Fair birlin' doon the loch to Castle Tioram.

We left Shoe Bay and set off up the South channel of Loch Moidart with both a fair wind and a flood  tide behind us. We were soon birlin' doon the loch at a most respectable rate of knots.

As we paddled deep inland, the loch narrowed and the wind dropped. To the south the land was relatively low lying and is where the outflow of River Sheil carries the fresh water from Loch Sheil into the salt water of Loch Moidart.

 To the north we were hemmed in by the rough slopes of Eilean Shona which fell steeply into the sea.

 Ahead and to the east, lay our next objective...

...Castle Tiorum (pron. Cheerum) whose ancient grey walls rise from the grey rocks of...

 ...the tidal island upon which it stands. On its NW side there is a sheltered cove, which at one time would have had...

 ...wooden birlinns, like this modern reconstruction, drawn up on its sands. Many think the Celtic birlinns were developed from Viking longships but it was actually the other way round. The Celts were using birlinns some 800 years before the time of the longships. Indeed, in his third book of the Gallic Wars, Julius Caesar describes them in detail and how they were superior to the Roman galleys.

 Today it was kayaks and an F-RIB rather than birlinns that drew up on the sands  below...

 ...the castle walls. Long gone castle defenders might have viewed our approach with some suspicion but we were intent on nothing more than...

 ...stopping for our fourth luncheon....

A little west of Eden.

26/03/2017

 From Smirisary we paddled south along the rugged coast of Moidart which...

...is split asunder by the straight and narrow north channel of Loch Moidart. The view through the channel to the SE leads to the summit of Garbh Bheinn (885m, "rough mountain") in Ardgour, some 30km distant.

To seaward the Sgurr of Eigg and the Rum Cuillin created a...

 ...jagged horizon between the calm blue Sea of the Hebrides and the clear blue sky.

 The western side of Eilean Shona completed the rugged landscape that contrasted with...

 ...the almost surreal and unseasonal calmness of the sea.

As we continued our passage south, the angle  between the Sgurr of Eigg and the more distant Rum Cuillin gradually reduced until our further progress was...

 ...blocked by our arrival at the the Ardnamurchan peninsula.

Our eyes had been drawn to the magnificent beach of Cul na Croise, which had been a live practice ground for the D-Day landings in WW2. At first it sounded like they were still practicing...

...as a helicopter flew back and forward overhead ferrying loads of gear out of the forest behind the dunes.  Until just 6 days before our arrival, this had been the site of Channel 4's ill fated reality TV show Eden. New Yorker magazine described it as "reality TV's wildest disaster". It makes interesting reading. It turned into something pretty dark, nearer Lord of the Flies than Big Brother.

For some peace and quiet we decided to head further west towards Camas an Lighe and on the way...

...found a quieter corner with an incredible view...

....to the Small Isles and...

...their jagged mountains which made a stunning location for...

...second luncheon, albeit a little west of Eden.

From one paradise to another.

We left the delights of Shoe Bay on Eilean Shona and paddled the short distance to the mouth of the South Channel of Loch Moidart. We turned north up the exposed west coast of Eilean Shona. Now we were well and truly on the open sea, what a contrast to the confines of Loch Shiel!

 At first we had a little wind to assist us but it soon died away leaving...

 ...an uneven slop as...

 ...we paddled north.

 We kept a respectful distance from the headlands as there was still a heavy swell.

 Then we cleared the north end of Eilean Shona and paddled across...

...the wide mouth of the North Channel of Loch Moidart.

This channel connects to the south channel through narrows which stretched away as far as the eye could see.

As we drew closer we could just make out a wisp of smoke coming from one of the old cottages on the track to Baramore.

 Then we saw the delights of another white shell sand beach at Port Achadh an Aonaich.

 Although we had not come far from Shoe Bay it seemed churlish not to stop at such a beautiful spot.

 We climbed to the machair above the beach and enjoyed the wonderful vista to...

 ..the south from whence we had come and to...

 ...the north where we were heading.

As the sun swung inexorably  round we had to drag ourselves away from this wonderful spot.

Shoe Bay, Eilean Shona.

 At the west end of Eilean Shona when the tide is in there is a passageway behind some reefs.

 As you become enclosed by the rocky walls the water shallows and...

 turns green then turquoise

 At the head of the channel a turn to the right reveals...

 ...one of the most picturesque sandy coves on the Scottish west coast..

 Though it bis not named on any map...

 ...those in the know call it Shoe Bay because as you go higher up the beach it becomes very soft and you are at risk of loosing your shoes!

 It was the most pleasant place to stop for an extended luncheon which...

...we enjoyed with a snifter of Jura malt overlooking the beauty of Moidart and the distant Ardnamurchan peninsula.

Mariners once more, on Loch Moidart.

We relaunched into the sea waters of Loch Moidart below...

 ...the falls in the River Shiel. Partly as penance for portaging we played for a bit breaking in and out of the jet of water which was pouring into the loch from the cascade.

 To our right were the houses of the Lochshiel Estate and...

...to our left a great spit of sand and shingle which has been brought down the River Shiel  and deposited here but...

 ...what really held our attention was straight ahead...

 ...the wonderfully situated Tioram Castle sitting on its tidal island. Once we cleared the spit we hoisted our sails for a beat down the loch to its mouth. I used the forward fin in the Aries with devastating effect as the others dropped away downwind.

 We were heading for the south shore of Eilean Shona as a counter eddy meant we did not have to plug  against the incoming tide in mid channel.

 We were not the only ones heading west. This couple in a Canadian canoe made good progress in the shelter of the inner loch but as soon as they hit the tide and wind they fell far behind.

 Meanwhile we were revelling in being back on the sea and before long had reached...

...the west end of rugged Eilean Shona. At one time it was scattered by little communities now long gone. Can you spot this house?