It's been a while since we climbed aboard the MV Shearwater from Arisaig to The Small Isles and so this July we decided to head off on another wildlife adventure to The Isle of Muck.

Arisaig Marine offer ferry trips on The MV Shearwater to the Isles of Eigg, Muck and Rum throughout the summer months allowing two to three hours onshore the Isle of Muck most days. We decided to join their Wednesday trip, departing from Arisaig at 11:00, which gave us three hours to explore The Isle of Muck, arriving back at Arisaig at 18:00. Summer weeks can be quite busy so we reserved our places a couple of days in advance after checking the weather forecast. The MV Shearwater is quite a small boat so you really want sunny and calm weather for the trip...

CalMac also sail to The Isle of Muck from Mallaig though the only realistic day trip option over Summer is on a Saturday. We usually prefer taking the CalMac ferry to The Small Isles as there is space to walk about, plenty of opportunities for wildlife watching, teas, coffees and fish suppers on board. However, the CalMac trip on Saturday takes in all of The Small Isles and is a very long day out for just a little extra time on Muck.

Having reserved our tickets with Arisaig Marine in advance we arrived at Arisaig 10:00 to pick the tickets up and ensure a good seat on the boat. Boarding officially starts at 10:30 though it is best to turn up early if you want to bag a good seat.

The voyage from Arisaig to Eigg takes around an hour with plenty of opportunity for spotting seals as you leave Arisaig as well as some good bird watching on route. We spotted gannet, black guillemot, manx shearwater, shag and maybe a great skua as we arrived at Eigg. The MV Shearwater stops at Eigg for 30 minutes, so there is plenty of time for a comfort break and some time to get a brief impression of The Isle of Eigg, so dominated by the famous Sgurr.

The 30 minute voyage to Muck from Eigg felt somewhat more relaxed after dropping the majority of passengers off on The Isle of Eigg and perhaps represented the highlight of our trip with a close encounter with a minke whale. First spotted by the skipper, the boat slowed and awaited the resurfacing of the minke. A 20 minute delay on our trip to Muck, but one of the main reasons we chose to go there in the first place on The MV Shearwater.

We arrived at The Isle of Muck shortly after 13:00 and had until 16:00 to explore. We headed off the ferry on the short walk to the beaches at Gallanach. An easy walk along a wee road with a plenty of opportunities for minor diversions including one to the coast to watch the terns from Port Chreadhain. Time flew by at Gallanach, beach combing, bird watching and simply admiring the views to Eigg and Rum; before too long it was time to head back down the road to Port Mor.

We had surprised several snipe on route to Gallanach (or rather they had surprised us...) and we were delighted to stumble across a brood of wee chicks just before our return to Muck's big city. All fluff and so well hidden in a bed of thistles. We're not sure why, but everything seems so much more relaxed on The Small Isles - life as it used to be - just a little bit different...

No trip to The Isle of Muck is complete without a visit to The Cafe and Craft Shop in Port Mor. We really enjoyed our tea and cake, as we always do...

As on the outward voyage, it is best to arrive back at The MV Shearwater a little early in order to bag a good seat. The boat stops off in Eigg again for 30 minutes on the return journey, though after quite an adventurous day we decided just to snooze in our seats and leave Eigg for another day...

All in all, another great day out from Mingarry Lodges. Our top tips include checking the weather, checking whether there have been any recent wildlife sightings, reserving seats a few days in advance and being aware that the MV Shearwater may be quite busy in peak periods.