How to Spend One Hour in Mallaig

Last week, we spent an hour in Mallaig.

You might be wondering how I ended up spending one solitary hour in Mallaig. My husband and I had a work delivery that we wanted to send to a business in Mallaig we've been working with recently. Rather than send the delivery by post, we decided to hop on a ferry from Armadale in the Sleat Peninsula on Skye to Mallaig on the West Coast.

Although I didn't really remember much about Mallaig, this wasn't actually my first time here. I first visited Mallaig as a 10 year old when we took my Grandpa on the Jacobite Steam Train for his 80th birthday. It was probably one of the first memories I really have of visiting the Scottish Highlands and I completely fell in love with the views we saw of Lochaber along the route. By the time we arrived into Mallaig that day however, the typical Scottish summer weather (damp and overcast) fell upon us and the midges descended. To be honest, I didn't have the best memories of Mallaig, but with 17 years passing between my first visit, I knew that things would have changed and couldn't wait to return.

I also knew that there are probably a lot of you out there who might have an hour or so to spend in Mallaig and wonder what you can do there. Whether you've arrived in Oban after spending a couple of hours on the Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William, or you have a few hours to kill before your ferry to the Isle of Skye, this wee list might inspire you.

The majority of our time in Mallaig was spent at the West Highland Tea Company. We met the amazing team at the West Highland Tea Company at a Trade Fair at the beginning of the year and I've found their journey so inspiring. I loved seeing their production kitchen and seeing all the cool products they make and sell in their shop. We tried two of their teas in the shop and also picked up their peach tea for a summery drink to take home with us. They've also recently started making their own gelato, which I think would be the perfect wee treat on a warm summer's day.

Another business in Mallaig I've wanted to visit for years now has been the Mallaig Bakehouse. I first spotted this place on someone's Instagram and, as a real lover of all things baked, was so excited to try some homemade goodies from this spot. We took a ham and cheese croissant to have for our lunch on the ferry back, which was one of the most delicious savoury croissants I've ever had. I think there was a mustard white sauce in croissant as well, which just added to the incredible lunch option we had. We also bought a couple of sweet treats, including the most delicious lemon meringue pie that we ate later that day.

Because we only ended up spending an hour in Mallaig, we didn't get heaps of time to wander around any more gifts shop or wander out of the town, but having this wee taste of some of the incredible small businesses in Mallaig, we can't wait to hopefully return at some point in the future.