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Mingarry Lodges

time for nature in the heart of The West Highlands

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A Day Trip to The Isle of Muck

Many of our guests at Mingarry Lodges arrive by The Corran Ferry crossing Loch Linnhe to the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. Just one of the many wee journeys across the sea awaiting you on your holiday in The West Highlands. The Treshnish Isles, Mull, Skye, Eigg, Rum, Canna and Muck and all within easy reach of Mingarry and all have their own character and charm.

The MV Shearwater at Arisaig

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...

Aboard The MV Shearwater on the way to The Small Isles

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.

The ferry stops off at Eigg enroute to 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.

Close encounters with a Minke whale enroute to the Isle of Muck

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.

 

Looking back towards the harbour on The Isle of Muck

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.

 

Sea swallows - common terns - close encounters on the Isle of Muck

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.

The isle of Rum from Gallanach Bay on The Isle of Muck

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...

A wee snipe on the Isle of Muck

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...

The Isle of Muck Craft and Tea Shop

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.

Welcome to the Isle of Muck
Arisaig Marine - the start point for our boat trip to The Isle of Muck
The MV Shearwater at Arisaig
Seals on the skerries leaving Arisaig on the way to The Small Isles
Aboard The MV Shearwater on the way to The Small Isles
The ferry stops off at Eigg enroute to Muck
Speeding away from Eigg heading towards Muck
A raft of manx shearwater off the coast of Eigg
A first sighting of The Isle of Muck
A first sighting of a Minke whale from The MV Shearwater
Close encounters with a Minke whale enroute to the Isle of Muck
Welcome to The Isle of Muck
There are plenty of short walk options on The isle of Muck
Looking back towards the harbour on The Isle of Muck
The Green Shed craft shop just by the habour on The Isle of Muck
Inside the Green Shed craft shop on The Isle of Muck
Heading out on the road to Gallanach Bay
Common Terns by Gallanach Bay
Sea swallows - common terns - close encounters on the Isle of Muck
water avens, one of Jayne's favourite marrsh plants.
The isle of Eigg from Gallanach Bay on The Isle of Muck
The isle of Rum from Gallanach Bay on The Isle of Muck
Gallanach Bay on The Isle of Muck
A green veined white butterfly on white clover
A wee snipe on the Isle of Muck
Heading back towards Port Mòr for our return ferry to Arisaig
The Isle of Muck Craft and Tea Shop
Inside The Isle of Muck Craft and Tea Shop
The MV Shearwater at Port Mòr on The Isle of Muck
A final sighting of Manx Shearwater on our return to Eigg and Arisaig

Recent Blog Entries

  • A Day Trip to The Isle of Muck
  • A Day Trip to The Highland Wildlife Park
  • The Gavin Maxwell Museum
  • All Aboard The Jacobite
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  • 2016 - A Wildlife Year
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  • A New Website
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  • The Flight of The Siskin
  • Chequered Skipper seen in Mingarry
  • Mingarry Wildcats
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