Probably the greatest reason to visit Knoydart is the
abundant wildlife. In particular with the cottage 6m from the high tide mark
its no surprise the wildlife is never far away.
During my time on Knoydart, from a 1year old to my
twenties, I have grown to know the animals which live in the bay as the heart and
soul of this unique location. Without the wildlife this is still a spectacular
place which you will never forget for its outstanding experiences. However without
the wildlife it would miss the character which these animals give to you on
every walk, sail or view from the window seat.
Whether you’re keen on travelling to find the finer and
rarer species or you just want to look through the telescope from the cottage, you
can trust not to be disturbed.
Below are some of the species to be seen just outside
the house or in the surrounding bays.
On the land:
Red Dear, Highland Goats, Frogs, Otters, small
marsupials, polecat etc.
Inthe Water:
Grey or Common Seal, Crabs, Lobsters, Langoustine, Mackerel,
Porpoise,Dolphins, Shrimp, Flat fish, Mussels, Whales etc.
In the skies:
Cormorants, Black headed and common gulls, turns, guillemots,
ringed plovers, oyster catchers, curlew, snipe, sand plover, kestrels, buzzards,
Butterflies, Dragonflies, etc.
You can also see a concise summary of some of the more
rare and diverse
Hebridean wildlife including Golden eagles, Otters,
and Whales at the Doune holidays website Knoydart.
Some species are far more likely to be seen than others and if you are lucky enough to see the rarer animals please don’t forget to make a note in the house book.
Furthermore, whilst being on Knoydart my Father has had over 20,000 sapling trees planted on our land in an attempt to encourage the regeneration of the highland forests. With the first of these trees planted before we rebuilt the cottage (over 20 years ago) some of these plantations are now well developed woodland with tree heights at over 25ft. These are providing a brilliant habitat for insects, birds and mammals to thrive in the cover of fresh grasses and heathers and a great place to go for a little walk or to play games such as "fort", "forty forty" or "the tree game" as we have many times in the past. Please remember if you open any gates to shut them immediately to prevent the devastating entrance of deer.
The most popular way to get around on Knoydart is by foot. With over 55 square miles of open country to walk in Knoydart alone you never have the same experience twice.
Spectacular views, mountain air, paddling in burns, climbing water falls, keeping fit and being at one with the hills. The benefits of walking are endless but whether its just a stroll along the beach or a day trip up a Munroe or two (Knoydart having 3 of its own) there is always something new around the corner to enjoy.
There are various recommended walking routes around the peninsular which i believe can be found in the foundation office. Furthermore the foundation sometimes organizes guided trips in small numbers to certain regions on the peninsular and if they are not the locals will always be happy to help.
Bringing bikes is also advised as it is an enjoyable way to get around on the road and hill, to explore the area in a brisker fashion whist still maintaining tranquility.
Day
boat trips are available to the surrounding islands and lochs such as
Eigg, Muck, Skye, Mull, Rum etc. These can be a greater way to discover
the further Hebrides.
Stopping of to visit the islands before traveling on to the next or just stay there. These trips are available from local skippers.
The
skippers use their own boats. These are those used for private hire
from the Mallaig-Inverie crossing. Over 10 boats such as this are in
Knoydart and there details can be found at the Knoydart foundation or
Road to the Isles website. Some do trips and some don't so inquire as
to availability either beforehand or when you get there.
RIB trips can also be organised from private hire and some locals may be available to take a group on their own RIB.
One of the most versatile methods of travel in the Knoydart Highlands is by sail. For either a potter about in the bay or a short day trip is surprising what a different perspective you can get from the water.
I learnt to sail here with my family and our dingy
Nutkin. A very stable craft with sails and oars she is perfect for learning to
tack and jibe in the safety of our highland bay.
We also have two other larger (16 and 19 foot) sail boats which are very useful for the more planned trips. These boats are however some of the more difficult variety to rig and manage and are thus not available to less than experienced sailors. Furthermore you are urged that any water bound exercise is conducted at your own risk and that the larger boats are available at additional cost.
