Oa speak no evil

As we paddled the west coast of the Mull of Oa under the steady rain, there was no sound apart from the steady hiss of raindrops drops hitting the water. We discovered the reason for the silence when we came to Shhhhh... Rock. It has a wonderful window or natural arch.


The rivers, fed by the rain, were cascading over the cliffs and...


... tumbling straight into the sea like this waterfall on, the Abhainn Alt Astail.


We now entered a small bay with a group of incredible caves clustered round its head. Until now the rock scenery of the west coast of Islay's Mull of Oa had been dominated by stacks, now it was the turn of caves.


A waterfall was pouring down through a crack in the roof of this cave.

The most southerly Gargoyles in all of the Hebrides

It was pouring with rain when we left the beach below Lower Killeyan.


The mist came right in and obscured the far side of Loch Indaal, leaving the dark shapes of the stacks isolated from the rest of the landscape.


It was an eerie feeling to be paddling in such an isolated environment as we lost sight of each other in the vonvoluted rocky channels between the cliffs and stacks.


From the headland north of the beach we looked northwards to a series of bold headlands, one after the other, culminating in Dun Mor Ghil in the distance.


A little later, we looked back, from just south of Dun Mor Ghil, to the monument on the now distant Mull of Oa which still towered above the intervening sea stacks.


Rocky gargoyles looked down on us from the rain soaked heights of Dun Mor Ghil.


Back at sea level, partially submerged rocks betrayed the strength of the current in these parts, indeed, some of the headlands required a determined effort to pass.

It might have been raining, but we knew we were in sea kayaking heaven, here on Islay's Oa peninsula, the most southerly point in all of the Hebrides.

Oa what a paradise!

After our long paddle round the Oa peninsula, it was a great relief to find this small sliver of sand in a gap between the unrelenting dark rocks below Lower Killeyan farm.


In this little piece of paradise, we enjoyed a well deserved luncheon on the flat rocks next to the kayaks. Misha and Jennifer then went off to explore the cliffs to the south of the beach. They found a lean-to bothy near the mouth of a cave. Unfortunately a goat had chosen it as its last resting place, which somewhat diminished its attractiveness as a shelter from the rain that started to fall. You can see more of Misha's B&W photos from this trip over on his blog.


I decided to stay where I was and hobbled round trying to get...


...a nice photo of this stunning beach on the west coast of the Mull of Oa.


Despite the clouds and rain I think this beach is one the best we have found anywhere on our travels.

The surf forecast for the day was 3.5 to 4 feet and I had been concerned, in case we were going to have a difficult landing here. Fortunately the bay is screened by many stacks and islands and the strong current that runs to the south, between them, stopped the swells entering the bay. Given the strong currents, this would not be the ideal bay for some sea swimming!

Going with the flow, round the Mull of Oa!

The dolphins eventually got bored with us and headed off to the main race, which was now a distance offshore. For the first time we saw the still distant Mull of Oa itself, capped by its prominent monument.


To the east of Sgeirean Buidhe there had been surprisingly little current but, as we approached the rocks at the foot of the point, our speed accelerated and we were blasted through a gap in the reef. Needless to say my camera was put away! The water was damming up on the east side and there was a distinct slope down to the west. By staying in close, we avoided the really confused part of the race that ran in a westerly direction from the point. We were here at 11:55, just 24 minutes after predicted slack water. I have no doubt that the flow inshore turns at least an hour before the main flow further offshore. If it was just a counter eddy, I would not have expected much movement so close to slack water.


Once beyond Sgeirean Buidhe we were again out of the main race.


The foot of this great blade of rock is riddled with caves and rock arches.


We were now approaching the Mull of Oa itself. Again, the current picked up on our approach.


We whistled past the rocks below the American Monument. It was erected in 1920 to commemorate American service men who had lost their lives when two troop ships sank off the Oa in WW1.

The inscription on the monument reads:

Sacred to the Immortal Memory of those American Soldiers and Sailors Who Gave Their Lives for Their Country in the Wrecks of the Transports 'Tuscania' and 'Otranto' February 5th 1918 - October 6th 1918

This Monument was Erected by The American National Red Cross near the spot where so many of The Victims of The Disasters Sleep in Everlasting Peace

On Fame's Eternal camping ground
Their silent tents are spread
While Glory keeps with solemn round
The bivouac of the dead



The race off the Mull of Oa was bouncy rather than confused and once through it, we entered a broad but smooth stream of water moving at 10km/hr towards the distant Rhinns of Islay race, on the other side of Loch Indaal. Our next task was to break out of this stream and start making our way up the incomparable west coast of the Oa peninsula.

