ankle support and a Vibram sole. On Coll, Tiree and Muck, you may find that good quality Vibram-soled walking ‘trainers’ are sufficient. It is difficult to keep your feet dry at the best of times when walking on the islands, so Gore-Tex-lined or well-waxed boots are essential.
Gaiters are indispensable on terrain that can be very boggy in places. Telescopic walking poles are very useful, especially when carrying a heavy pack on multi-day walks. A warm hat and gloves should find a place in your rucksack, even in summer. Sun cream, a sun hat and sunglasses should also be carried from spring through to autumn. Always carry plenty of food, including high-energy snacks, and plenty of water. With the exceptions of Tiree and Muck, there are frequent opportunities to fill up from the islands’ many burns. The water is generally safe to drink; however, take water-purifying tablets if you are worried about contamination.
A basic medical kit and a survival bag should always be carried and a mobile phone is useful in case of misadventure. A head torch is invaluable if you are benighted and can help to attract attention in an emergency; carrying a whistle is useful for the same purpose. From late spring until late autumn it is worth carrying some serious insect repellent (some swear by Avon ‘Skin So Soft’) and a midge/mosquito hat – or net to place over a hat – are useful lines of defence against Culicoides impunctatus. The O'Tom tick removing fork is the best tool for this delicate job. Lightweight binoculars are worth their weight for admiring the islands’ splendid wildlife.
Using this guide
The routes are grouped by island into six sections, each preceded by an overview map. Each section has an introduction covering the local geology, history, wildlife, transport and amenities, including information on the local access situation and estate contacts.
Route descriptions
Each route in this guide is described step by step and is illustrated with extracts from the 1:50,000 OS maps. For each one the route distance, rough timing and the OS map you will need to carry with you are listed, alongside the grid reference for your start point. Altitudes are given in metres, abbreviated to m, for example ‘750m'. Distances along the ground are given in metres, fully spelled out, for example ‘100 metres'.
In the appendices at the end of the book are a route summary table, details of accommodation island by island, and suggestions for further reading.
RUM
Rùm
Heading east to Glen Shellesder with Bloodstone Hill towering above Glen Guirdil to the west (Walk 3, Day 3)
Introduction
On the Dibidil pony path, with Sgurr nan Gillean dominating the horizon (Walk 3, Day 1)
Rum is by far the largest of the Small Isles, and at some 100 square kilometres and 14km (8½ miles) north to south by 13.5km (8½ miles) east to west is the 15th largest of the Scottish islands. It is the wettest and arguably the most mountainous island of its size in Britain. Its striking profile of jagged basalt and gabbro mountain peaks testifies to its volcanic origins. Rum’s highest peaks, Askival (812m) and Ainshval (781m), are Corbetts – those Scottish mountains between 2500 and 3000 feet (762m and 914m) with a relative height of at least 500ft (152m): Rum is the smallest Scottish island to have a summit over 762m (2500ft).
Kinloch, the island’s only settlement, is at the head of Loch Scresort, the main anchorage, some 27km west of Mallaig and the Morar peninsula on the mainland. Rum is 11km (7 miles) south of Skye at its nearest point and 23km (14 miles) north-west of the Ardnamurchan peninsula. Rum has a tiny population – around 30 – and when the village of Kinloch is left behind a true sense of remoteness is soon found amid the island’s wild, dramatic and sometimes challenging landscape. The only other habitations, besides the bothies at Dibidil and Guirdil, are the red deer research base at Kilmory Bay and the Scottish National Heritage (SNH) lodge at Harris.
Rum ponies at Harris (Walk 3, Day 2 and Walk 7)
The distinctive volcanic chain of hills comprising the Rum Cuillin is the obvious and immediate draw for outdoor enthusiasts, whether for hill walking, scrambling or rock climbing. A round of the Rum Cuillin makes for a challenging day in the hills and usually features somewhere on the ‘to-do’ list of Scottish mountain aficianados.
But for the adventurous walker there is much more to Rum than the Cuillin. This guidebook includes detailed route descriptions for five major walks – including a three-day walk around the coast and circular routes around the remote western hills – and several shorter routes.
Land Rover tracks cross the island from Kinloch to Kilmory and Harris, and there are several long-established footpaths, including the well worn track up the Allt Slugan to the Coire Dubh – gateway to the Rum Cuillin – and the pony path around the coast from Kinloch to Dibidil bothy and Papadil. Other areas lack distinct paths, necessitating detailed route descriptions and mapping – all the more so as Rum is exceptionally prone to cloud cover, with associated implications for navigation. Walking conditions on Rum are often wet and rough: it is essential that walkers are properly prepared and equipped.
Staying on Rum
Rum’s community is undergoing a period of change with the phased transfer of assets from Scottish Natural Heritage to the Isle of Rum Community Trust. The Trust now owns around 35 hectares of land and 11 residential properties in and around Kinloch, and is tasked with managing community land and assets for the community and the visiting public, alongside promoting sustainable rural regeneration.
As a result the accommodation situation is in a period of flux, and it is worth checking the Isle of Rum website well in advance of a visit to see what is available: www.isleofrum.com. Accommodation provision at the time of writing can be found in Appendix B.
Geology
Looking from Askival to Trollaval (right) and Ainshval (left), with Ruinsival beyond (Walk 1) (photo: Peter Khambatta)
The Rum Cuillin forms the impressive skyline of jagged peaks dominating the south of the island. The northern peaks of the range are principally formed of peridotite basalt and gabbro, similar in construction to the Black Cuillin of Skye. The southern peaks are Torridonian sandstone capped with quartz-felsite and Lewisian gneiss, and the rounded granite hills of Ard Nev, Orval, Sròn an t-Saighdeir, Fionchra and the lava-capped summit of Bloodstone Hill are in the island’s west.
Rum is the core of a volcano that developed on a pre-existing structure of Torridonian sandstone and shales resting on Lewisian Gneiss. Volcanic activity 65 million years ago formed a dome over a kilometre high and several kilometres across. Pressure from below caused fractures to form around the dome, which collapsed, forming a caldera. The caldera floor was gradually covered by rocks and debris, consisting largely of Torridonian sandstone and Lewisian gneiss, which was compressed, forming rocks known as breccias, found in Coire Dubh. The vestiges of the dome are evident on the slopes of the Rum Cuillin, where the Torridonian rocks incline steeply away from the adjacent igneous rocks.