For adventurous trips you can visit Skye, Mallaig, Inverie or the other Sandaig Bay down the coast; previously owned by writer Gavin Maxwell, it is the origin of "Ring of Bright Water" and "Tarker the Otter". The possibilities are endless.
- Always
make sure you have excess line on the pots at high tide. This is to
prevent the buoys and pots being pulled below the surface on the way to
the seabed and becoming lost.
- Always
ensure that all people are well clear of ropes and that everything is
organised when both pulling in and especially letting out pots. (A good technique with this is when handling or organising pots, place the rope adjoining two pots coiled up and locked in one or other, doing this down the line will prevent tangling and make everything much easier to handle.)
- Do not
do anything in rough weather.
- Always
release unwanted sea life,
- Remember
to put bate in the pots,
- Do not
leave pots out until the end of your stay else rough weather prevent their
collection.
- Always
store the pots in a pile by the house open with the adjoining piece
of rope coiled within the pot. This is to prevent tangling and also
trapping of birds in closed traps.
- Pot
numbers will be checked.
Sorry for all these points but they have to be made.
Using the pots is fun and rewarding for the successful, we have often had great luck and sometimes nothing. From our experience it depends on location, depth, bate and time of year.
Having constructed many rafts in our bay
since I was born I find it to be one of the most satisfying, if wet activities
during a holiday. Use any of the materials you find on the beach including
drift wood and ropes and have a go. (p.s. the picture on the left shows one of the sails
being used please don’t using the boat rigging on rafts). You could be lucky
and find an old raft at the house on arrival.
You can also take your Highland raft along to the annual Highland Games raft race which occurs one day in the summer. The raft race is part of a collection of other activities at the games including the hill run and a ceilidh in the evenings.
As you may have seen earlier there is no shop on Knoydart and therefore all supplies have to either me bought before hand or shipped over.
It can be nice break to take a night off and go out for some food and drink. The choice is by no means extensive, however what is available is of a high class.
Without going for a meal there is only really one option for drinking on Knoydart. This is the Old Forge
in Inverie. "The remotest pub in mainland Britain" according to the
guiness book of records this free house can become the heart of
Knoydart all year round. Frequented at most hours of the day you can
trust to have a good chat in there. With frequent impromptu live music
being played it is a very lively atmosphere. A wide range of classic
and local instruments are available for all able players to have a go
and impress.
Good restaurant/bar food is also available from the Old Forge making it a good place to spend a whole evening out. Food ranging from venison pie to seafood platers you will be content and impressed by the standards in this remote place (same to be said for all locations listed below).
I am personally impressed by how well the smoking rules have been adehered to in this remote location which also has no garage, police or petrol station.
Furthermore another couple of restaurants on Knoydart include the Pier House and Doune Restaurant. Both with excellent food on offer as well as providing teas and coffees.
The pier house
is located in the centre of Inverie and provides Nevis seafood
platers, meats and fine wines to a renowned and very high standard.
The doune restaurant holds the "EatScotland Silver Award for 2007" and now "can announce that Doune Dining Room has been given the Destination Dining Award for 2007 for providing the very best of food in the finest of settings". Providing a fine selection of foods Doune is great for an evening out. However you will require to walk over the moor in order to get down to it unless you travel round by boat, so drinking may not be advised for the return journey.
These are clearly not the widest selection of food and drink choice but they are all presented to a high standard and with a great atmosphere and local spirit, not to mention the freshness of the food.
When all is said and done however it is sometimes nice to just kick back and relax in Sandaig Cottage with some home made broth, fresh risen bread and seafood caught in the pots 10minutes before eating. All before settling down to a board game, poem reading or play on the guitar. The satisfaction of providing for yourself when you are in the middle of nowhere, in your own little world is quite overwhelming and sometimes tastes better.
