Showing posts with label calendar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label calendar. Show all posts

Saturday, January 03, 2015

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2015.

Welcome to the 11th annual sea kayaking desktop calendar from seakayakphoto.com! Like 2013, my 2014 has had somewhat restricted paddling. Recovering from several major health problems, caring for my mother in her final illness and then being executor to her estate have all taken their toll on my paddling time. However, what paddling I was able to do was of the finest order and with the best of friends and so quality has made up for quantity. This year all the photos are taken in local waters, all a short drive from home. You can follow the links to Dropbox and download  high resolution photos for your computer or tablet desktop wallpaper in either 4x3 or 8x5 format.

January.
Leaving Portencross Castle before mid winter dawn. Short winter days in Scotland mean an early start and we often launch and land in the dark. From Portencross, we have set off for the islands of the Firth of Clyde: the Great and Little Cumbraes, Bute, Inchmarnock and Arran. Each is a unique adventure.
Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.
Link to 4:3 desktop 2048 x 1540.

February.
Paddle sailing on a winter crossing to Arran. Our 30km route took us via Garroch Head on Bute then on this fabulous 11 km crossing to Sannox at the north end of Arran. This must be one of the most scenic rossings in Scotland. In winter we arrive in Brodick after sunset then get the ferry back to Ardrossan.
Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.
Link to 4:3 desktop 2048 x 1540.

March.
Setting off from the reefs of Lendalfoot on the 14km crossing to the isolated and uninhabited granite island of Ailsa Craig. It lies in an exposed position and the nearest point of land is Lendalfoot. Weather conditions can change rapidly here and we had wind against tide conditions on our return. I capsized while paddle sailing across the Bennane Head tide race about a kilometre offshore. Even though it was sunny and I was back paddle sailing in only a few minutes, I was glad I was wearing a dry suit as the water temperature was only 9C. Anyway it did not put me off returning to Ailsa Craig a further two times (three times in all) in 2014.

April.
We set off across the Kilbrannan Sound from Kintyre to Arran in thick, gloomy fog. It unexpectedly began to clear when we were about 3/4 of the way across. It was like paddling between a day of two halves.
Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.

May.
Pinks and plantains at Pladda. The delightful island of Pladda lies off the southern tip of its much larger neighbour Arran. It is protected by swirling tides but with its Stevenson lighthouse and teeming bird life, is a joy to visit. There are so many nesting birds covering the ground (and the lighthouse cottages are a private residence) that it would not be easy to camp there in the nesting season. We usually camp at nearby Kildonan on Arran

June.
The heather growing on Brown Head on Arran means that it is indeed usually brown. However, in early summer, fresh fronds of bracken add a splash of green. The waters are delightfully clear and on this June day warm enough for swimming in a little bay beyond the head. We passed this way twice this year. Once on a clockwise circumnavigation of Arran in March and once en route from Kintyre to Ailsa Craig in June.
July.
Ailsa Craig is a haven for breeding birds the SW and W cliffs soar steeply from the sea and their high ledges are host to tens of thousands of gannets, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. Lower down there are colonies of puffins, shags and cormorants. This congregation of cormorants had gathered at Ashydoo Church. No visitor to Ailsa Craig should forget to bring a broad brimmed hat.

August.
Cleats Shore on Arran enjoys some fine views like this one to Ailsa Craig, some 23 km to the SE. It is also one of the few naturist beaches in Scotland. There was no one there on our visit so Ailsa got our full and undivided attention.

September.
We often see the PS Waveley on our travels. She was built in Glasgow in 1947 for the Craigendorran to Arrochar run but was retired in 1974. Since 1975 she has been operated as a tourist attraction and is now the last sea going paddle steamer in the World. We saw her to the north of Arran in the Sound of Bute in the evening calm that followed a very windy and wet paddle up the Kilbrannan Sound. She is one of our larger fellow paddlers!
Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.

October.
Back in October I paddled out into Wigtown Bay beyond the Islands of Fleet. The wind steadily dropped to nothing but these strange clouds bubbled up from the Machars peninsula and drifted over distant Burrow Head at the mouth of the Bay.

November.
Paddle sailing is a whole heap of fun. This is going through the tide race off the south end of Pladda. If you only make one sea kayaking resolution in 2015, it should be to give paddle sailing a try!

December.
As the winter sun set behind Great Cumbrae and Arran, Duncan Winning and I enjoyed a long chat about kayaking history. At last we went our separate ways as darkness fell. In 1964 Duncan made the first accurate drawings of the kayak Ken Taylor brought to Scotland in 1960 from Illorsuit in West Greenland. This kayak which was made by Emanuele Korniliussen in 1959 is now in the Kelvingrove museum in Glasgow, Scotland. Duncan's drawings were used to create the Anas Acuta, which was a great influence in what was to become the British style of recreational touring sea kayak.
Link to 4:3 desktop 2048 x 1540.

I wish all readers of seakayakphoto.com a great paddling year in 2015 and thank you for visiting.
Douglas Wilcox.

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2014.

