A Fantastic Mucky Experience

This would be our fourth visit and the eager anticipation of seeing the new lodge was evident when we all met up at the Pierhouse Hotel in Port Appin. The comfort and fabulous seafood at the Pierhouse hotel always gets the trip off to a fine start. 

With the unsettled weather we were informed we needed to be at Arisaig at 9.30 so an early start beckoned for the scenic trip 60 mile trip through Fort William and past Ben Nevis. Despite the strong winds the ferry crossing was not as uncomfortable as previous years and we all arrived without looking too green.

Greeted by the always smiling faces of Toby and Mary as the vessel moored was like seeing long lost friends. As the expectations mounted about the new lodge we were impressed to see a new shoot trailer too, this years trip was certainly going to be different.

The jaw dropping expressions on the faces of the guns on arrival at Gallanach lodge was wonderful. With breath-taking views the standard of this lodge is now up there with the best anywhere in the UK. Toby and Mary have done an amazing job that has transformed this shooting experience from a hardy one into pure luxury.

The lodge looks toward the islands of Eig, Canna and Rhum and is very close to a small sandy beach we quaintly call Costa Del Muck. It is not unusual to see horses and cattle rolling in the sand, seals bobbing in the water and pheasants quietly picking for food along the shoreline.

The new lodge features nine good sized bedrooms,  four bathrooms, ample drying facilities which are of fundamental importance, and an enormous high ceilinged sitting and dining area with mesmerising views, heated by an incredibly efficient wood-burner that is perfect when you arrive back a little damp! Toby and Mary's family share the other part of the lodge.

Our early arrival enabled us to have almost 3 full days of shooting. Starting with a snipe drive in reasonable weather and a strong wind was a great way of testing the guns as the snipe population has steadily increased over the years as the control of crows and rats has improved. With plenty of action across the line some great shooting was seen.  The highlight of the afternoon was trying to hit some meteoric duck on a 40+ MPH wind  which was particularly special. The final drive was with some guns walking up snipe towards the remaining guns on a far point of the island overlooking Scotland's most westerly point. On every drive wherever you look the scenery is spectacular.

Settling into the new lodge took no time, the levels of hospitality have always been excellent and after a long bath (no shortage of hot water!) we were treated to the first  of a series of fine meals washed down with an ample supply of good wine. The high quality of food is a great testament to Mary's many skills and with Toby they make a great team.

The strong winds and squalls make the shooting on Muck much more challenging, curling high speed birds will test the best guns. The drive named Benn where the birds come off the small mountain provides a standard of shooting that matches anything available on the best estates elsewhere in Britain. It is first class shooting and you can expect a high cartridge to bird ratio.

Evening geese flighting is always one of the highlights of the trip. Greylag often come in at dusk to feed on the game crops, so Toby is always pleased to trim up the numbers. Standing quietly concealed beside the cover listening to the strong wind and waves in the distance with no light pollution makes it a surreal experience. The excitement as skein after skein fly over gets the heart racing and this year was no different to previous years as we bagged a good number. The heavy cartridges worked well despite amusingly managing to shake one of our team gun's fore-end off! 

No trip to Muck is complete without enjoying walked up snipe shooting on one of the more distant parts of the island. In just over two hours of gently working our way up several bogs we saw 68 snipe. Their distinctive shrill as they got up was often heard before you could see them which provided some tricky sport. With a total bag of 15 across the 3 days, one of our team was delighted to take them all  home for a special pie.

This was a fabulous trip and raises the bar for the west coast of Scotland shoots. The formula that Toby and Mary have adopted should be looked at carefully by others as there is no doubt there is ample demand. Muck is generally sold out through repeat business and Gallanach lodge has just made it even better!