The Svalbard Triangle – Sailing the Hebrides – Day 5

When I first saw our cabin on Zuza, I will admit – it did not make me think, “I am going to sleep well here.”

Nothing encourages closeness between a couple like having to crawl over one another when you need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night

But – I slept exceptionally well. Perhaps it was the gentle rocking of the ship, or perhaps the relief at knowing there were several fewer moving pieces left in our adventure, or perhaps the final glass of Oban before bed. I was out cold.

So, we woke early – and went for a swim off the back of Zuza:

It wasn’t a long swim. But it what it lacked in length, it made up for with coldness.

I joke, I joke. It was invigorating! And now it’s done! Perhaps never to be repeated!

(Though we do have our wetsuits and snorkels with us, and we may yet put those to use – particularly if we’re able to get close to a pod of seals.)

Hard to beat these views, though:

Back to our room to shower, where I accidentally forget to put the waterproof cover over the toilet paper roll. (Oops.) The shower water was also very much on the cool side, and we later learn that the generator or the engine need to be running to make hot water. Methinks this life-at-sea experience is going to take some getting used to.

Time for breakfast! No photos this time around, as I’m still trying to get a charge into my phone – but suffice it to say that it includes cereal, yoghurt, homemade granola and fruit compote, sourdough from Mallaig, a huge range of preserves, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, and more. Truly delicious.

Peter then passes along the rumour that otters have been spotted along the shoreline. The path is dense and damp, but perhaps worth the trouble if we’re so inclined.

With our plans in order, we board the dinghy and head to the shore.

Rùm is the smallest of the small isles, roughly 12 km in diameter, and has a population of approximately 22 people. The island has some of the earliest recorded habitation in Scotland, though roughly 400 of the islanders were driven to Nova Scotia as part of the Highland Clearances. George Bullough, son of John Bullough, inherited the island from his father in 1891 and built Kinloch Castle here as a hunting lodge. More on that later.

There’s decent cell signal, but there’s an even better map:

Otter hide. That sounds promising.

We tromp through the woods, once more spotting ruins as we go:

Not the damp, cramped trail that Peter mentioned, but we won’t complain.

The otter side soon comes into view – but no sign of wildlife.

Except for a rain-soaked spider’s web:

But the trail continues:

Ah. That’s what Peter was talking about.

We carry on a while…

…Until one of us (temporarily) loses a shoe in the muck. We take that as a sign to turn back.

Still plenty left to see, though:

Including some hooded crows:

A witchy gift shop:

A camping site:

And a… telephone booth?

No, a little free library with the ability to leave and listen to messages. Very cool.

We cross rivers:

And the castle comes into view:

It’s a lovely spot for a wander:

We carry on to the village shop:

Where the kids get – you guessed it – ice cream, and I pick up a very credible cappuccino, with powdered cocoa and everything.

We enjoy our treats, and watch as a duck raid a dog’s water bowl:

We detour for a brief nature walk:

Then head on to Kinloch Castle and Hostel:

Kinloch Castle was one of the first private residences in Scotland to have electricity. It was sold to the National Conservancy Council in 1957 and portions of the castle were briefly used as a hostel in 2015. The castle was provisionally sold in 2023 but the deal fell through in April 2026 and it has now been listed for 750,000 GBP.

Some repairs have been done to stabilize the building but more are needed to restore the property:

It’s tough to get good photos through the windows, but there is a stuffed eagle with a rabbit in its own little room:

This would be a lovely luxury hotel – assuming that’s something the locals would want to have in their back yard.

We then head back to the dock.

We have the ship’s phone number, but we’re able to catch Teagan’s attention with just a wave.

We ask whether she might consider popping down the coast to see if we can have another look for the otters – but then we realize how close we are to lunch time. Ah, well – we’ll try again in the next port.

Lunchtime! Once again, my phone is off charging but we’re served a delicious salad and toasted ham and cheese sandwiches – some with caramelized onions, some with mustard, and some plain. I could eat this for lunch every day, given the option.

It’s time for us to get underway and head to Eigg, but Peter has an idea – we’ll swing along the coast to see if we can’t spot the otters from Zuza.

We spot some cormorants before we even set off:

And then we are underway. Sadly, I manage to drop my lens cap in the water almost immediately after we set out. It’s easily replaceable, I just feel bad about littering. Oops.

We spot something in the distance, and draw closer:

Common seals! (Which are actually less common than grey seals in these waters.)

Another bit of wildlife to add to our list.

We then hoist the sails, and spend a bit of time out on the water under our own power:

Guests are not required to help with sailing, but we are encouraged to take part – it’s part of the experience of being aboard.

Onward along the rugged coast:

There are some lovely waterfalls carved into the far side of Rùm:

It’s a calm wind. Perhaps a bit too calm – we’re only making a little over 3 knots, so Peter turns on the engine to give us a bit of a boost.

We close in on Eigg:

Can you spot the herd of cows close to the edge?

There are some remote homes on the island:

We continue to enjoy the scenery:

And the wildlife:

A huge cave comes into view:

This is the cathedral cave, which is close to massacre cave on Eigg.

From the BBC article, “Bones linked to Scotland’s Eigg Massacre”:

About 400 islanders, who were members of the Macdonald clan, were murdered by a raiding party of Macleods from Skye. The islanders had been hiding in the cave for three days when they were discovered. Macleods blocked the narrow entrance to their hideout with heather and other vegetation before setting the material alight. The Macdonalds were suffocated by smoke and their bodies left in the cave. It is believed that the massacre happened in or around the year 1577.

Human remains had been found by tourists visiting the cave over the years. Due to unstable rocks it is strongly recommended that you no longer enter Massacre Cave but nearby Cathedral Cave remains open to visitors.

Chef Caroline suggests that we consider heading out that way once we make landfall. It might be a bit much given how much we’ve hiked already, but something to consider.

And we soon land Eigg:

Eigg – like Rum – is one of the four small isles, the others being Canna and Muck. It’s actually owned by its community following the community buyout of 1997, in which the residents raised the funds needed to purchase the community and end the previous landlord system. Eigg has the largest population of the small isles with 110 residents.

We pop into the local café for a brownie:

And for a half-pint of the Eigg Brewery IPA. I rarely get the chance to stop for a pint of the local brew, so this is a special treat.

My wife checks the tide table, and it just so happens that we would reach the caves exactly at low tide – pretty much the only time when it’s safe to visit. We take this as a sign.

Another check of the local map:

And we decide to set out for the cathedral cave.

We can always turn back, if necessary.

But it’s another scenic hike:

Zuza in the distance

And it only takes around 40 minutes, though it’s recommended that visitors leave 2 hours for the return trip.

We pick our way across the seaweed covered rocks, and then make our way inside the cave:

Water drips down from overhead:

We explore the inside:

But the tide is already starting to come back in, so we head back – spotting a heron along the way:

Though I do make a brief detour to visit the Massacre Cave:

There’s a warning sign regarding falling rocks, so I do not venture inside.

Time to head back. It’s not the easiest of trails:

But the views are worth it:

We make our way back to town in time to visit the beach:

Where we spot some oyster catchers:

The kids also get a few minutes to visit the playground:

And then it’s time to head back to Zuza. The dinghy is having some issues – the main motor struggles to turn over. Thankfully they have a backup motor.

Dinner! We have seasoned chicken, rice, and tortilla chips, and a lovely feta and cilantro sauce:

For dessert, poached pear and cream:

The food has been a real highlight – as has the scenery.

But it’s now past 10 pm – and we’ve done more than 19,000 steps – so it is most definitely time for a nice, hot shower and then bed.