Showing posts with label Little Ross Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Little Ross Island. Show all posts

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Big skies on the Solway, October 2015

For those who would like to follow the thread of this great trip on the Solway from start to finish, I hope this index will be useful.

Setting off with a fair wind and tide on the Solway Firth.

Prospects at the three priapic pillars of Knockbrex.

The follies of Knockbrex and a convenient cave.

Buzzing walls and more follies at Castle Haven.

A couple of Rumblekirns and much friction between Scotland and England.

Erratic moments on the Mull of Ross, which should not be confused with the Ross of Mull.

Pleasant procrastination during our peregrinations round Slack Heuch Head.

Dark clouds gather above Little Ross, an island with a dark past.

No ghosts on Little Ross Island, despite its tragic past.

A shadow at dawn on Little Ross Island.

A rusty cock, mysterious symbols, dead heads, a high and dry ship and a shaded sundial on Little Ross Island.

Little Ross lighthouse, a lens and an alpine garden.

Gunfire, a lost Queen and a wreck in Kirkcudbright Bay.

A slippery approach to the graceful town of Kirkcudbright and the Selkirk Arms.

The Little Ross "tide race" was like a stroll in the park!

The sound of heavy guns and a mushroom cloud rising over the Solway.

The folly of not bringing a trolley to Barlocco.

Fiery matters at a Barlocco dawn.

A room with a view on Murray's Isles and anomalous petrol pumps.

A race against the tide at Corbies Cove.

A rocky epilogue in Corbies Cove.

Slow paddling mode at the end of our Solway trip.

A 64km trip from Fleet Bay. We started from a private caravan site in Fleet Bay but alternative starts with free parking could made from Carrick shore, Brighouse Bay (toilets) or Kirkcudbright (toilets) depending on the tide. There is a pay car park with toilet at Cardoness, (150m to HW mark). If you want a base in the area there is a great basic mobile caravan and camping site right on the beach at Newton Farm 01557 840234, there is no toilet block only an elsan disposal point. You can launch from half way in Fleet Bay 3 hours on either side of high water. Tide times at Hestan Island are a pretty good guide for most of this coast.

Friday, November 20, 2015

The Little Ross "tide race" was like a stroll in the park!

After our superb luncheon it was time to return to the bank of the Dee where the ebb tide was already running. We were not the only ones heading for the sea. B449, FV Mytilus from Belfast had already embarked from Kirkcudbright quay.

Once on the water it was apparent that the morning's wind (which we had battled against) had dropped...

 ...now we were going its way. However, we did have tidal assistance and it was not too long until we...

 ...passed St Mary's Isle and caught sight of...

 ...Little Ross Island again.

 The weather was really quite exceptional for October in Scotland.

 The Dundrennan Range was still firing so we kept well over to the west shore of the bay.

 Ian called the Range boat the MV Gallovidian III on the VHF to confirm our route.

In the Solway bays trees often descend right to the shore giving the impression that you are paddling in...

 ...a pond in a park but appearances can be deceptive as the open sea and 4 knot tides...

 ...are just round the corner.

As we approached the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay the wind picked up again but not one of the Robin Rigg wind turbines was turning. I wonder why...?

We entered The Sound at 8km/hr without paddling but there was no sign of any tidal action and so we decided to stop...

 ...on a rare pebbled beach opposite Little Ross for a short break. Due to the cliffs and reefs we would not be stopping again until we reached Castle Haven Bay some 20km from Kirkcudbright.

Because the north wind was with the ebb tide, the water in The Sound was flat as a pancake. This was a bit of a pity because...

...normally the ebb runs against the prevailing SW wind which stirs things up rather nicely like on this occasion...

...with Tony a couple of years before.

As it was, there was only the slightest riffle on the water as we cleared Fox Craig and left the sheltered waters of Kirkcudbright Bay for the open waters off the Solway coast.

Monday, November 16, 2015

A rusty cock, mysterious symbols, dead heads, a high and dry ship and a shaded sundial on Little Ross Island.

On our way up to the lighthouse we passed Little Ross cottages. At one time the lighthouse keepers' families lived on the island and helped support themselves by farming.

The weather cock had rusted solid as there was a strong north wind blowing.


The row of cottages was built on a steep slope so although the walls were vertical, their tops sloped downhill.

The first cottage was used as a smithy.


The sandstone blocks to the side of the fireplace had symbols carved into them.

I have no idea what they mean.

We proceeded down the sloping "street" to the bottom house where the gate was...

...secured by this beautiful brass latch inscribed NL which I think might be short for Northern Lighthouses.

Once through the gate we entered the former vegetable garden which the island's current owners now keep as a mixed garden. These thistles were just past flowering but...

...their seed heads were very decorative,

The lighthouse towers above the walls which shelter the allotment.

The owners have built a summerhouse on a boat shaped deck. Ian enjoyed a moment on the bow but this boat wasn't going to hit any icebergs.

It truly is a beautiful spot and the ship summer house has...

...a lovely view. On leaving we were careful to secure the door against any coming storms.

This old sundial was more decorative than functional as it was still in deep shade. Maybe its owner was a late riser?