Wigan travel company offering chance to visit tiny uninhabited Scottish island

Lupine Travel is running voyages to the islet of Rockall, a tiny mound of land rising out of the sea more than 200 miles west of the Outer Hebrides.

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Hardy groups of travellers will arrive at the remote location in a Dutch schooner boat, travelling from Oban.

The length of time they will get to spend on the rock is heavily weather dependent but it will not be a protracted stay as the list of things to do there is not particularly long.

The granite islet is home only to seabirds and invertebrates and measures just 784.3 square metres, rising 56.27 feet at its highest point.

The expedition is being organised by James Finnerty from Lupine Travel and will include in the party adventurer Nick Hancock, who spent 45 days on Rockall in 2014 completely cut off from the rest of the world.

Very few people will have previously set foot on the islet when Lupine turns up with its first tour group.

The May 2020 voyage there, which set those taking part back more than £1,500 each, is already sold out.

However, places are pending for a trip some time in May or June 2022, which can be secured for £1,745.

Rockall joins destinations including North Korea, Iran, Turkmenistan and Chernobyl which intrepid explorers can head for with the help of Lupine Travel.

The company, founded by Dylan Harris, recently hit the headlines once again when they organised a trip entirely by rail from Wigan to Pyongyang, which proved so popular they had to put on a second trip.

Rockall also has something of a contentious history as it is officially part of Scotland but this state of affairs is not recognised by the Republic of Ireland.

The place is also known to generations of BBC Radio 4 listeners as one of the places mentioned in the shipping forecast.

For more information about the company, visit www.lupinetravel.co.uk