Deadly waves north of Fascadale.

As we paddled east along the north Ardnamurchan coast the view to the north was dominated by the islands of the Inner Hebrides, low lying Muck, mountainous Rum, Eigg with its distinctive Sgurr and in the distance the mountains of Skye.

It was not a view that held our attention for long though as the rocky ramparts of Ardnamurchan are...

 ...protected by underwater ledges and skerries which...

 ...throw up sudden and unexpected waves called boomers.

 So dangerous is this coast for small boats that we did not see a single lobster pot until we eventually...

 ...rounded a wild headland and saw the houses at the head of Fascadale Bay.

In July 2009 a tragic accident occurred in which the FV Aquila from Cumbria capsized about 4km north of this spot. She was trawling for scallops near the Bo Faskadale reef when her trawl snagged and she was capsized by huge following seas. Sadly, only one of her four crew survived. In a flood tide and westerly swell locals know that large standing waves often form in the area of the reef. The charts and sailing directions did not mention these but UKHO have since amended both to include a warning.

 It was a relief to get some shelter from the swell and waves and...

...we carried our luncheon things up the steep storm beach of cobbles to a grassy bank below the old boathouse.

A great stone ship on north Ardnamurchan.

As we paddled east along the great finger of the Ardnamurchan peninsula we heard whistles and cries being carried over the water by the SE wind. High on the shoulder of Meal Clach an Daraich we spotted a shepherd. His dog was rounding up two groups of sheep. The first can be seen below and to the right of the shepherd. The other group and the dog are down among the giant boulders by the shore. That dog was working for his supper.

 Ahead lay the clean blade of rock...

 ...at Rubha Carrach. It looked like the...

 ...bow of a great stone ship.

 The big swell meant that...

 ...we were unable to approach...

 ...this iconic landmark of the north Ardnamurchan coast...

...too closely. Rubha Carrach is on the rim of a giant volcanic caldera that can be easily seen in this Google maps satellite view.

Appearances can be deceptive on Ardnamurchan.

We paddled out of Sanna Bay into the exposed waters north of Ardnamurchan. The lighthouse could be seen behind us but we were...

 ...heading east to Ardtoe through...

 ...the Sanna skerries.

Rounding Sanna Point we were rewarded with a...

...wonderful view of the Ardnamurchan peninsula stretching away to the distant hills of Moidart.

We turned south after Rubha an Duin Bhain as we hoped to land on its delightful sandy beach but at mid tide it is a garden of barely submerged rocks washed by swells. Sadly, we  had to leave without landing on its fair sands.

Bitter sweet memories at Portuairk.

The February sun was still low in the sky as Ian, Mike and myself  left a car at Ardtoe Bay at the east end of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. You can follow Ian's account of the trip over on his excellent blog here.

The local crofter has fenced off one of his fields as a car park and there is an honesty box for the very reasonable 50p charge.

We then drove to Portuairk at the west end of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula which is the most westerly point on the mainland of Britain. . The shuttle from Glenuig to Ardtoe and on to Portuairk is only 45 minutes but it took 2 hours to set up due to the twisting single track roads.

I arrived at Portuairk with mixed emotions. I was last here on 15/6/2009, after we landed after the trip to Coll and Tiree during which I had an accident on a sand dune and ruptured the ligaments of my right knee. Also on that trip was our good friend Jim Broadfoot. He had celebrated his 50th birthday on Coll with us but sadly and unexpectedly he died of a heart attack less than a year later.

 We were soon in the Portuairk channel (which drains very quickly) and making...

 ...our way down through the rocks of the enclosed channel.

 Mike launched his sail and...

 ...soon we had just a final gap in the rocks to squeeze through before...

 ...we arrived on the open sea with a backdrop of low lying Muck with the mountains of Rum behind.

Soon Portuairk was slipping astern in our wakes but a gusty F3-4 SE wind got up and had too much east in it for Mike to sail to the east.

The offshore wind was holding the surf up as it broke steeply on the reefs. The spray was blowing over the backs of the waves. We realised there was not going to be much chance of landing further on...

...in this trip so we sneaked through a gap in the skerries into the sheltered water inshore and

 ...landed on Sanna Bay.

 It was a truly glorious day...

 ...and we stretched our legs for the last time in preparation for the long paddle to come.

Ian produced a dram of golden steadying liquid (Jura Superstition) and we toasted the voyage yet to come and great memories of our friend Jim.

Sea kayaking round Morvern

A three day, 114km paddle round the Morvern peninsula via Loch Linnhe, the Sound of Mull and Loch Sunart.

Sunset in Loch Drumbuie, an offshoot of Loch Sunart.

