Sgeir Blàr nan Each

Bac Mòr, known as "Dutchman's Cap" because of its shape, and its little sibling Bac Beag as seen from the ferry terminal south of Arinagour on the Isle of Coll. I have taken the triangulation pillar atop Bac Mòr as the subject reference for this photo. Distance from Coll c.17.5km (11 miles)

The south-west end of Lunga is spread out before us, with Bac Beag and Bac Mor (more commonly known as Dutchman's Cap) about 5km away to the right. From almost any direction it is easy to see how Bac Mor got its nickname!

Southernmost of the Treshnish Islands.

The island the southernmost of the Treshnish islands is so named from its shape. It is the cone of an old volcano 284 feet high. The wide brim is its lava platform.

Also called the Dutchman's Cap, this is one of the Treshnish Isles. The base of it is a lava flow like that which formed Staffa, and the peak is a volcanic cone.

Looking eastward from Ben Hynish, the highest point on the isle of Tiree, towards this distinctive shaped island, one of the Treshnish Isles, and its near neighbour Bac Beag.

The kelp bench between Bac Beag and Bac Mor, looking North towards the summit of Bac Mor the distinctive Dutchman's cap.

The Volcanic Plug and its surrounding raised beach is rarely visited having no anchorage

Both arches are visible in the edge of the raised beach. The grass on top of the island is home to nesting Puffins

One of many photos as the sun disappeared over the horizon, enhancing the shape of the tiny Island, many miles away.

Towards the end of the crossing from Lunga in a 4m swell from the SW. As the swell passed either side of Bac Mor (Dutchman's Cap) it met at the north end throwing spray high in the air with a fantastic crashing noise every nine seconds or so. This was a Swaledale Outdoor Club sea kayak trip on which we found no landing here, and had to paddle all of the Treshnish Isles and onwards to Staffa without a break.

The extraordinary island of Bac Mor (better known as the Dutchman's Cap) in the Treshnish Islands owes its distinctive shape to the Mull lava flows of Tertiary times. Seen from Arinagour Pier on the Isle of Coll.

This shows why the bigger island is called the Dutchman's Cap

A telephoto view of Dutchman's Cap or Bac Mor in the Treshnish Islands, seen from Dun I on Iona.

Having set off from the north shore of Loch Tuath and had one stop on Cairn na Burgh More, we had planned to land on Dutchman's Cap and then go back to camp on Lunga. Increasing swell (up to about 4m on the west side of the Treshnish chain) meant that we couldn't land here, and indicated impending bad weather, so at this point, in calm sunny weather, we are making the decision to run for Staffa to finish our trip a day early. That's an 8 km crossing, during which the clouds rolled in and wind increased to force 3 - some were finishing with their legs crossed after drinking too much tea at the first stop !