Tuesday, February 16, 2010

A tour of the Clyde Lochs and rocks


A tour of the Clyde lochs and rocks from Lunderston Bay, Firth of Clyde, 30km, January 2010.


The Cloch lighthouse.

Two iconic, but ultimately impotent, towers on the Clyde

Keeping an eye open for ferries at Gourock

Little and Large on the Clyde: Ocean terminal and Kilcreggan pier

A warm glow in a wintery Loch Long

The number 475 bus and an occasional sea kayaker

A nice shade of grey, in Hunter's Quay

Dunoon, and her unused new pier

The Gantock Rocks

Passing ships in the night.


Photo album map.

Arran West Coast to Carradale


A day trip from Dougarie on the west coast of Arran to Carradale on the Kintyre peninsula, Firth of Clyde, 25km, January 2010.


A distant Ayrshire coast and Ailsa Craig from near Carradale.

An early morning wardrobe malfunction.

"Bru'd in Carradale from girders"

Torrisdale Bay in the Kilbrannan Sound.

Time to go in the Carradale Water

Return to Dougarie


Photo album map.

Seakayakphoto.com trip index 2010

2010 running total distance: 1235km

Ayr to Dunure, Firth of Clyde, 20km
Arran west coast to Carradale, Firth of Clyde, 25km
A tour of the Clyde lochs and rocks from Lunderston Bay, Firth of Clyde, 30km
Ganavan Bay to Kerrera, Firth of Lorn, 29km
Auchencairn Bay to Needle's Eye, Solway Firth, 21km
Ballantrae to Portandea, Firth of Clyde, 19km
Port Appin to Loch Creran, Firth of Lorn, 33km
Seil to Laggan Deer Forest, Mull, Firth of Lorn, 44km
Portpatrick to the Mull of Logan, North Channel, 33km
The Mull of Oa, Islay, Inner Hebrides, 26km
Holy Island from Brodick, Firth of Clyde, 20km
Loch Feochan to Loch Etive, Firth of Lorn, 36km
Ailsa Craig from Lendalfoot, Firth of Clyde 32km
Loch Fyne, St Catherines to Otter Ferry, Firth of Clyde 36km
Loch Fyne, Portavadie to Otter Ferry, Firth of Clyde 21km
Circumnavigation of Morvern, Firth of Lorn to Loch Sunart 115km
North Islay and west Jura, Inner Hebrides 82km
Islands of Fleet and Kirkandrews Bay Solway Firth 14km
Heads of Ayr from Seafield, Firth of Clyde 14km
Lunga and Scarba from Crinan, Sound of Jura, 47km
Fleet Bay, Solway Firth 21km
Rhinns of Islay, Inner Hebrides 47km
Mull of Oa, Islay, Inner Hebrides 44km
Sound of Islay 15km
Fleet Bay Solway Firth 39km
Gigha and Cara 46km
The Garvellachs from Seil, Firth of Lorn 32km
Cumbraes and Bute from Largs, Firth of Clyde 34km
Fleet Bay, Solway Firth 11km
Kirkcudbright from Fleet Bay, Solway Firth 43km
Fleet Bay, Solway Firth 5.5km
Portavadie to Colintraive via the Kyles of Bute, Firth of Clyde 33km
Derwent water, Lake District, England 11km
Arran from Portencross, Firth of Clyde 31km
Loch Long to Loch Goil, Firth of Clyde 25km
Loch Eil to Loch Linnhe, Firth of Lorn 30km
The Cumbraes from Largs, Firth of Clyde 25km
Seafield to Maidens, Firth of Clyde 21km
Arran from Portencross 2, Firth of Clyde 31km
Glasgow Green to Port Glasgow, Firth of Clyde 33km

Embers of a Kerrera day


Long after the sun went down, we could still see the open Atlantic horizon between Kerrera and the steep cliffs of Mull.


After a while the gold in the sky turned to red and in the distance...


...the monument to David Hutcheson stood out on the Kerrera skyline. In 1835 he was one of the founders of the Burns shipping company, which ran the first steamers up the west coast of Scotland. His brother in law, David MacBrayne continued to develop the routes and the company grew into Caledonian MacBrayne runs most of the the ferries on the Scottish west coast.


We were enjoying the night so much that we continued on past the car into the gathering darkness to the north east.


Eventually, as the final embers of the day were dying, we retraced our wakes back to Gallanach. Ahead we could see the lights of the CalMac ferry from Mull slipping into Oban harbour before us.