Bought by the Nature Conservancy Council (now called Scottish Natural Heritage) in 1957, it is one of Scotland's finest National Nature Reserves. It is of international importance for many of its plants, habitats and birds. SNH offer guided day walks in the summer, looking at the nature, wildlife, archaeology and geology of the island (click here for details). Visitors are welcome to follow the 2 simple nature trails laid out around the village. The island currently has a population of around 30.

On a visit to Rum you may be rewarded by sightings of deer, otters, seals, goats and eagles. Over 100,000 Manx shearwaters nest in the hills. Be warned though, the island is said to have the highest rainfall in the Inner Hebrides thanks to its 2000 foot high mountains which catch all the clouds coming in from the Atlantic. And the midges are huge apparently!

Rum was the site for the reintroduction of sea eagles in Scotland. The red deer research by Edinburgh and Cambridge Universities is one of the longest running studies of a population of large mammals anywhere in the world.

The Rum Cuillin mountains are the remains of a huge, ancient volcano and attract geologists from all over the world. Deposits of platinum and other minerals have been found on the island by scientists from Essex University in England - but not enough to start mining!

Overlooking Loch Scresort, a sheltered bay halfway up the east coast where the ferry arrives, sits the reddish form of Kinloch Castle, an extravagant Edwardian dream, built by wealthy industrialist George Bullough in 1900. It was featured in the BBC 'Restoration' competition in 2003. Guided tours take place most days (cost about £5 for adults £1 for children) - phone 01687 462 037 to avoid disappointment. Hostel accommodation and meals available (see below).

Kinloch means 'at the head of the loch'. The Bullough family mausoleum can also be visited if you want to walk over to it on the other side of the island.

It is thought that George Bullough changed the island's original Gaelic name from Rum to Rhum because he didn't want the island associated with the alcholic drink and it was then changed back to its original name in 1991 by the then Nature Conservancy Council.