Midges

For anyone worrying about midges on their next backpacking trip to Scotland, but not too worried about weight, here's the very thing seen by Loch Morar:

Rum was not to be

We arrived on the west coast on a Saturday in glorious, if very windy, weather. Hopes were high for a trip to Rum. But.....sacks were packed the next day under dull and unpromising skies and a walk down to the beach revealed Rum (or rather didn't reveal Rum) in thick cloud. Our plan was to catch the first ferry on Monday, camp by Loch Scresort, enjoy a leisurely afternoon around Kinloch, traverse the Rum Cuillin the following day and sail back via Eigg on the third. It was obvious, however, that if the weather forecast were correct, as it had been for that day, we would spend much time on the ridge in thick cloud and sail back in mist and rain.

Of course we could have done all this but we wanted really clear weather to experience these wonderful hills on what might be our one and only visit.

Plans shelved, we were compensated by a wonderful sunset on the longest day and......

...there were other compensations in the form of cool beer outside 'van! 

 Some days later we had an interesting walk along the north shore of Loch Morar stopping to explore the ruin of The Chapel of Inverbeg - and out to the west, the Rum Cuillin were clear.............

                                     Chapel of Inverbeg ruins

A plaque tells that it was built by the people of Morar in 1780 following the return of the priest Ranald MacDonell from the Scots college in Spain.

                             Near Bracara on Loch Morar

We may not have gone to Rum, but it'll be there for another time. And we were heading north west.