In May 2011 I was privileged to make a photographic trip to the island of Eigg which is one of The Small Isles of Scotland, Muck, Eigg, Rum and Canna. The sma’ isles are located between Skye and the Ardnamurchan Peninsular to the south

I sailed from Mallaig on the Loch Nevis in ‘fresh’ winds to arrive in the South East corner of the island. There is a new pier which has a tearoom and a shop. These are the only public facilities on the island. Before the new pier which was constructed in 2004 there was no way of landing from a large boat except by transferring in flip boats to the shore. The pier is overlooked by Sgurr of Eigg which rises 150m above sea level. 

One forms an immediate impression that the pace of life here is somewhat slower than anywhere else in Scotland. Visitors cars are not allowed so I joined the queue for the only public transport, a battered out old mini-bus which took me to Cleadale in the north west of the island. The opportunities for photography there are somewhat special. 

I stayed near Cleadale which sits within an amphitheatre of rock and is within half an hours walk of the two main beach areas which were to be the main focus for my photography expedition. The beaches are overlooked by Rum which is three times the size of Eigg with an area of 10,463 ha. 

Rum predominates most of my images. It was covered in cloud and ever changing weather. On Eigg I experienced heavy rain and hail storms but it was clear that by being low and more sheltered it enjoys better weather than neighbouring Rum. Rum comprises a purple Torridonian sandstone and due to the volcanic activity there are many interesting geological features. The cliffs are steep from the waters edge so it provided a great backcloth for my images. The hill range of Rum is referred to as the Cuillin with peaks of Sgurr nan Gillean (764m), Hallival (723m), Askival (812m) and Trallval (702m)

When I arrived in Eigg it was clear that the weather was going to be windy and wet for most of the time but at least the forecast was mixed. I list a ‘rain clearing’ forecast site on my ‘ links’ page. This hourly radar recording was invaluable for predicting the periods between showers. It also helped to avoid getting up at 4 a.m. for sunrises which were going to be in cloud! Whilst a walk was pleasant after dinner there was no need to take a camera as the cloud formed each evening. The good news was that the legendary Rum midges which are the biggest on Earth were in hiding due to high winds

Laig Bay a beautiful white beach facing Rum was extremely interesting. By climbing up onto the cliff path from there and descending into the next bay one finds the famous Singing Sands. The quartz sands are supposed to emit a shrill squeak as one walks on them. I am afraid it was a little windy for me to hear that. 

8000 years of human occupation, evidence of axe heads from the New Stone Age and graves spanning the Neolithic and Bronze Ages add additional interest. There is an Iron Age Hill Fort. Hugh Miller a Scottish Geologist, visited Eigg in the 1844 and noted plesiosaur remains (marine reptiles) during his trip.This is explained by Eigg being a lagoon cut off from the sea 168 million years ago. About 130 species of birds are recorded each year. Bluebells predominated in the surrounding grass where I stayed and I was told that Honeysuckle follows

After being in Eigg for an excellent three days it was time to return to civilisation. Being in Eigg was both a pleasurable and a strange experience in so many different ways. The most extreme example was I had enjoyed wi-fi but could not use my mobile. I stayed in well-equipped modern accommodation yet there was no evidence of chamber maid service from the time I arrived until I left. Tuning in to a mixture of accents gave it a cosmopolitan feel. There is a population of around 70 people on the island with the usual mixture of both warm hearted and sad looking people. Some have no doubt come for the idyllic way of life but perhaps a few have discovered that remoteness is not always so special. 

On my last day the weather was forecast to blow up to Gale Force 10 over the next twenty four hours. With the really bad weather only some hours away and my whisky bottle empty it was time for home. The boat was to call at Canna and Jura on route to pick us up and was expected to be delayed by the bad weather. Suddenly it appeared. The seas were apparently too rough for landing on the other islands so we were able to board on schedule for our trip back to Mallaig in a strong Southerly. Immediately after my voyage all the island ports were closed for a few days. So I was lucky to enjoy Eigg and get back to the mainland in the nick of time with interesting images and a great memory of an exotic island