11 minute read
The Rum life
THIS IMAGE:
A walker, on the coastal track below Ruinsival in the Cuillin mountains, looking down on the beautiful bay of Harris, on the Isle of Rum
© VINCENT LOWE/ALAMY. ILLUSTRATION © MICHAEL A HILL
Our writer visits the largest of the Small Isles, where the once diminishing population is being revived and community is everything
Words by ROBIN McKELVIE
On the Inner Hebridean outpost of Rum, its Cuillin mountains soar up improbably from the Atlantic, leviathans matching the grandeur of their namesakes just across the water on Skye.
Rum is not a mini Skye, though. The isle forges its own path untrammelled by motorhomes and tour buses; unique and beguiling to visit, and inhabit. Just ask the four families who, in 2020, beat off the competition attracted by a global call-out to become Rum’s newest residents.
I’m back on Rum, the largest of the Small Isles, and an isle that oozes romance, from its deer-dappled, mist-shrouded slopes to the grandiose old castle that bristles with odious ghosts. This is an elemental landscape, built on the solidity of some of the planet’s oldest rocks – Torridonian sandstone and Lewisian gneiss. It’s one of the oldest inhabited parts
CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP:
Approaching scenic Guirdil Bay, on the north-west of Rum, with Bloodstone Hill rising above Guirdil bothy; the Isle of Rum Community Hall and shop at Kinloch; outlandish Kinloch Castle, former home of the extravagant Bullough family, who ruled over Rum for 69 years of Scotland, too: man wandered here in Mesolithic times, crafting tools using the rare local bloodstone instead of flint. Over the centuries, the Vikings treasured Rum, too, as did warring Scottish clans.
David Beaton, sculptor, and handyman – known on Rum as ‘Chainsaw Dave’ – greets me at the pier. Not because I’ve arranged to meet him: Beaton greets every ferry bringing lifeblood supplies. Over coffee at the village hall – which doubles as a café, shop, gig venue and raucous cèilidh haunt – I ask Beaton what is so special about Rum. “Just look around you. It’s such a beautiful place. Ever since I was a wee laddie, I’ve wanted to live out on the west coast, and now I get to bring up my own boy here,” beams Beaton, pride dancing in his eyes.
Beaton’s son is, mercifully, for such a fragile community, not the only child being brought up on Rum. The population had slumped down into the 20s, but that global call-out has boosted numbers. There are now five children in the local primary school, while three pupils commute to secondary school over in Mallaig, and two more children are due to soon start nursery. Rum’s population has now ‘soared’ to a heady 46.
Competition to live here captured imaginations during some of the darkest days of the pandemic, with more than 3,000 notes of interest. That translated to over 400 applications, with four families invited to occupy the newly built environmentally-friendly homes.
Beaton welcomes the new arrivals: “All the families are really nice, and one had spent time working and living on Rum before. They’re all welcome, but only time will tell how this experiment in social engineering actually pans out,” he says.
It wasn’t always this way on Rum. As the 19th century dawned, around 400 residents called Rum home. The baleful Highland Clearances bit hard, though, with more than 300 souls spirited off to the Americas. A litany of rogues and wayward island owners pepper the history of the Hebrides during those tumultuous days. Perhaps none more roguish, and certainly none more extravagant and outrageous, than Rum’s Bulloughs, a Lancashire family who ruled over Rum from 1888-1957. They kept such a tight grip on Rum that it became known as the ‘Forbidden Isle’, as visitors were discouraged beyond the family’s friends and nefarious guests.
Nefarious is an understatement for the excess alleged to have swirled within the outlandish walls of striking red Arran sandstone Kinloch Castle.
Money was no object in conjuring up this extravagant folly. A staggering 250,000 tonnes of prime Ayrshire soil was shipped in and a golf course sculpted, while alligators and turtles swam in its heated pool to the tunes of an orchestrion built for Queen Victoria.
