Rum National Nature Reserve

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Overview

Such was the wildlife importance of the diamond-shaped island of Rum in the Inner Hebrides, it was declared Scotland’s second National Nature Reserve in 1957. Rum’s contrasting landscapes, from peat bogs punctuated by glistening lochans, to towering mountains and seacliffs clamorous with seabirds, give the island its special character. Rum is perhaps most famous for the reintroduction of white-tailed sea eagles – Britain’s largest bird of prey – in 1975. At least two of the 40 pairs of sea eagles on Scotland’s west coast still regularly breed on Rum, and they share their airspace with soaring golden eagles. Just as important in wildlife terms are the over 70,000 pairs of Manx shearwater, which fly in at night to nest in burrows on the mountain slopes. Although rarely seen by visitors, the Manx shearwater is Rum’s commonest bird, and the Rum population makes up one of the world’s largest breeding colonies. Add to that the herds of red deer and otters and seals in Loch Scresort, and Rum certainly earns its place as one of Britain’s top NNRs.

Location

Kinloch

About the area

Apart from the Orkneys and the Shetlands, Highland is Scotland’s northernmost county. Probably its most famous feature is the mysterious and evocative Loch Ness, allegedly home to an ancient monster that has embedded itself in the world’s modern mythology, and the region’s tourist industry.