Sea kayaking with dolphins at the Mull of Oa

Beneath the great rock fin of Sgeirean Bhuidhe at the Mull of Oa, a dorsal fin broke the surface of the sea.


In this wild place we were the sole witnesses...


...of an amazing display by a pair of bottlenose dolphins.


Sadly both were scarred...


...by small high rpm propellers. I have reported this siting to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust. I hope they will be able to identify these individuals.


Their past experience did not put them off entertaining us.


Their party trick was bring up rocks with kelp roots in their beaks...


...tossing them in the air then whacking them with their tails.


They dived beneath each of us in turn and they surfaced so close that we could have touched them. Clearly they were very curious about sea kayaks. I don't suppose they see much mid week winter sea kayaking in these parts! I am pretty sure that we have seen these particular dolphins before, off the southern end of Shuna and to the east of Cara.


Just amazing!

PS there are more dolphin photos over on Misha Somerville's blog. In one of Misha's photos there are three dolphins though I thought there were only two!

The point of no return, Rubha an Leacan to Gob an Rubha Dhuibh, Oa, Islay

As we approached Rhuba nan Leacan at the SE corner of the Mull of Oa it was 11:19 and should have been slack water as the NW flow was not due to start until HW Dover i.e. 11:31. However, the flood was already established and we had to quickly decide whether to commit to rounding the Oa. I had to put my camera away as the point was pretty rough. The water was being squeezed through a gap between the headland and a reef and the water level was about two feet different on either side. We slid down the slope and wetted our faces in a series of standing waves beyond. There would be no return!


However, the action did not last long and in the bay beyond, there was only a gentle current.


We felt very isolated below the great cliffs of the Beinn Mhor which became higher and bolder with each paddle stroke.


Looking back towards Rubha nan Leacan, the horizon was empty until the distant coast of Jura.


The scale of the place was awesome and we felt very small...


and very alone as we passed under Gob an Rubha Dhuibh.


Then we realized, we were not quite alone...

The SE coast of the Mull of Oa, Islay

From the lighthouse we started our exploration of the remote SE coast of Islay's Oa peninsula. We entered a wild world of offshore stacks, with names like Am Plodan, and this one, An Ganradh; The Gander.


For the most part, the land plunged steeply into the sea making it a remote and trackless coast.


There were only occasional breaks in the line of rock such as here, at the delightful Port an Eas. The landing of the waterfall.


The rain and sleet showers sometimes relented giving a blink of sun as we made our way along the coast towards Rhuba nan Leacan, which was the start of the Mull of Oa tide race.


The NW flow is said to start at HW Dover which was at 11:31. We were still an hour before HW Dover and would have expected an adverse current but, with little effort, we were making between 7 and 8km/hr between the skerries and stacks along the shore. Either there was an eddy or the tide turns earlier close to the shore....

Oa what a beautiful morning, Oa what a beautiful day!

We drove off the ferry and parked a short way along the broad sweep of Traigh Gheighsgeir, the white sand beach on Port Ellen's NW shore.


We were on the water by 10:07. In the background the White Hart Hotel reminded me of an incident when we were unable to purchase an Islay Malt in a licensed premises on the island!


No sooner were we on the water than a downpour of cold sleety rain fell from a darkening sky. The forecast wall to wall winter sun bore little relationship to the actual weather here on the Oa!


Our first way point was the Carraig Fhada lighthouse which guards the entrance to Kilnaughton Bay. As you can probably tell from the architecture, this is not a Stevenson lighthouse. It was built by David Hamilton and Son in 1832. It was taken over by the Northern Lighthouse Board in 1924. From the SE, the correct approach shows a white sector which is flanked by red and green sectors. The light flashes every 3 seconds.

Beyond the light, headland after headland disappeared into the greyness of the day and towards the Mull of Oa.


The Laird of Islay, Walter Campbell commissioned the lighthouse in 1832 in memory of his wife, Lady Eleanor Charteris, who died that year when she was only 36.

Walter had this poem about Eleanor inscribed in a large plaque above the lighthouse door:

Ye who mid storms and tempests stray in
dangers midnight hour.
Behold where shines this friendly ray and
hail its guardian tower.

Tis but faint emblem of her light my fond
and faithful guide.
Whose sweet example meekin bright led
through this worlds eventful tide my happy course aright.

And still my guiding star she lives in realms
of bliss above.
Still to my heart blest influence gives and
prompts to deeds of love.

Tis she that bids me on the steep kindle this
beacons flame.
To light the wanderer o`er the deep who safe
shall bless her name.

So may sweet virtue lead your way that
when life`s voyage is o`er.
Secure like her with her you may attain the
heavenly shore.

We were quite anxious not to encounter storms and tempests on our trip round the Oa!