I wish a very Happy New Year and a great 2014 paddling season to all visitors to seakayakphoto.com. As way of a celebration of the last year and in anticipation of sea kayaking adventures yet to come, here is the 10th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar from seakayakphoto.com. I apologise for its late arrival. Neither my computer nor myself have been in the best of health.

As in past calendars, all the photos were taken during the previous year (2013). Unfortunately I have not been paddling over the last 6 months so the choice of photos has been more limited than previous years. Nevertheless I have been able to choose photos from north and south of Ardnamurchan Point, the Inner Hebrides, the North Channel, the Firth of Clyde and the Solway Firth.


January.
The Little Cumbrae lighthouse in the Firth of Clyde proved surprisingly popular despite being in the depths of winter. We met friends from the Drumchapel and Clydebank Kayak Club there.

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Link to 4:3 desktop 2048 x 1540.

February.
Rubha Carrach is on the exposed northern coast of Ardnamurchan. This coast is not paddled as often as it should be. Most circumnavigators of the British mainland cross to Eigg or Rubh' Arisaig on their headlong dash north. Paddlers staying in the area are faced with a circumnavigation of the whole Ardnamurchan peninsula if they only have one car, or a very long shuttle (over very slow single track) if they have two cars.

Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.
Link to 4:3 desktop 2048 x 1540.

March.
Glenuig Bay opens into the Sound of Arisaig and views extend along the Ardnamurchan peninsula and to Muck and the other Small Isles. One of the great joys of winter paddling is returning in the dark!


April.
The north coast of Rum in the Sea of the Hebrides is a wild place. This is the sad wreck of the Jack Abry II, a French trawler that ran on to the rocks here just before midnight on the 31st January 2011. Fortunately, despite a gale and the surrounding cliffs and mountains, all 14 men on board were airlifted to safety by the Stornoway coastguard helicopter.


May.
The Mull of Kintyre is a rather committing paddle. The tide was moving at  6 knots and even in benign conditions there was no landing for 25km. It sticks out into the North Channel which separates Scotland from Ireland. On this misty day there was no sign of Ireland and we felt like we were paddling round the edge of the World.

Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.

June.

Kylie the dolphin can often be found near Ardlamont buoy at the
mouth of the the Kyles of Bute.
July.
Murray's Isles lie in the mouth of Fleet Bay on the Solway Firth. In early summer they host noisy colonies of cormorants and gulls. The cormorants need to keep a watchful eye on their eggs and chicks as the gulls swoop down on any unguarded nest. It is a wonderful experience to drift in the tide past the colonies in kakak and watch, hear and smell the constant activity.


August.
Nothing can be finer than paddling across the mouth of Loch Fyne on a summer evening.

September.
The surf beach at Machrihanish is exposed to the North Atlantic swell and extends for over 6 kilometers. It is probably wise not to surf a fully laden sea kayak in amongst the surfers. The dune system behind the beach is one of the largest in Scotland.


October.
Shoe Bay is easily missed as it is hidden in the skerries at the mouth of Loch Moidart. The name comes from the very soft sand which swallows footwear!


November.
The dramatic outline of An Sgurr is the highest point of Eigg in the Sea of the Hebrides.

Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.

December.
This is the view to the Small Isles from the silver sands of Morar Bay.  The bay is shallow and tidal and in a westerly wind, steep breaking waves build up as the ebb tide rushes over sandbars. On this trip the wind was from the east and all was calm.

Link to 8:5 desktop 1920 x 1200.

Tuesday, January 01, 2013

Seakayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2013.

I wish a very Happy New Year to all visitors to seakayakphoto.com. As way of a celebration of the last year and in anticipation of sea kayaking adventures yet to come, here is the 9th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar from seakayakphoto.com.

As in past calendars, all the photos were taken during the previous year (2012). Despite having been retired for a year now, I have not been able to explore wide new horizons as I had once dreamed. Increasing disability has somewhat restricted  the areas in which I have managed to paddle. This year all the photos are from my local waters of the Firth of Clyde and The Solway Firth. Far from feeling sorry about this, I have felt blessed to have the freedom to enjoy exploring my own doorstep. I am so grateful for the assistance of my friends in getting me to and from the water. My daughter Jennifer chose the photos for each month of the calendar.

2013 cover shot. This is paddle sailing at its best: sun, wind, tide and big skies, on a trip round the Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde.


January.  A cold east wind sped us from Maidens to Seafield with the snowy mountains of Arran on the far side of the Firth of Clyde.


February. Some gentle swell made for interesting exploration of the rock channels of Bennane Head on Ayrshire's Atlantic Coas, Firth of Clyde.


March. Looking back to Glen Sannox after a misty crossing of the Sound of Bute, Firth of Clyde.



April. Sunset in the Kilbrannan Sound, Firth of Clyde. It was dark when we reached our camp site but the experience of night slowly gathering round you on a calm night is unmissable.


May. Clear waters in Catacol Bay, Firth of Clyde make a great place to stop for a second breakfast.


June. Rounding Bennan Head on Arran, one of the impressive headlands in the Firth of Clyde.

July. Safe haven on a granite boulder reef at Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde.


August. Summer rain, Fleet Bay, Solway Firth.


