The sudden feeling of remoteness when you enter West Loch Tarbert on Jura never ceases to surprise.
Gradually the inner loch narrowed until it looked like we were heading into a dead end...
... however a hidden right angled bend took us through the constriction at
Cumnann Beag. The tide runs through here at a peak of 8 knots springs.
Once through into the middle part of West Loch Tarbert, the easy option would to have been to stop at the comfortable bothy of
Cruib Lodge. However, by doing so we would have committed to a 50+ km following day, if we wanted to get round Colonsay. So we pressed on but...
...once we passed the second narrows at Cumhann Mor we could not resist stopping at...
...
the magnificent raised beach at the entrance to the outer loch. These sparkling clean cobbles are nearly 20m above sea level and though the tide last uncovered them 10,000 years ago, it looks like it just went out yesterday.
It was now getting late and we pressed on down the southern shore of outer West Loch Tarbert.
Seven years previously, Phil and I had scouted out a campsite near Glenbatrick so we decided to check it out.
It proveed to be a fantastic location for both tents and a view to the west. We unloaded the boats and set up the tents just as...
...a magnificent sun sank below...
...the distant silhouettes of Oronsay and Colonsay on the western horizon.
After sunset, we prepared our evening meals under the light of a near full moon before...
...washing our things in a nearby river which flowed down from the summit of Beinn Shiantaidh (the Enchanted Mountain) which at 757m is the second highest of the Paps of Jura.
Well over an hour and a half after sunset there remained a deep glow in the west from the departed sun. It was too late to light a fire but we sat round the tents and cracked open flasks of Jura Origin and Caol Ila malt whiskies, which were distilled just 13 and 14 km away on Jura and on the neighbouring isle of Islay respectively. We talked long into darkness, planning for the following day and reminiscing about past expeditions together.
You can also follow this trip on
Ian's blog here...
