Rum Nature Reserve
Place Description
Rum is an island of just ove 100 square kilometres situated off the West coast of Scotland that was bought by the Nature Conservancy Council (now known as Scottish Natural Heritage) in 1957. The island is a haven for a wide variety of birds and mammals. The Cuillans of Rum can be seen from all around the island and permission must be obtained from the SNH to climb them.
Wildlife Description:
Rum has one of the largest colonies of breeding Manx Shearwaters in the world. From March, around 60,000 pairs, one fifth of the world's population nest here in burrows on the upper slopes of the hills. The Sea-Eagle, which was reintroduced in 1975 now successfully breeds here and Golden Eagle nest in the mountains. The Red Deer population at Kilmory on the North of the Island was filmed for Autumnwatch by the BBC. Surprisingly, the island is home to the largest worms in the U.K. This is thought to be due to lack of predators as there are no Badgers, Hedgehogs, moles or foxes on the island.
Habitat:
Coastal, cliffs, mountains, meadow, moorland and woodland. The last woods on the island were felled in 1796 and only scrub grew on the island. Scottish Natural Heritage is now trying to restore woodland to the island by planting over 1 million trees to date.
Directions:
Ferry: The Calmac Ferry (01687 462 403) departs from Mallaig. During the Summer months there are boat trips to Rum from Arisaig (01687 450 224).
Best Time to Visit:
All year round but ferry crossings are dependant on weather conditions.