Tides:

Lynn of Morvern/Loch Linnhe
NE flood -0545 HW Oban ((+0110 HW Dover)
SW ebb +0025 Oban (-0505 HW Dover)

There are some peculiarities in the tides here.

A narrow stream of the flood tide entering the Lynn of Morvern hits the Morvern coast and then runs NE to Camas Chronaig where it continues to a point about 1.5km NW of Sgeir nam Tom. This stream runs at about 2.5 knots but elsewhere in the Lynn, the flood runs about one knot..

In the Lynn of Morvern, for the first 3-4 hours of a spring ebb, a SE going stream runs at about 4 knots (with a line of overfalls) from about 220m E off Rubha a'Mothair on the Morvern coast NM759411 to about 1100m NW of the SW tip of Bernera NM778392. Elsewhere in the Lynn the ebb runs about one knot.

Sound of Mull.
The flood tide goes NW and the ebb tide goes SE through the Sound.
At the NW end the flood runs for 7.5 hours and the ebb for 5 hours.
At the SW end the flood runs for 5.25 hours and the ebb runs for  7.25 hours.
The streams turn later and are stronger at the SE end.
Streams by the shores of the Sound turn 30mins earlier than in mid channel.

Throughout the Sound, by the shore,  the SE going ebb starts at approximately -0045 HW Oban (+0615 HW Dover)

The  NW going flood starts by the shore as follows working from NW to SE down the Sound:
Off Rubha nan Gall                 +0400 HW Oban (-0130 HW Dover)
Off Rubh' an t-Sean Chaisteil  +0500 HW Oban (-0030 HW Dover)
Opposite Eilean Glasa            +0600 HW Oban (+0030 HW Dover)
Off Rubha an Ridire               -0600 HW Oban (+0055 HW Dover)

At the SE of the Sound spring rates run up to 2 knots, elsewhere rates are about 1 knot with a bit more round headlands.

Loch AlineIn the entrance:
The in going flood -0525 HW Oban (+0135 HW Dover) 2.5 knots at springs.
The outgoing ebb +0040 HW Oban (-0450 HW Dover) 2.5 knots at springs

Loch Sunart
At the mouth of Loch Sunart the tide rotates through 360 degrees clockwise over 12.5 hours at generally less than one knot.
Within the loch the ingoing flood starts at -0500 HW Oban (+0200 HW Dover).
The outgoing ebb starts at +0130 HW Oban (-0400 HW Dover)
Spring rate is one knot except north of Carna and the entrances to Loch Teacuis 2.5 knots. At Laudale narrows the ingoing spring rate is 3 knots and the outgoing rate is 3.5 knots.

Day one.

Seakayakers, gypsies and bothy dwellers on Morvern.
A missed luncheon after a detour to Kingairloch?
The Boathouse, Kingairloch, Morvern
Between a rock and a hard place at Glensanda.
A bed of bluebells in the Sound of Mull.

Day two.

Trouble in the Isles
Taking the Sound of Mull to the Next World.
Mines a bacon butty in Lochaline!
A series of juxtapositions in the Sound of Mull.
Tobermory, what's the story?
Sardines and showers in Tobermory.
A barren point and fateful decision.
A banquet in Loch Drumbuie!

Day three.

Misty Morven morning.
Three jewels of Loch Sunart: Oronsay, Loch Teacuis and a buried diamond!
A post prandial doze under the ancient oak woods of Ardnamurchan.
Umbrellas in a sunny Loch Sunart.
All the essential sea kayaking elements round Morvern.















 

Umbrellas in a sunny Loch Sunart.

After lunch we continued westwards, deep into Loch Sunart. As we passed  Rubha Aird Earnaich we were passed...

...by the Ronja Pioneer, a live fish carrier, which was making her way up the Loch to a fish farm. Once she had loaded with fish she would make for the fish processing plant in Loch Creran.

A nice westerly breeze got up and I soon hoisted my Flat Earth sail.

Not to be outdone, David put his trusty brolly up.

It was a very pleasant cruise in the summer sunshine to another beach...

...on the Ardnamurchan shore.

We could hardly drag ourselves away from this lovely spot.

A post prandial doze under the ancient oak woods of Ardnamurchan.

From Loch Teacuis we crossed to the north shore of Loch Sunart...

...and landed at a lovely little beach under the ancient oak woods of Ardnamurchan.

David was a little too keen to land and he fell out of his cockpit, getting soaked in the process!

While David got changed, Phil and I started our luncheon. Out came oatcakes and a selection of fine mature cheeses, though we left the runnier French ones to David. All this was washed down with a variety of excellent malt whiskies.

After lunch we enjoyed a well deserved post prandial dose in the sun. We were disturbed only by the gentle lapping of the waves, some buzzing bees and David's snoring! Then the tide came in...

...reminding us we still had a fair distance to go!