After Glasgow, Rum was the second place in Scotland to get electricity when work was completed in 1900. Workers were paid an extra tobacco allowance to don kilts in the
© VINCENT LOWE/ALLAN WRIGHT/ALAMY
curated Bullough tartan, even as the midges bit. The dog kennels were heated, the servants’ quarters not. The Bulloughs even changed the name to ‘Rhum’ to avoid the alcohol associations – ironic given the notoriously debauched parties thrown in Kinloch Castle.
Even as far as the second half of the 20th century, Kinloch Castle sauntered along as a hotel. Beaton himself got married at Kinloch in an event channelling some of Kinloch’s wilder days: “It was more like a football match than a wedding. The last guests left after about a fortnight,” he says.
The unique nature of Kinloch’s Edwardian excess, though, has been its downfall, with spiralling maintenance costs. As its lustre dimmed, it became Scotland’s most spectacular youth hostel, finally closing in 2015. Peering in the windows, I can still make out sumo wrestler statues and a lion skin rug; the Steiner piano bedecked with cheetah skin, too. Chandeliers still shimmer above a grounded taxidermy sea eagle.
Life on Rum today could scarcely be more different than the debauched days of the Bulloughs. The island is run as a National Nature Reserve by NatureScot, who work to protect the rich flora and fauna. The small community is a tight-knit bunch – you must be, in order to get through the dark, harsh winters here adrift in the North Atlantic.
The hub of local life is that community hall and the attached wee shop. The ferry arrival has kicked off activity as the staff check what goods have made it over. I’ve only popped in for a bar of chocolate but end up falling into conversation with a couple of locals – people on Rum see visitors as an opportunity for a good chinwag.
Meanwhile, the staff furnish me with the island’s new rum. It’s delicious, and the lady in the shop tells me its story: “They get casks of rum shipped in from the Caribbean and infuse it with local flavours – sugar kelp, meadowsweet and spruce, that last one is a nod to the trees that the Bulloughs brought in,” she says. I buy a bottle – they are canny salespeople on Rum.
The next morning, I leave the community behind to burrow deeper into those mountains. In minutes I’m immersed in nature and lose my mobile phone signal. A network of trails snake around the village and the surrounding forests, but it’s the newly reinforced path deep into Coire Dubh that I’m tracking.
I’m not alone. As the brooding hills beckon, the land closes in, and I spy a golden eagle circling in the thermals and almost collide with a stag bashing right across the trail. I battle up through tough terrain to the peak of Barkeval. It may only be 591m (1,938ft), but the hike is from sea level, and the weather is ominous. Rum is not a manicured island: it’s a real, savage, unpolished brute.
The wild side descends, leaden clouds scudding over and pelting me with rain shards, searing gusts plunging the wind chill lower still. I’m struggling to see my hands, let alone
CLOCKWISE, FROM FAR LEFT:
A misty morning clouds Askival’s peak, the highest and finest of Rum’s Cuillin – a highlight of the classic traverse of the islands; a roaring red deer stag roaming on Rum; the lavish Grand Hall of the iconic, crumbling Kinloch Castle
ABOVE: The wild and mostly untouched landscape of the bay of Harris, home to the Bullough Mausoleum 812m (2,664ft) high Askival, Rum’s highest peak. There is no escape, with Rum’s bothies currently closed due to Covid restrictions, so I admit defeat. Rum taunts me as I return to the village to find the rain off and blue speckles in the sky.
You could spend a week hiking Rum’s hills – and in summer a steady stream of hardy souls does – or walking out on the old trails to the beach at Kilmory Bay, and remote Harris. At the latter, the Bullough Mausoleum stands as a defiant testament to the family’s sense of its own importance.
Rum offers more sedentary experiences, too. I lose a morning in the otter hide. There are also boat tours and sea kayaking. A sprinkling of accommodation options beckon – from B&Bs and a wee campsite that also has pods and gypsy caravans. Then there is the Fleur de Lys. This year, this small eight-person cruise ship started offering all-inclusive sailing safaris around the Small Isles, with Rum always a priority and highlight.
Easing out of Loch Scresort with the ghosts of Viking longships, as the sun burns down over Rum’s Cuillin, like most visitors, I find Rum a hard place to leave.
