Unfinished business on Eigg

It’s been thirteen years since we visited Eigg and I’ve been wanting to go back ever since, because of some unfinished business with An Sgurr.

When we were last there we were pretty inexperienced walkers, but had the nous to bail on a hike up the peak when the weather changed and visibility disappeared. It’s not a big hill, however imposing it looks, but the edges at the top are sheer and a fall from there would definitely be fatal.

This time we’d planned to go straight up from the ferry while we waited to be able to check in to the camping pod. But, still being shattered from the food poisoning, we took a walk over to Laig beach instead and did some sunbathing as the weather was glorious. The views here over to Rum are spectacular.

Next day, we went paddleboarding in the bay, followed by an inquisitive (and yet, unimpressed) seal. So that left us just the last day to tackle the Sgurr.

A 4pm ferry gave us plenty of time but we set off early anyway and, perhaps in honour of our previous visit, the weather had turned. The cloud swept in and visibility was low, but there was enough to navigate so we cracked on to the top.

An eerie, silent summit with zero views was oddly calming. The cloud cleared in patches for a few seconds at a time, revealing the coastline and the isle of Muck.

It quickly came back, so we set off back down and went to the café for a pint or two with our paddleboard instructor.

The mountain was clear by the time we got the ferry.