05 UP TO THE SMALL ISLES

Positioned just south of Skye the Small Isles offer a fantastic variety for sailing and exploring. To get there we'll sail past Mull and around Ardamurchan point (the most westerly tip of the British mainland).
As we round the peninsula we'll be greeted by a towering lighthouse as the unmistakable skyline of Eigg comes into view. These islands have a volcanic past and Eigg is dominated by am enormous but easy to climb outcrop, the Sguir of Eigg. Rum, it's neighbour is formed from the mountainous remains of a volcano. Canna to the west is a rolling beautiful island and home to a puffin colony.

To get to the Small Islands from our base at Craobh Haven we'll head north, past Mull. The East route has opportunities to call in at Loch Spelve on Mull. This sheltered sea loch is home to a mussel farm where we can pick up the most delicious mussels to cook up and enjoy on deck, Continuing up the Sound of Mull we may call in at the Nc'Nean distillery on the Morvern peninsula. This is a great little place, miles from anywhere where we always get a warm welcome. The Small isles , four islands south of Sky offer loads of opportunities for exploring and more foodie treats. Muck is a great place for the best langoustine. There's an anchorage to the north of the island, tricky to get into but once we're there it has one of the best views anywhere in the Hebrides looking north to the craggy Cullins of Rum and Skye in the distance. Canna has a perfect natural harbour.vFrom here we can wander south to the cliffs of Sanday to visit a puffin colony. Rum is the largest but least inhabited of the islands. It offers great walking opportunities. In fact the mountainous peaks of Rum are an extinct volcano. It was from here that a massive eruption, 59 million years ago created neighbouring Eigg. As always we'll work out the exact route and timing of where we go once we all get on board. We'll use the winds and tides in the best way to get to our destination under sail. The trip will offer some great opportunities to get involved, taking the helm, helping with the sails and learning a bit about the fascinating process of navigation.