Wilderness lost and found in Arisaig.

We journeyed west along the north coast of the Sound of Arisaig towards...

...Eilean a' Ghaill, from which we had set off on our crossing of the Sound, just the previous day. However, as is often the case on trips with such intense experiences as this one, it felt more like a week ago! We had intended camping at Port nam Murrach further up the coast but when we got there my heart sank when I saw a large party of kayaks in the bay complete with tents and a tipi on the machair.

Some were still afloat and I had a very pleasant chat with Mike, their experienced kayak tour guide from Wilderness Scotland. However, it no longer looked like the wilderness and I didn't fancy adding our tents to this burgeoning tented village. Wilderness Scotland are very responsible and leave the wild camp sites spotless but they do use the Sound of Arisaig wild campsites very heavily during the summer. The Land Reform Act Scotland allows wild camping but I can't help thinking that regular, commercial trips of this size (which target the same small number of honey pot sites) are not in the spirit of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which states: "Wild camping is lightweight, done in small numbers and only for two or three nights in any one place".

This is a photo from one of Wilderness Scotland's partner companies, Rockhopper. It is the wild camp site in Moidart, which we had used the night before. It shows 10 small tents and a large group tent. Wilderness Scotland say in their downloadable brochure "In order to minimise our impact, you will be asked to share a tent with another expedition member of the same sex".  That's very laudable but it makes a lot of people on a fragile spot. There will be even more next year. This year, Wilderness Scotland offered 3 five night wild camping kayak trips in the Sound of Arisaig area. In 2012 they are increasing this to 4 trips. One of the problems is that the experience level of their clients means that they only paddle about 12km per day so that means their trip is condensed into a small area and they use all of the decent camp sites in the area during the trip. Most camping sea kayakers will move about 30km between camp sites and on this day I covered about 50km.

If you want a wilderness experience in the Sound of Arisaig, the dates to avoid are: 2nd Jun - 7th Jun 2012,   30th Jun - 5th Jul 2012,   28th Jul - 2nd Aug 2012 and 1st Sep - 6th Sep 2012. Rockhopper are not advertising their 2012 overnight trips in the area yet but have one overnight trip left this year, 8th Oct - 9th Oct 2011. Of course they are not the only companies offering commercial trips in the area...

 We had a choice, either return to Eilean a' Ghaill or carry on back to Arisaig. The Arisaig option had some attractions. Although it was still over 10km away (round the skerries) it was nearly high tide and I could shave about 3km off that. I could paddle straight through the skerries and the tidal channel inside Eilean Ighe at the mouth of Loch Nan Ceall.  Another advantage was we would arrive about high water at 8:30pm, which would make recovery of the boats very easy as our cars, and Donald's static tent, were only about 25 meters from the HW mark. Decision made, Donald produced some snack bars to fuel the remainder of my 12.5 hour paddling day, then we were off, with the setting sun warming the clouds behind the Sgurr of Eigg.

We entered the South Channel of Loch nan Ceall together and marvelled at the back drop of the Skye Cuillin mountains beyond. Donald then kept to the main channel while I...

...slid through the skerries. The putter of his outboard soon died away and I was left in peace in this amazing place. The boats and the people gathering "spoot" shells had all gone. The sea birds were roosting for the night and even the seals had all slid off the rocks and were out of sight. Apart from the drip from my paddle blades and an occasional pip from an oyster catcher the world of the skerries was silent. I was now glad we had not set up camp on Port nan Murrach. I love paddling on my own in the evening.

As our journey neared its end, the evening mists curled round the jagged peaks of the Cuillin and I felt I had found the Wilderness again.

Thank goodness for sea kayaking!

In the summer holidays of 2010 my brother Donald joined Phil, Jennifer and I for a paddle round Gigha. At the time I was recovering from my knee operation and had great hopes I might be mountaineering again in 2011. So I said to him "next year we will go to the Cuillins". Sadly my optimism has not been matched by reality. So when he phoned from Arisaig, back in this year's August holidays,  I had to decline a mountain trip. Even the little Sgurr of Eigg at 393m was now beyond me. Fortunately sea kayaking is ideal for someone with a lower limb disability, so we decided to go for a boating trip from Portnadoran camp site instead. This photo shows the view from Portnadoran beach to the Skye Cuillin mountains rising into the clouds.

My little kayak on its trolley was easy to get down to the shore. Donald had a much tougher job as the boat and outboards was too heavy and the trailer sunk into the sand. He had to leave the outboards at the road end and then...

...go back to carry them down one by one. I couldn't help him so he was pretty worn out...

...by the time we got both boats to the water's edge.

At last we were ready to go. We were setting off for either one or two day's wild camping. The owner of the Portnadoran camp site was very helpful. He told Donald that if we got stuck anywhere, we could give him a ring and he would come and collect us. This was a very kind offer but we reassured him we hoped not to take advantage of his generous spirit.

At last we felt the freedom of the open sea, with the magnificent Rum Cuillin mountains on the horizon. I might not be climbing the Cuillin anymore, so thank goodness for sea kayaking!

A journey towards the edge of the World.