The stoic spirit of a community that strives to find a way to live on a volcanic rock at the vagaries of the Atlantic is infectious; the spirit-soaring hills and wildlife intoxicating, on this unique isle of Rum, an isle no longer forbidden. S PLAN YOUR VISIT
RUM COMMUNITY HUB
A visit to Rum that doesn’t include a stop-off at the shop/community hall is only half a visit. Pop in to stock up on supplies and have a blether, but do make sure you abide by social distancing rules and wear a mask when asked. isleofrum.com
IVY COTTAGE GUESTHOUSE
Accommodation is sparse on Rum, but this sweet B&B offers two charming en-suite rooms, a hearty breakfast and home-cooked vegetarian evening meals. ivycottageisleofrum.co.uk
FLEUR DE LYS
From June until late September, these allinclusive (£1,500 for five nights) small-ship cruises depart from Mallaig on the west coast of Scotland and visit Rum, as well as the other Small Isles of Canna, Eigg and Muck, before heading to Skye. https:/skyeandtheisles cruises.com/
GETTING THERE
If your budget doesn’t stretch to a cruise, then a much cheaper way to reach Rum is by public ferry from Mallaig with Caledonian MacBrayne. calmac.co.uk
Skye and the
Isles Our Vessel: "Fleur de Lys", is ideal for cruising these sheltered waters, with spacious
Cruises accommodation, full of nautical character, for a comfortable life at sea. What a treat it is for our guests to travel to the remotest corners of the Hebrides and have their luxury holiday accommodation travel with them! The Food: Our onboard chef is passionate about food and the fabulous local produce of the west coast of Scotland. Dinner is a highlight on our cruises; the Skipper dines with the guests, recounting the stories of the day, while discussing options for the following day's adventures. Our Crew: Provide the warm, safe, stress-free and fun onboard atmosphere that our guests will never forget. The Wildlife: The clear waters of the west coast of Scotland are home to many wonderful species. Of course, we cannot guarantee wildlife will put in an appearance near our vessel, which makes it extra special when it does. The Beauty of the Landscape: The sea, coastline and islands that is the west coast of Scotland is simply exceptionally beautiful. The best way to get around is by boat and to experience the scenery from the sea.
C.O. Mallaig Boatyard • Harbour Slipway • Mallaig PH41 4QS 07557 192 315 • info@skyeandtheislescruises.com www.skyeandtheislescruises.com
HOTEL EILEAN IARMAIN
ISLE OF SKYE EILEAN IARMAIN .CO.UK
STUNNINGSTUNNING LOCATIONLOCATION RESTAURANTRESTAURANT & PUB& PUB OUTDOOR OUTDOORACTIVITIESACTIVITIES GINGIN DISTILLERYDISTILLERY WHISKYWHISKY SHOPSHOP ARTART GALLERYGALLERY
Cruise the magical Scottish islands
Couples, singles, families can cruise the breath-taking Hebridean islands, including St Kilda, aboard one of our authentic, traditional small cruise ships. Great range of activities, incredible scenery, rare wildlife, delicious local food with your dedicated chef and knowledgeable crew.
To find out more or to request our latest brochure visit www.sthildaseaadventures.co.uk +44 (0) 7745 550988 or +44 (0) 1776 810802 info@sthildaseaadventures.co.uk
Art, photography and wildlife specialists on some cruises at no extra cost!
THE ROBERT BURNS SOCIETY OF CHARLESTON PRESENTS THE FOLLOWING
29 April 2022 The National Tartan Day Dinner
BagPipes and Drums * Cocktails and Clarsach * Haggis Ceremony * Plated Dinner Daniel Island Club Charleston, SC Black-Tie, Mess Dress, Highland Evening Dress: Miniatures
30 April 2022 The Charleston Scottish Performing Arts Classic
Internationally Acclaimed Performers * Clarsach * Fiddle * Pibroch Saint James Anglican Church * James Island, SC
4 November 2022 The Charleston Tartan Ball
BagPipes and Drums * Cocktails and Clarsach * Dance * Haggis Ceremony * Plated Dinner Charleston, SC Black-Tie, Mess Dress, Highland Evening Dress: Miniatures
