Rùm

Not to be confused with the alcoholic drink.

Rùm is the largest of the four Small Isles off the west coast of Scotland. (The spelling Rhum was a foible of the former owner, Sir George Bullough.) It has a permanent population of about thirty, centred around the harbour at Kinloch on the east coast.

Understand

Kinloch Castle

Rùm has been inhabited since the eighth millennium BC, but only just: it's very hilly, wet, difficult to farm, and thinly populated. Centuries of fights and feuds over its possession have been out of proportion to its value. The introduction of potatoes and barley, and a briefly lucrative kelp industry, boosted its population to 400 early in the 19th century. But the islanders were then evicted to create a sheep farm, later turned into a sporting estate, and the grandiose Kinloch Castle was built in 1900. It was hopelessly expensive to maintain — keeping alligators being just one extravagance among many — and fell into disuse. The owner Sir George Bullough (a textile magnate) died in 1939; his trustees struggled on but eventually sold up to the Nature Conservancy Council in 1957. The estate then passed to Scottish Natural Heritage when that was formed in 1992.

The Isle of Rùm Community Trust now owns the area around Kinloch Village, to give residents greater control over the development of the island and its resources. Those residents number two dozen, outnumbered 10:1 by the mountain goats, and all of Rùm beyond Kinloch is uninhabited. This area is still owned by Scottish Natural Heritage, and managed as a National Nature Reserve. It offers great landscapes and walking, and its wildlife includes red deer and white-tailed sea eagles.

There's nothing so grand as a "Visitor Centre" here, but the Reserve Office and the Isle of Rùm Community Trust (☏ +44 1687 462026) can provide information about the island, as well as outdoor activities and facilities.

Get in

First get to Mallaig by train, bus or car. You'll need an overnight stop before taking the Calmac ferry onward next morning.

The ferry sails to different Small Isles on different days. April-Oct it calls at Rùm and returns to Mallaig on M W F Sa and Su. Day trips from Mallaig to Rùm are possible on M (2 hours ashore), W & F (4 hours), and Sa (10 hours). Until end of March 2025 the return fare from Mallaig is £10.30 adult, £5.30 child.

Nov-March the ferry calls on M Tu Th and Sa. Day trips are possible on Tuesday and Thursday with 2 hours ashore.

Sightseeing trips from Arisaig frequently visit Rùm from May to September.

All routes are for foot passengers only; dogs and bikes are welcome but you can't bring a vehicle.

1 Rùm ferry pier is on the south shore of Loch Scresort, the sea inlet by the village and castle. It's just a slipway, with no waiting room, toilets or the like.

With your own boat, this loch is the only sheltered anchorage. There are no moorings available. Dinghies can be landed at the old pier and also at the ferry terminal, but not when ferries are in or expected.

Get around

Walk. It's a mile from the ferry pier to the village. Beyond up the hill are only rough tracks, stout footwear essential.

For cycling, it will need to be a mountain bike or very sturdy touring bike. Tracks lead across the island to Kilmory (5 miles) and Harris (6 miles) where the Bullough mausoleum stands.

See

• 1 Kinloch Castle. Closed. Ramshackle late Victorian mansion, the summer home of a Lancashire textile tycoon, Sir George Bullough. The construction required 300 men, at a total cost of £250,000. The building is dilapidated and unsafe, and is closed. You can admire the exterior. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Bullough Mausoleum is in NatWest-cod-Grecian style, in an impressive setting overlooking the shore 10 km from Kinloch by a hill track. It inters Sir George, his wife Monica, and his father John. This is the second version, completed in 1900; the first attempt was Doric but Sir George felt it looked like a public toilet and had it pulled down.
• Bird life: Rùm is one of the world's largest breeding colonies for Manx Shearwater, with 100,000 pairs nesting in burrows on the Rum Cuillin. Watch out also for White-tailed eagles and Golden eagles.
• Otters: there's a hide on the coast 200 yards east of the ferry pier, open 24 hours. Otters are found right around the shore but prefer spots with a freshwater stream, so they can preen and wash the salt off between fishing forays.
• Waterfalls cascade from the island's sea cliffs: you get a better view from a boat. They look best after prolonged wet weather; there's seldom any difficulty in arranging this.
• 3 Jack Abry II is the wreck of a trawler that went aground in 2011 when the skipper fell asleep at the wheel. The crew were all saved.

Do

• Rùm Cuillin is the group of hills at the south end of the island. The highest point is Askival at 812 m / 2664 ft, so it's a Corbett. Parts of the walk are steep and rocky, some scrambling involved. From Kinloch and back, the full ridge traverse is 20 km. It takes 12 hours so it can be done in a day, or with an overnight stop at Dibidil bothy.

Buy

Bullough Mausoleum

• 1 General Store, Village Hall, Kinloch, ☏ +44 1687 460328. Sa-M, W 10AM-8PM, Tu Th 2-8PM, F 10AM-noon, 3-9:30PM. Small but well-stocked grocery, with veg, supplies, snacks and alcohol. Groceries can be pre-ordered with a week's notice. It also contains the post office, open 10-11AM on ferry days. (updated Jul 2024)

Eat

• General Store serves coffee, snacks and soup.

Drink

There are no pubs or bars on Rùm. The General Store sells a range of alcoholic drinks. It is open late some evenings, and has some outside seating, so it acts in place of a bar.

Sleep

Guirdil Bothy below Bloodstone Hill

• 1 Rum Bunkhouse, Kinloch, ☏ +44 1687 460318, rumbunkhouse@gmail.com. Stylish friendly hostel in Nordic chalet, with one twin room, three 4-bedded rooms, and one six-bedded room. Two kitchens, six showers, drying room. Also two "glamping" cabins sleep up to four. Bunk £32, cabin £60, tent £10 plus £10 pr adult. (updated Jul 2024)
• 2 Ivy Cottage, Kinloch, ☏ +44 1687 462744, ivycottagerum@gmail.com. Pleasant vegan / vegetarian guesthouse, they can also do evening meals. Or self-catering in Bramble Bothy. (updated Jul 2024)
• 3 Dibidil is a bothy on the south coast of the island 5 miles from Kinloch, a former shepherd's cottage maintained by the Mountain Bothy Association.
• 4 Guirdil is a bothy on the north coast, likewise a former shepherd's cottage maintained by MBA.
• Wild camping is permitted on the island, but you may not light fires, and must follow the Outdoor Access Code. Check with the Reserve Office or community ranger before setting out, they can advise on areas to avoid during sensitive periods for wildlife.

Connect

• As of July 2024 there is 4G from all UK providers in Kinloch village thanks to Hebnet, a community initiative that relays mainland networks from one island to another. Don't plan on getting a signal anywhere else on Rùm.
• The Village Hall has Wifi, and charging for laptops and mobile phones, for a donation. There is also a community computer available.
• The BT payphone in the red phone box in the village remains in working order.

Go next

• In summer day trips are possible from Rùm to Canna on W (3 hours ashore) and Sa (6 hours).
• Ferry transfers to Canna, Eigg and Muck are possible on other days without returning to the mainland.
• Eventually you have to circle back to Mallaig.