My journey north to St Kilda started at 17:30 after work last Friday. It was a slow drive due to the number of caravans and motor homes heading north. These vehicles carry such evocative names as  GT, Cheetah, Concorde (Mach 2 model), Monza, Le Mans etc. However, the road quietened after Fort William and by 21:30 I was watching the sun set behind Eilean Donan Castle.

I spent the night at Gordon and Morag Brown's new Skyak sea kayaking centre on Skye. After meeting some of the others, we spent a very convivial evening chatting and planning our adventure. We rose early the next morning and loaded the kayak trailer. We drove to the Calmac ferry terminal at Uig...

 ...and were soon enjoying the in flight entertainment. A large pod of dolphins were leaping out of the waters of the Minch.

 The Cuillin of Skye were soon slipping astern...

...to be replaced by the mountains of Harris as we entered Loch Tarbert.
 

We drove through the high mountains of Harris and descended to the wide open moors of Lewis. Lewis and Harris form the third biggest landmass in the British Isles after Britain and Ireland!

We had a long drive ahead of us to the little port of Miavaig in Loch Roag on the west coast of Lewis.

 Here we met the Cuma and her Skipper Murdani.

 Soon we were loading the kayaks onto the Cuma and our journey was about to begin. Murdani at the stern supervised the loading but he didn't seem to be quite himself. I overheard him say to the Gary the Cuma's mate " I don't like leaving without it." and "I know we have got plenty plastic ones but stainless steel would be better."

We set sail without it and with plenty plastic ones on board....

The lonely sea and the Skye

On Saturday which was the first day of the 9th Scottish Sea Kayaking Symposium on Skye, Jim Weir and I took of group of really nice folk out onto Loch Eishort on the north west of Skye's Sleat peninsula. At first the wind was a gusty force 4 southerly but the arrival of torrential rain soon killed the wind. The outline of Bla Bheinn, an outlier of the Cuillin ridge, can just be seen behind Nigel.


We launched at Ord and made our way east up the loch...


...past the delightful coral sands of Eilean Gaineamhach an Arda.


We were lucky enough to spot a pair of white tailed sea eagles. One of them had at least one faded orange or red wing tag.


The hills were running with torrents of water...


which poured over the beaches and into the loch.


I don't think anywhere does rain as well as Skye!

23/05/2009

9th Scottish Sea Kayak Symposium.

Organised by Gordon and Morag Brown, Duncan Winning and Ken Nichol and a myriad of supporters, the 9th Scottish Symposium was a great success. The range of activities was incredible and went ahead despite some pretty windy and wet weather. The event was also well supported by the trade, with a variety of stands and a huge demo fleet. Geoff and Anne from Kari-tek had even brought along a mobile shop!

The opportunity to test boats back to back is a great reason to visit a symposium. I spent an afternoon with my Nordkapp LV against the Sea Kayaking UK Pilgrim (Romany LV), Rockpool GT, P&H Cetus and Cetus LV. I edged them to the point of no return and did about 50 rolls. The wind was a gusty 5 to 6 offshore with flat water. I am 5'8" and 200lbs.

Sea Kayaking UK Pilgrim (Romany LV)
This is a small version of the classic Romany. It is designed for paddlers up to about 150lbs so I had to squeeze inh and I am really too big for it but I liked it straight away, it was so manoeuvrable. It had a nice low rear deck and the only sea kayak I have tried that was as easy to roll is the Anas Acuta. With my weight it did seem to have a limited top speed but it accelerated up to that very quickly. The finish on this boat was superb but I have to say that a demo Greenlander, one of my friends borrowed earlier this year, was not well finished round the cockpit and one of the compartments leaked. Despite much rolling, this one was dry as a bone. Smaller paddlers should definitely try a Pilgrim!

Rockpool GT
The finish on this boat was stunning, the work of a master craftsman. It is a bigger hull than the Alaw/Alaw Bach but not so large as the Menai 18. The usual Rockpool cockpit ergonomics were superb. As you might expect, it felt faster than the Alaws but slower than the Menai 18. It edged superbly but it didn't feel quite as responsive to turning as my daughter's Alaw Bach. However, as a boat to do it all, including having decent space for camping trips, it is pretty much unbeatable and a welcome addition to the Rockpool fleet.

P&H Cetus
Amazingly, I had not yet tried one! I like my trusty Quest too much! This is a big boat and the wide point is behind the paddler. However, it has a low foredeck and I was surprised how snug it was on the thighs, despite its size. The cockpit feels much smaller than the Quest LV but for most people that would just mean less padding. The stability on flat water was amazing, I think it will make a great platform for photography. You can hold it right on edge with none of the feeling of instability you get from a Quest at that angle. The Menai 18, which is also a big boat is equally stable on edge, so I was not too surprised about this. However, what did surprise me was how much the Cetus turned when on edge. Even in windy conditions I was nearly doing 360's with a sweep and single bow rudder. It is more manoeuvrable than the Quest and considerably more so than the Menai 18. Although the Cetus is very stable on edge, once you push it to the point of no return it goes very quickly. It rolls pretty well for a big boat but in comparison with the SKUK Pilgrim, it was a bit sluggish. In an afternoon of 50 or so rolls it was the only boat that I failed a roll in. Mind you I was getting tired and cold by that time!

