INFORMATION FOR GUESTS COMING TO SWEENEY'S BOTHY
We are your hosts - Lucy and Eddie - and we're looking forward to meeting you and hope you enjoy your holiday in Sweeney's Bothy.
We've put together some information below about the bothy, getting to Eigg, travel on the island, and local food and drink. Hopefully this will answer any questions you have before you come, but if you need anything else, get in touch by email or phone 01687 482414.
There’s lots of information about Eigg on the Isle of Eigg website.
SWEENEY'S BOTHY
The bothy has floor to ceiling windows all across one wall with an amazing view out over Rum. There is table, seat, two benches, an armchair and library snug with a small collection of maps, fiction, non-fiction and books about Eigg.
The bothy is 150 metres up a steepish path. We will help you with your luggage. Suitcases on wheels can be pulled up there, but the bigger they are, the harder it is! We recommend carry bags or rucksacks, or small wheel cases.
The mezzanine bed is accessed by ladder, but a simple mattress can also be provided for the floor - please let us know if you would like one. All bedding is supplied and there are a couple of extra blankets if you’re worried you might be cold (you won’t be, the bothy is very cosy!). We also provide towels and a dressing gown.
Sweeney's Bothy is heated with a wood burning stove that has a hot-plate and an oven for cooking. The kitchen has a single gas ring and sink. There is no fridge, but a cool-box with freezer blocks is provided. The bothy has basics like teas, coffee, sugar, salt, pepper, herbs, spices, olive oil, matches, foil, kindling and washing up liquid.
We ask our guests to separate their bottles, tins and plastic milk cartons, and to compost vegetable waste.
The bothy is connected to a water supply that comes from a natural spring. It is safe to drink. An outdoor shower is installed on the decking outside the bothy, with hot water supplied by the stove and a solar hot water panel. There is no washing machine.
There is a separate composting toilet 15 metres from the bothy. Toilet roll is provided.
The bothy is off-grid, meaning it has a photovoltaic (PV) panel generating enough electricity to provide lighting and allow you to charge a mobile phone/laptop/camera. There isn’t enough electricity to run a hair dryer, hair straighteners or similar items that make heat or require a lot of power.
There is no internet or 3G access at the bothy, but there is an internet cafe at the Pier, and wifi at the learning centre in the Primary School – the wifi password is in the info folder in the bothy. There is no mobile phone reception. The nearest point for mobile signal (depending on your network) is in the middle of the island, two miles away. Emergency calls can be made to and from our house.
WHAT TO BRING
Walking shoes/boots or, especially in the winter, wellies!
Slippers for wearing indoors
Waterproofs, torch or head-torch
Sunscreen & midge repellent in the summer. The midges generally aren’t too bad in Cleadale as we usually have a gentle breeze to keep them at bay. The bothy has midge screens, which means you can keep the windows open without being bitten!
Anything that you'll enjoy while having a very relaxed and off-grid, off-line break in the beautiful peace and quiet.
WEATHER
Eigg’s climate is generally quite mild, benefitting from the influence of the Gulf Stream. At the height of summer, sunrise can happen at 4am and sunset at 11pm. It very rarely goes below freezing in the winter. You can find out more about our climate here
We do love our weather forecasts on Eigg! We look at them two or three days in advance to get an idea of what the weather is likely to be, but things can change really fast, so sadly there's no guarantees. However, here's a couple of our favourite weather websites if you want to join in with our weather related musings - XCWeatherandMetOffice
GETTING TO EIGG
There are two parts to getting to Eigg. First drive or get a train or bus to Mallaig or Arisaig. Then take the ferry to Eigg from Mallaig (all year) or Arisaig (summer only). See the current ferry timetables here.
Ferry - Calmac ferriesrun from Mallaig to Eigg all year round. The summer timetable runs from early April to mid-October, with ferries every day except Wednesday. The winter timetable runs from mid-October to early April, with ferries on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
You don’t need to book for the CalMac ferry, but you can call 01687 462403 (option 2) for information, especially in case of possible bad weather. Alternatively, check CalMac's Service Status webpageor get service status text alerts by texting ‘CALMAC 19’ to 60030. Or call Calmac office in Mallaig on 01687 310240, option 2.
If you have lots of luggage, please be aware that CalMac won’t let you go up and down the ramp to move it, you have to carry everything on in one go. Let us know if you think this could be a problem for you and we will arrange for any heavy items to come as freight.
Arisaig Marine’s Sheerwater ferry from Arisaig to Eigg from April to September only. Booking essential call 01687 450 224
You can see the current ferry timetables for both services here.
