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A truly wild adventure on a remote island in the Scottish Inner Hebrides
Scottish Highlands
Duration
14 nights
Group Size
Up to 12 People
Accomodation
Hotel, Glamping, Teahouse
Difficulty
Intermediate
Location
Nepal
Season
Sep-May
Start Point
UK
Rating
Specifically designed for solo travellers and small groups of 2-3 friends.
Traverse the 6 peaks of the Rùm Cuillin ridge, topping out on Askival (812m) for the ultimate panorama of the Western Isles
Soak up life on Scotland's hidden gem; an island of no roads, forgotten castles and a mere 29 residents
Wild camp in deserted spots alongside rocky shorelines, keeping watch for eagles, otters, seals, dolphins and the ubiquitous red deer
Day 1
Hop on the ferry to Rùm and hike to Harris
Meet your guide at the port in Mallaig. Hop on the 10 o'clock ferry and settle in for the 90-minute crossing with views of the Western Highlands and the nearby Isles of Skye and Eigg. Arriving at Kinloch on Rùm you'll start the hike straight from the jetty, following an excellent trail cutting through the wild interior with spectacular views of the Rùm Cuillin. End up at Harris Bay, a beautiful spot to wild camp, grab a swim in the sea and explore the nearby mausoleum.
Day 2
Harris to Papadil
Breakfast and coffee overlooking the bay, keeping watch for otters, sea eagles, seals, dolphins and if you're super lucky orca and basking sharks spend time in the waters around Rùm. Load up the pack for the next hike around the coast, tackling rougher terrain off the trail today with some rocky sections, moorland and bog. You'll definitely see a good number of Rùm's large red deer population around here, and if conditions are good you'll scramble up your first of the island's peaks: Ruinsival. Wild camping tonight is at Papadil, an abandoned settlement on the coast a short walk from Loch Papadil.
Day 3
Papadil to Dibidil
Today you’ll continue along an old pony path that steers you through some tricky terrain, it can be slow going as you navigate the rough ground in this wild area. On a clear day, you can see the distant silhouettes of the Outer Hebridean chain of islands; Barra, Uist, Lewis and Harris. Skirt around the edge of Sgùrr nan Gillean as the full arc of the Rùm Cuillin comes into view while you descend towards Dibidil bothy. The camp tonight is in a beautiful spot next to the Dibidil River which flows down from the Cuillin, forming a waterfall into the sea while the Isle of Eigg hovers in the distance. You have your choice of wild swim spots in the river or ocean before some much-needed sleep ahead of tomorrow.
Day 4
The Rùm Cuillin Traverse
Today is the big day of the expedition with the aim being a full traverse of the Rùm Cuillin. You’ll take in six peaks with lung-busting climbs, exposed ridges and summit scrambles including to the high point of the island at the top of Askival (812m), rewarding you with 360-degree views back along the Rùm Cuillin, across to the Outer Hebrides and over to the famous Black Cuillin mountains on the Isle of Skye. After high-fives on the top of Askival, embark on a fun frolic to the finish line, scrambling down the boulder-strewn peak, along a ridge, up and over Hallival (722m) and down into Kinloch - the only hamlet on the island and home to 29 people, one of whom will cook you up a sumptuous feast while you sip a well-earned beer overlooking the bay.
Day 5
Wave goodbye to the Isle of Rùm
It's time to say cheerio to your new favourite Scottish island as you head back to the jetty to hop on the 10:40 ferry back to Mallaig. Stand out on deck for farewell vistas of the Rùm Cuillin which you successfully traversed yesterday. The adventure ends as the ferry pulls into Mallaig at 14:00.
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 1
Wild camping · Solo tent
Day 2 - 3
Wild camping · Solo tent
Day 4
Hostel
Day 5
Departure Day
What is the Food Like?
The food on the trip is proper expedition style since there are no shops at all until you reach Kinloch on the evening of Day 4. Your host will bring along lightweight but hearty expedition meals to be distributed so that everyone carries their own food. Expect oats and coffee for breakfast, sandwiches and fruit for lunch and a selection of curries, risottos, pasta and couscous from the array of dehydrated dinners. Make sure to bring along a good supply of your own energy and protein bars. After the big Cuillin traverse on Day 4, you'll be cooked a delicious dinner by one of the locals in Kinloch who runs a small restaurant called Kim's Kitchen. Here you can tuck into venison from Rùm itself, almost certainly the most sustainable meat found anywhere, given the lack of food miles and the need to control the deer population to allow trees and shrubs to regenerate on the island.
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Most dietary requirements can be accommodated, including vegetarian and vegan diets.
What is the Accomodation Like?
Wild Camping
You'll be wild camping at spots on Harris Bay, Papadil and next to the Dibidil River. The locations are stunning and make for a big part of the adventure. You'll stay in a solo tent supplied by your host - you'll need to pack your own sleeping bag and lightweight sleeping mat such as a Thermarest. If you'd prefer a twin tent your host can provide one, please request this at the time of booking.
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Rum Bunkhouse
Your final night is spent at the Isle of Rùm community bunkhouse in Kinloch. You'll stay in 4-bed rooms, or twin rooms depending on group size and availability. The bunkhouse is situated on a gravel track right on the waterfront a short walk from the jetty. It has a spacious and comfortable living and dining area with a log burner, plus all-important hot showers after your days in the wilderness.
Included
Accomodation
3 nights wild camping, 1 night in a bunkhouse
Guides
Local, certified mountain guides
Meals
Expedition-style meals throughout
Not Included
Personal expenses
Travel insurance
Transfers
Return ferry tickets from Mallaig to Kinloch
Equipment
Expedition tents
Visas where required
Travel to and from the start point
No Pre Departure arrangements for UK based Expeditions
ROBERT
​Fantastic trip - highly recommended! Very well planned, with excellent guides. If you want some remoteness with stunning scenery, likeminded company, and don't mind carrying a heavy backpack, then this trip is for you! (Weather not guaranteed unfortunately.....)
STUART
Absolutely excellent guides, views and crew - an extremely wild adventure I will never forget!
MICHAEL
Rum was unfortunately closed due to bird flu outbreak but we ended up with an equally great trip on knoydart! Our guides Jamie and Rachel were fantastic, the scenery was amazing as well and even though we weren't on rum, the sense of wilderness on knoydart was quite something! Make sure you're happy walking long distances with a heavy pack on this trip!
DAVID
Looking for great scenery, and not bumping into lots of other hikers, do this trip. Absolutely gorgeous landscapes - I will be thinking about the views and the trip for years to come. Admittedly, we were lucky with the weather, which helped. (Even the train journey from Glasgow - Mallaig has stunning views before you even start hiking).
We partner with the World Land Trust to ensure this trip achieves Net-Zero emissions. We also support their Buy an Acre programme, helping local communities to buy and protect natural habitats in perpetuity.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 49kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
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The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t always book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
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But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
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Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
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A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
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10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.