Sea Kayaking round Laggan peninsula Mull via Lochs Spelve and Buie

A 44km paddle from Ellenabeich on the Island of Seil across the Firth of Lorn and round the Laggan peninsula of Mull via Loch Spelve, freshwater Loch Uisg and Loch Buie, February 2010. This route takes you through part of Scotland's Great Glen Fault, which just clips SE Mull. It involves two portages and two open crossings. Although this was a day trip, it would make a fantastic multi day expedition. From Glasgow it takes about 2hrs 45minutes to drive to Ellenabeich.

Tidal streams in the Firth of Lorn south of the entrance to Loch Spelve run at 2 knots springs
NE going +0515 HW Oban -0015 HW Dover
SW going -0105 HW Oban +0555 HW Dover

Tidal streams at Loch Spelve entrance run at 3.5-4 knots springs
Ingoing -0530 HW Oban +0125 HW Dover
Outgoing +0015 HW Oban -0515 HW Dover
Strong eddies and overfalls

Tidal streams off Frank Lockwood's Island run at 1 knot springs
NE going +0430 HW Oban -0100 HW Dover
SW going -0115 HW Oban +0500 HW Dover
W going eddy to Loch Buie during NE stream


Loch Spelve


Loch Buie

Google maps, short by an Insh!

Dark volcanic sands of Mull.

A Lorn view at luncheon

The Loch Spelve welcoming committee.

Loch Spelve and its mysterious pier.

A sea kayaking milestone on Mull.

Sea kayakers get fresh on Loch Uisg, Mull

Lochbuie, his highlanders and an admirable port.

The road to Loch Buie.

Sea kayaking at sundown in Loch Buie.

A night crossing of the Firth of Lorn by kayak.


Photo album map.

A sea kayaking milestone on Mull.

At the head of Loch Spelve, Jennifer and Jim lugged the kayaks up to the road while I assembled the trolleys for our coming portage.


We were on the side road that runs round the south shore of Loch Spelve to the hamlet of Croggan past the even smaller hamlet of Barachandroman. This is of note as it is probably the longest single word place name in Scotland. It also has a good B&B which we would have used if we had got stuck on Mull. Leaving Barachandroman we soon came to a T junction.


We turned west on the main road from Craignure to Lochbuie. I was finding it hard going and the mile post proved to be a good excuse to stop for a break. I wondered how many sea kayaks or sea canoes had stopped here before. The current boom in sea kayaking has developed since the 1970's but before this, there was a long established activity of sea canoeing (often involving sails and portages) which had started towards the end of the 19th century. We were probably not the first!


The mile post was of cast iron and dated 1897, the year of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. It was manufactured by They were made by Smith, Patterson and Co of the Pioneer Foundry, Blaydon-on-Tyne, the firm existed from 1870 until 1954. I have seen more of their cast iron mile posts on the track between Drimnin and Doirlinn on the southern shore of Loch Sunart.


We came to Kinlochspelve parish church. It was built to a design by Thomas Telford in 1828. Beyond a glitter of water through the rhododendrons brought a sense of relief. The sea was still two miles away at Lochbuie and my knee was aching. What we had spotted was Loch Uisg, a freshwater loch 1.7 miles long....

Loch Spelve and its mysterious pier.

We paddled west into Loch Spelve and passed the few scattered houses at Croggan before arriving at...


...Croggan pier. I have no idea why such a large pier would have been built in such a remote spot. In the distance on the Scottish mainland, Ben Cruachan looked magnificent.


We were now heading towards the SW corner of Loch Spelve, a beautiful and remote environment.


The contrast between the open crossing of the Firth of Lorn and the mountains gathering round the head of Loch Spelve could not have been greater.

The Loch Spelve welcoming committee.

After our refreshments, we paddled the short distance to the narrow entrance to Loch Spelve. It was 11.18 and slack water was at 11.45. There was hardly a ripple in the channel and we proceeded unhindered by the tide.

Tidal streams at Loch Spelve entrance run at 3.5-4 knots springs with strong eddies and overfalls.
Ingoing -0530 HW Oban
Outgoing +0015 HW Oban


As we proceeded through the confines of the entrance, a fantastic vista of sky, mountain and loch opened beyond.


We passed evidence of abandoned settlements everywhere. The view was dominated by the steep slopes of Creach Beinn, 698m, behind which, we had watched the sun setting only 3 days before.


No sooner had we entered Loch Spelve than the welcoming committee swam out to greet us. Although the human inhabitants had long gone...


...this fine fellow of an otter swam right up to us, bold as brass! Jim was ever so pleased, he had not seen an otter before.