Rum Hostel – 11-13 Jun

The Rum Bunkhouse sits at Kinloch, a short walk from the ferry pier, and is run by the Isle of Rum Community Trust. It’s a modern, comfortable base with a mix of dorms and smaller rooms, a fully equipped kitchen and a big, cosy living room. Visitors often mention the shelves of books for rainy days. There’s a little shop on the island with limited opening hours, so it’s worth bringing most of your food from the mainland.

The star attraction is the Rum Cuillin, the island’s rocky mountains, which are made of the same gabbro as the Black Cuillin on Skye. The classic day is a traverse over Hallival, Askival and Trallval, which many people extend to take in Ainshval. It’s a big day, usually 9-10 hours, with some scrambling, but the views across to Skye, Eigg and Canna are fabulous. There are shorter options too, such as the walk down to Kilmory or Harris, or a wander to the Dibidil or Guirdil bothies. Two things to know: the rock is magnetic, so compasses can be unreliable, and midges can be fierce in summer, so bring a head net. The ferry from Mallaig takes about 90 minutes, so check the timetable and plan around it.

Contact: Tam