September. Waiting for the tide, Isles of Fleet, Solway Firth.


October. Enjoying the freedom of the seas in Wigtown Bay, Solway Firth.


November. Taking a break in Bracken Bay, Firth of Clyde.


December. Seakayak sailing to Dunure with Ailsa Craig on the horizon, Firth of Clyde.


I hope you find something to inspire you to paddle in your local waters. Finally....




Thursday, January 12, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 December.

Ailsa Craig at sunset from the Ayrshire coast near Dunure.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

This was the end of a glorious winter day when Tony, Phil and I set off from Seafield at Ayr and paddled past three castles of Carrick (Greenan, Dunure and Culzean) to Maidens. The photo was taken while running the shuttle at the end of the day. To the left of Ailsa Craig you can just make out Ireland. To the right you can see the Mull of Kintyre.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop calendar 2012 November.

STS Europa sails from Greenock south down the Firth of Clyde towards Arran before turning west into the Sound of Bute.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Phil, Tony and I chose to view the parade of sail (as the tall ships left Greenock en route for Shetland) from the north west side of the Little Cumbrae. While we waited, we fished for some mackerel and cooked them on the beach. We did what generations of Clyde-siders have done. We went doon the watter for some fish and ships!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 October.

Balephuil Bay on the SW coat of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

David, Phil and I enjoyed unbroken sun on our visit to Tiree. We circumnavigated the island in an anticlockwise direction in F4 to F5 NE winds. Being on the SW side of the island this was where we enjoyed most shelter. The SW faces the prevailing wind and is usually very exposed. The combination of clear water, shell sand and weed covered reefs creates wonderful patterns of turquoise and ultramarine on this coast,

Monday, January 09, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 September

Ben Cruachan from the Firth of Lorn.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Phil, Jennifer and I were crossing From Loch Buie on Mull (where we had camped) to Ellenabeich on Seil. We had set off in a force 4 north easterly, with the wind shrieking round the cliffs of Mull. Half way across the Firth of Lorn the wind dropped to nothing before picking up from the SW again as we approached Seil. 

Sunday, January 08, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 August.

In the lee of Soay, St Kilda Archipelago.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

After leaving Village Bay on Hirta, we explored Dun and the south and west coasts of Hirta. We then met with the MV Cuma and boarded her for lunch in the lee of Soay. Afterwards we paddled across the open Atlantic to Boreraray, which is just visible on the horizon beyond the stacs in the Soay Hirta gap.

Saturday, January 07, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 July

The Great Cave of Boreray, St Kilda Archipelago.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Liz Willis paddles out of the cave, as Simon Willis films from the bow of MV Cuma, during the filming for Sea kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2. In the middle distance, Stac Lee rises straight from the sea. The gap between Hirta and Soay (from which we had paddled) is on the horizon.
 

Friday, January 06, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 June.

Seilg Geodha, Dun, St Kilda Archipelago.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Seilg Geodha is a narrow fissure on the NE coast of Dun. It leads right through the island to a large cavern which exists onto the SW side of the island. This cave was used as shelter by the St Kildans when they were fishing at night. In the evening they would leave Village Bay and sail or row up to 5km off the SW coast of Dun and leave baited lines attached to floats. They would return to this cave and spend the night in its shelter before returning for their catch in the morning.

This photo was taken during the filming for Sea kayak with Gordon Brown Volume 2. It shows Gordon, Donald Thomson (who led the first return trip to St Kilda by sea kayak) and Calum McKerral. It was a very special sea kayaking trip.

Thursday, January 05, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 May.

Port Mona, Mull of Galloway, North Channel.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

This was a wonderful day in early summer when Jennifer, Jim W, Phil and I paddled round the Mull of Galloway from East Tarbert to Port Logan. Port Mona is an isolated beach, guarded by steep cliffs, strong tides and swell. It is a privilege to visit such places.

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 April

Sundown behind Garroch Head, Bute, Firth of Clyde.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

This photo was taken at Gull Point at the south end of Little Cumbrae. Jennifer, Phil, Tony and I met up with some members of the Castle Craig Club including Harvey, Zoe and others from the SE of Scotland. We left from Portencross for a circumnavigation of Little Cumbrae. The slow sunset gradually faded to darkness by the time we had reached the north of the island. We crossed the navigational channel by hopping directly across from the port channel buoy to the starboard. 

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 March.

March, Dippen Head, Arran Firth of Clyde.

This was on the last day of a fantastic circumnavigation of Arran with David. We were able to use the sails for nearly half of the trip.The headland is composed of Tertiary olivine basalt cliffs.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Monday, January 02, 2012

Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012 February.

February, Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde.

The 8th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar is available from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

Sunday, January 01, 2012

Seakayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2012.


I wish a Happy New Year to all visitors to seakayakphoto.com. As way of a celebration of the last year and in anticipation of sea kayaking adventures yet to come, here is the 8
th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

As usual, all the photos were taken in 2011, even though my sea kayaking activities have been restricted by increasing disability this year.

January, Carrick coast, Firth of Clyde.

The other months will follow soon!