Saturday, February 16, 2013

Doon the watter and head in the clouds at the Cumbraes.

We set off from the beach at the island resort of Millport...

...passing the shops and...

...houses that cluster round the bay. Before the days of jet travel, thousands of Glaswegians would arrive by steamer at the Clyde resorts for the Glasgow Fair fortnight at the end of July. July is a particularly wet month in the west of Scotland. This type of holiday was known as "doon the watter". You can decide whether this referred to sailing doon the waters of the Clyde or spending one's annual fortnight with the rain pissing doon.

Beyond the end of the harbour wall lay our destination the Little Cumbrae. Its summit was lost in the clouds.

Phil was soon off in the Malin Gometra kayak which we have on long term test for a coming review in Ocean Paddler magazine.

After racing off at high speed, Phil stopped to...

...let the rest of us including Ian and myself catch up...

...but he was enjoying the new kayak so much that he was soon racing ahead again.