Here's a taste of Rum. My two favourite spots on the island are Kilmory, near the north end, and the summit of Hallival, near the top end. The hike up to Hallival, from sea-level, is a climb of 2,700 feet, just shy of a Munro. The last 300 feet is an exciting scramble up its steep, rocky mantle.
The view from the top of Hallival makes it all worthwhile.
My second favourite spot on Rum is Kilmory. On our first visit to Rum, in 1997, my wife and I made the five mile walk there, only to be turned away, just 500 feet from the beach. A squad of wildlife researchers were watching a deer give birth. They did not want any disturbance, so we had to turn around. We returned three years later.
The old village, burial ground, and chapel site at Kilmory, set against the backdrop of the river and the Rum Cuillins, is absolutely stunning. At the left of the next photo you can see the tombstone of the five Matheson children, who died within three days of each other from diphtheria.
Lying inside the burial ground is a cross-inscribed pillar. Well over a thousand years old, it may have once stood by the old chapel.
A not-so-picturesque sight at Kilmory is the old laundry building. From the outside it's a rusting eyesore, but on the inside you'll find something amazing; a collection of items from Rum's most famous residents.
No comments:
Post a Comment