Friday 27 – Monday 30 June 2025
We met at the ferry terminal at Mallaig on Friday morning. Lubi and I drove with Paulina from Dundee, met Andrejs and Julia and then the Skye campers who were looking remarkably fresh faced and in fine form after their trip. Soon after, Dom and Lesley appeared and we made our way to the ferry, meeting Scott’s son James, girlfriend Megan and their friend Jonathan as we waited to board.
Unfortunately, the fine weather of the preceding weeks had come to a very wet and abrupt end, and upon arrival on Rum we were delighted to see El, who had driven from the bunkhouse, waiting for us to transport our bags. We arrived at the bunkhouse as wet as the sea we had just crossed and settled into the well-established rhythm of drying clothes, brewing tea, and making plans for the following day. The bunkhouse was a real treat, beautiful big windows overlooking the water, a wood burning stove, comfy seats and two large well-equipped kitchens. The rain abated enough to allow some gentle wanders to see the castle, the otter hide and the Rum shop, which must be a top contender in ‘the largest variety of goods in the smallest area’ category in the Scottish Shops Awards. Friday evening was fairly quiet. Books were read, forecasts checked and card games played.
Saturday was blustery, cloudy, and in turns sunny and rainy. Everyone bar Jonathan decided that the formidable Rum Cuillin Traverse would be better made in fairer conditions. Scott, James and Megan went climbing, Dom went for a run around the entire island and the rest of us made our way to the north of the island, to Kilmory beach. A 10-mile return walk, this felt like a good stretch of the legs, and we enjoyed seeing the varied landscapes of Rum as we ascended, then descended to the beach. Kilmory Bay was beautiful, bright sand, dark rocks, inviting water. So inviting, in fact, that the Sun Club had an outing, gaining 3 wide-eyed new members in the process. We ambled back, pausing in the deer hide and later making and then abandoning a half-hearted attempt to climb a random hill.
Later in the afternoon the communal meal team swung into action, and the risotto seemed to go down a treat. With the forecast looking promising for Sunday, those of us intending to make the traverse set about making our plans. James, Megan and Jonathan were leaving on the Sunday ferry so we said our goodbyes to our new members.
Sunday morning arrived, the weather still, bright, promising. Murphy and Lubi went for a long walk to Harris, in the south of the island, with the intention of taking in some hills on the way. When we left, Paulina was undecided in her plans, but later went up Hallival. Dom went for another run, bumping into Murphy and Lubi later on.
We decided to leave in staggered pairs and groups, to accommodate different speeds and preferences, and avoid forming a bigger, slower moving group. Andrej and Julia were first to leave at 5:30, then Lesley and Yasmin, then Scott, Heinke and I at 7:00. The hike was spectacular, everything I had hoped for. We scrambled up and picked our way down jagged peak after jagged peak, first Hallival, then bagging the first Corbetts of the day, Askival, then the Fiona, Trollabhal, second Corbett, Ainshval, then final hill of the traverse, Sgurr nan Gillean. Our descent down Sgurr nan Gillean went exactly as planned and there were no route finding incidents. The walk back along the coast from the Dibidil bothy was long and boggy but straightforward, and we enjoyed views of the Skye Cuillin and mountains on the mainland as we went. Other than briefly bumping into Yasmin and Lesley earlier in the day, and seeing the figures of Andrejs and Julia in the distance, we didn’t meet our fellow hikers until we reconvened, triumphant, at the bunkhouse, swapping stories of our epic day out.
Paulina, as head chef for the Sunday, had cooked up a pasta-based storm and we tucked into our well-earned dinners, washed down with beers and wine. In all the meets I have been on, I think this was the sleepiest looking bunch of DMC-ers, and early nights were called by most, happily tired after the exertions of the day.
Our ferry the next day was not until around 4pm, so upon departure from the bunkhouse we took shelter from the rain in the community hall, where we chatted and read to pass the time, which went quicker than I anticipated. We made our way to the ferry terminal and sat in the waiting room, finding with surprise that an ancient looking CD player still functioned. Dookie, by Green Day, was not the CD I expected to find inside, and somewhat incongruous against the calm and soothing landscape around us, I enjoyed this last surprise from Rum, a tiny island with a fascinating story and a lot to offer. This was my first DMC island meet, and won’t be my last.
- Report by Marek Rzepecki
