Out in the West – Isle of Rum, Armadale on Skye & Inverie on Knoydart

What a change to yesterday’s torrential downpours. The sun rose over Ardnamurchan, the most westerly point of the British mainland and shone on us all day long, except for a brief interval in the afternoon.

A pod of bottlenose dolphins bow-rode the ship with the warm light of the rising sun behind them. Soon the movement of the ship abated as we neared the Isle of Rum.

Even on usually misty Rum, the sun shone onto Kinloch Castle. This eccentric castle was built as a holiday home by the Bullough family at the turn of the century (19th/20th). They had made a fortune in the Lancashire weaving industry and spent a good sum on this palatial house. Nowadays it’s in dire need of some funding, as Scottish Natural Heritage who own the island doesn’t deal with buildings. We enjoyed the amazing rooms, with their paintings, stuffed animals and all the stories told by the guide, Amy.

After some more exploration of the island, we sailed during lunch to Armadale on the Isle of Skye. The ruin of Armadale castle dates back to the 18th and 19th century – but that is not the main draw here. The gardens are wonderful, with many herbaceous plants, shrubs and beautiful tall trees, to name just a few: spruces, beeches and monkeypuzzle trees. The museum of the isles is one of the best museums ever, dealing with all aspects of the history of the Highlands and Islands.

In the late afternoon we travelled across to Loch Nevis, enjoying a beautiful evening sail up this secluded sea loch. Sunshine and a few dramatic shadows on the hillsides created a very beautiful atmosphere, with informative entertainment provided by our expedition team, David Barnes, Ian Bullock, Jim Russell and Konia Tack.

During dinner we arrived at Inverie, where the Old Forge Inn beckoned – a call many of us couldn’t resist – the remotest pub on the British mainland! The only way to get to Inverie on the Knoydart Peninsula is to walk there – a distance of 16 miles or to sail here on the Lord of the Glens. I am glad we chose this option!

This was a stunning day – sunshine along the way to some very remote places here in the beautiful west of Scotland.