Ferry Cancellations - Eigg is an exposed island with occasionally extreme weather, even in the summer. Please be aware that ferries are sometimes cancelled. We recommend you take out travel insurance, if you don’t already have it, to cover any costs incurred due to travel problems. For information on what CalMac does and does not cover in the event of ferry cancellation, see the information on their Disruptions FAQ webpage.
In case there are any changes or possible cancellations to your ferry, it's useful if you can let us know how and when you're travelling to Mallaig or Arisaig before coming over to Eigg, along with a contact number so we can get in touch with you. You can do this by email to sweeneysbothy@gmail.comor phone 01687 482 414.
Car and car parking - The main road to Mallaig is the A82 from Glasgow, or Inverness, to Fort William, then the A830 to Mallaig. Allow at least four hours for your journey from Glasgow, five hours from Edinburgh, or three hours from Inverness.
You can park your car in the West Bay Car Park at the Mallaig & Morar Community Centre, the first building on your left as you come into Mallaig. The ferry terminal is five minutes’ walk from the car park, but you can drive to where the ferry leaves to deposit any luggage before you park. You can also park in East Bay, which is a slightly longer walk to the ferry terminal. (see a photograph of Mallaig car parks at the bottom of this webpage)
With the exception of Blue Badge holders, no visitor’s cars can be taken over to Eigg.
Train - The West Highland Line, which runs between Fort William and Mallaig, is a famously scenic train ride and is one of the Great Railway Journeys of the World. There are usually four trains a day Monday to Saturday and two trains on a Sunday. Check timetable details on the Scotrail website.
If you're bringing a bike with you, you must book it well in advance as there are limited bike spaces and it’s often booked up! Bikes are free on the ferry and train and a great way to get between the bothy and the pier.
Bus - Citylinkruns daily bus services between Fort William and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness. Shiel Busesoperate a service between Fort William and Mallaig. Tel: 01967 431272.
A useful web site to visit is www.travelinescotland.comwhich has a journey planner and all the timetables (contact 0871 200 22 33).
Overnight accommodation in Mallaig or Arisaig - You may want to stay overnight in Mallaig or Arisaig before coming over to Eigg. For accommodation in Mallaig or Arisaig please see the Road to the Isles website. You can also stay in Fort William, just over an hour’s drive from Mallaig or Arisaig, or get the 0830 train from Fort William, which connects with most ferries.
GETTING AROUND EIGG
We will meet when you come off the ferry on Eigg and give you a lift to and from Cleadale - where Sweeney’s Bothy is located. If you need to stop at Isle of Eigg Shopto pick up your pre-ordered groceries or anything you need, that’s fine; there’s plenty of time. We will also take you back to the pier at the end of your holiday.
Sweeney’s Bothy is around an hour to an hour and a half’s walk from the pier. If we’re going over, we can always give you a lift or pick up shopping for you. Otherwise you can enjoy the walk or stick out your thumb and ask for a lift.
You can hire a bike from Eigg Adventures. Bike hire is £15 per day, but for guests of Sweeney's Bothy they offer a discounted rate for hires of four or more days. They also offer kayak hire. You can book both throughEigg Adventureswebsite – don’t forget to say you’re staying at Sweeney’s Bothy.
Charlie Galli runs a taxi service. Call 01687 482404. It’s £10 from the pier to Cleadale and there’s a summer bus service called the Green Bus. A Green Bus timetable is in the bothy.
SHOPPING & PLACES TO EAT ON EIGG
The Isle of Eigg Shopis a well-stocked shop and has a post office. The post office has a cash point which is free to use. The shop is 4 miles from Sweeney’s Bothy, but can deliver if you order in advance or make an arrangement whilst you’re on the island. The shop accepts cash, debit and credit cards.
For most of the year you can order organic veg and eggs from Eigg Organics, next door to the bothy.
Next door to the Shop is Galmisdale Bay Café & Restaurantwhich is open most days for breakfast, lunch & dinner in the summer months and on ferry days in the winter. It also doubles as a pub most evenings in the summer and occasionally in the winter months. It also accepts debit and credit cards.
Ten minutes walk from Sweeney’s Bothy is Lageorna, with quite possibly the best views of any restaurant in Scotland. Lageornaoffers a set price menu, made with the finest local produce. It’s not open every night, so booking is essential; call 01687 460081.
There are lots of lovely crafts to buy on Eigg. You can find most of them in the Isle of Eigg Craft Shop at the pier and some makers offer the opportunity to learn new skills while you're here. Have a look at A'Nead Hand Knitwear, All About Willow, and Libby Galli Felt Artist.
