1890, it was funded by the Marchioness of Bute providing a landmark and a place of worship for the many fishermen visiting Canna at this time. 

Wildlife spotting opportunities abound here with seals and plenty of seabirds – Kittiwakes, Razorbills, Guillemots, Shags, Fulmars and quite possibly Puffins which may be seen on the southern cliffs of Sanday.

theisleofcanna.com

Hyskeir

Hyskeir (Oigh Sgeir) Lighthouse is situated on rocks approximately 5 miles south west of Canna and 8 miles west of the island of Rhum. It was established in 1904 to light the southern end of the Minch and to warn shipping off Mills Rocks, Canna Island and the rock on which the lighthouse is built.

We can only visit Hyskeir in particularly calm weather, but when it is possible it is a great spot to get to. Lots of seals, birds, fishing opportunities and even some wild swimming for those so inclined. Just wandering over the island and imagining what it must have been like to been a lighthouse keeper there in rougher weather is a memorable experience.

nlb.org.uk/lighthouses/hyskeir/