I would need more time in controlled conditions to be sure, but I think its maximum sprint speed is faster than the Quest but slower than the Menai 18. In the strong wind it tracked very well and responsively to adjusting the skeg at various paddling angles to the wind. I am not sure if I like the new locking ratchet skeg adjuster. In the gusts I do not think it was as directionally stable as the Menai 18. The only waves were the ferry's wash but the v bottom of the Cetus did not seem to slam as much as the flat bottom of the Menai 18. The construction and finish on the Cetus was impeccable.

I was not expecting to like the Cetus as much as I did but it was so manoeuvrable that I wonder if it might make both a camping boat and a day boat. P&H have very kindly offered me a loan of one for a long term test and I look forward very much to that.

P&H Cetus LV
Everything I have said about the Cetus applies to the Cetus LV except that the LV is much smaller. I could hardly squeeze in. Despite its smaller size, I didn’t find the Cetus LV any more manoeuvrable than the Cetus. I think the Cetus LV is really for smaller paddlers who want a decent fit, rather than for big paddlers wanting more manoeuvrability. I noticed a very small paddler having a great time in this boat and he did not seem undully affected by the strong wind.

End of the day at end of the road, Ardnamurchan

It was a while after rounding Ardnamurchan Point before I felt safe enough to get the camera out again! Jim and I were really impressed with Phil's paddling round the Point, especially considering that he has only been paddling for six months (and most of that time was in a double).


Once we had left the disturbed waters of Ardnamurchan Point, the wind began to drop with the dying sun...


... until there was not a breath left as we paddled between the reefs on the north coast of Ardnamurchan.


Our keels finally kissed the sands of Portuairk again at 21:43 some 10.5 hours after we had launched.


We covered a total of 42km on the water. We packed up leisurely in the darkness and brewed up soup and coffee before leaving for the long drive home at 11pm. We arrived back in Glasgow at 03:30am on the Monday morning.

What a day! This is seakayaking!

10/05/2009

Rounding Ardnamurchan Point at sunset

If we had set off to round Ardnamurchan from Paradise Beach, we would have hit Ardnamurchan Point with a force 4 north wind against the peak flow of a north going spring tide. It would not have been particularly pleasant for Phil. By taking time out for an evening meal in Laorin Bay, the wind had dropped to force three and I reckoned that we would hit Ardnamurchan about 30 minutes after the tide had to to flow south again.

We decided to go for it and avoid that 7km walk from Kilchoan over to where we had left the car on the north of the peninsula! We set off for Ardnamurchan Point, 11km due north across the Sound of Mull.


On the way across the Sound of Mull, we spotted a familiar outline approaching. It was the Pharos, the Northern Lighthouse Board maintenance vessel.


We approached Ardnamurchan as the sun was setting. Muck, Rum, Skye and Eigg lay beyond the point.


Huge swells were coming in towards the point and the sun sank below the "horizon" several times before it finally disappeared. It was an incredible experience to be off the most westerly point of Britain at sunset.


Despite the favourable conditions, it proved to be quite lively round the point, particularly on its north side.

There is now a 20 minute gap in the photographs!

10/05/2009

Paradise found, on Mornish, Mull.

From Quinish we paddled SW across the mouth of Loch a' Chumhainn (Loch Cuin) and rounded Rhubha an Aird. The headlands on the north coast of Mull can be quite lively on a spring tide and we were not disappointed. As we explored further, we came across...


...this delightful cove which was hidden among the dark basalt cliffs and reefs of the Mornish coast.


This looked like an excellent spot to partake a second luncheon.


We made our way over white shell sands to the dunes at the back of the beach.


From here, the sea stretched away in shades of aquamarine, turquoise and finally ultramarine to distant Arnamurchan. Beyond the point, the islands of Muck, Rum Eigg and Skye crowded the horizon with soaring ridges. The lighthouse at Arnamurchan looked a long way away.

What a great spot this was to enjoy lunch with like minded friends. We felt we had escaped to Paradise!

10/05/2009

The fossil tree of Quinish, Mull

The rough black basalt rocks of the Quinish peninsula on the north coast of Mull make for a rough landing.


Fortunately we found a south facing cove protected by a reef. However the boulders were not just ankle breaking, they were knee breaking!


Looking south from Dun Ban to Dun Leathan on the shores of Loch Chumain, the red arrow points to the site (NM 40875,56026 ) of the Quinish fossil tree whose great trunk of basalt is lying just below the high water mark. It was discovered in 1984 by Peter MacNab. It is much less known than McCulloch's Fossil tree on Mull's Wilderness coast about which, I have posted previously.


From the top of Dun Ban, a natural defensive position, there was a fantastic view north to the Cuillin of Rum and Skye and Ardnamurchan Point.

10/05/2009

Dawn of the Storm Gathering

On the dawn of the storm gathering we awoke on the east coast of Skye. The distant mountains of Scotland were dark silhouettes against the pre-dawn sky.

"Red sky in the morning: shepherd's warning."

The Stornoway Storm Gathering lived up to this forecast with force five winds and big swell and surf conditions.