PARADISE FOUND
The Isle of Muck, found in the Inner Hebrides in Scotland, is home to fewer than 40 people and is only around two-and-a-half miles from east to west. Despite its remoteness, Gallanach Lodge has been attracting shooting parties for more than a decade thanks to the vision of its owners, Mary and Toby Fichtner-Irvine, who have built the impressive lodge as a base and let the rest of this wonderful corner of the Small Isles do the talking. We caught up with Toby to learn more about Muck, the lodge and the shoot. Get ready to add another sporting destination to your bucket list - it will be one of the most memorable sporting trips you ever make - just make sure you are prepared…
Shooting Gazette (SG): How would you describe the Isle of Muck to someone who has never been there before?
Toby Fichtner-Irvine (TFI): Muck is a beautiful island. It looks tiny on a map but there is so much to see and do here. We have high cliff faces full of sea birds, stunning white sandy beaches with turquoise water just below the lodge and lots of fertile farmland interspersed with pockets of woodland and hedging. We also have high heather banks and the wilder rocky beaches on the west side. The island is teeming with wildlife and if you’re lucky, you will spot otters, golden eagles and even whales and dolphins, which are all resident here and around our waters.
SG: Getting to the Isle of Muck must be a bit of an obstacle course…
It’s easier than you might think to get to us. Most of our guests travel by car to the port of Arisaig and we arrange for a private passenger ferry
