Lunga, Scarba and the Corryvreckan from Crinan

Circumnavigation of Scarba and Lunga: a 47km day trip from Crinan, July 2010.


The west coast of Lunga with Scarba and Jura beyond.


Nearly finished, the tide still pushes us on from the Dorus Mor and the distant Corryvreckan and Scarba beyond.

The tide times in the Corryvreckan are influenced by low pressure Atlantic systems and can be difficult to predict within an hour's accuracy. However, in a high pressure system they are much more predictable, though times vary between springs and neaps.

The west going flood begins +0430 HW Oban (-0100 HW Dover) up to 8.5 knots at springs and +0515 HW Oban (-0015 HW Dover) at neaps.

The east going ebb begins -0145 HW Oban (+0515 HW Dover) up to 8 knots at springs and -0100 HW Oban (+0600 HW Dover) at neaps.

The time changes by 6.5 minutes each day between springs and neaps. The constant between HW Dover and HW Oban does vary, so most accurate times are calculated by using HW Oban times (though not if you have calculated HW Oban indirectly from HW Dover!!).

On the day, HW Oban was at 0530 and 1720 and it was 3 days after neaps so the time had drifted 19.5minutes from the neap time. So the west going flood started about 0530 + 0455 = 1025 and the east going ebb started at 1720 - 0120 = 1600.

Slack water in the Sound of Jura.

Trying to hold a straight course in the Dorus Mor.

A hidden lagoon in the Sound of Jura.

Relaxing, with the roaring of the Dogs in our ears.

Givin' the Dogs the slip!

Guirasdeal, a miniature Scarba!

Waiting for the ebb in the Corryvreckan.

A Corryvreckan eddy.

From the Dorus Mor to Crinan.


Photo album map.