\North to explore Rona and the shiant islands
Mallaig - Mallaig 8 - 16 July 2026 (8 nights)
£2340.00 per person sharing twin cabin
The small fishing port of Mallaig is a little further north than our home port in Oban. We base ourselves here for a few weeks each summer to allow easier access to some of the more out of the way islands.
It’s very easy to get here either by train or road. The trip by rail includes a crossing of the Glenfinnan Viaduct of Harry Potter fame.
We’ll head up through the narrows east of Skye, under the bridge and out into the Inner Sound. Call in at the lovely Island of Rona where we usually pick up some beautiful island venison before heading north to the tiny Shiant Islands where we will encounter more Puffins than we find anywhere else.
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Navigating to the north of Skye always presents challenges. The narrow stretch of water between Skye and the mainland is called Kyle Rhea. It’s well marked on our tidal stream atlas because at their peak the currents can reach eight knots. On most days that’s faster than we can sail so we have to get the timing just right. It’s great fun to do this because with the current set fair our combined speed can be pretty exciting.
We continue up to pass beneath the Sky bridge then into the sheltered waters of the inner sound. It’s hard to resist the temptation to veer best for a call in at the incredibly pretty village at Plockton. A little to the north there are some brilliant options to explore ashore. Maybe with a stop at Applecross.
The Isle of Rona with a fantastic natural harbour lies towards the north part of the sound and is a lovely place for a stopover. The island is almost uninhabited but for a heard of deer and their keeper Bill. It’s a great place for a walk ashore and to pick top some delicious venison. Bill’s shed also offers a rather special selection of wines (although we suspect these aren’t quite as local).
Twenty or so miles to the north west, with a bit of luck and a hoped for puff of fair wind we encounter the Shiant Islands. This tint archipelago is one of the most remarkable wildlife locations we’ve ever encountered. The sky, waters and shores are thick with puffins. Thousands of them. It’s impossible not to get close to them, see them diving for sad eels and returning to their burrows to feed their waiting pufflings.