A rocky epilogue in Corbies Cove.

From Corbies' Cove it was a short paddle to the contorted rocks of Ravenshall Point.

 It was near HW and we were able to make our way through several rocky channels to...

 ...the NW side of the point where this rather fine arch is situated.

 At this point we turned back towards...

 ...Corbies' Cove where the sand below the waterfall was now well under water.

As we paddled east we dallied at almost every corner...

 ...it was so warm that many Red Admiral butterflies were warming themselves on the rocks just inches from the sea.

 We really did not make rapid progress as we looked for any excuse to divert into...

 ...every nook and cranny.

We came across this rather fine cave that stretched in as far as the eye could see.  I am pretty sure this would have been used by the many smugglers that used to frequent this coast.

This section of coast at high tide is a real treat, the gaps between the rocks become ever smaller!

Along this coast most of the rock is Silurian greywacke sandstone but there are a few volcanic dolerite intrusions, like this one, complete with gas bubbles. Our trip to the Solway was nearly over as just round the corner we would pass a series of caravan sites but what a wonderful rocky epilogue Corbies Cove had proved to be.

Pleasant procrastination during our peregrinations round Slack Heuch Head.

 From the Mull of Ross we crossed Fauldbog Bay as the sun was fast sinking to the west.

 We explored the rocky recesses among the stacks at the...

 ...foot of the Slack Heugh cliffs where we...

 ...found a blow hole which reverberated...

 ...deep within our chests as the compressed air was blown back through the swell.

 We soaked up the atmosphere as we drifted along the coast. The low warm light made the most of the cliff's contorted features and...

 ...yellow lichen covered rocks.

This was a truly beautiful October evening in a...

....stunning location.

As we entered Slack Heugh Bay a flash of...

...wings revealed the presence of a peregrine falcon.

Still we procrastinated and we were not yet round the Kokatat yellow cliffs of Slack Heugh Head. The autumn night was nearly upon us...

Read more procrastinations on Ian's blog here.

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

 We left Castle Haven with a fair wind, a...

 ...following tide and the sun sparkling on the shimmering Solway sea.

Passing Kirkandrews we saw the trailers and launch site of the two Campbeltown fishing boats we had seen earlier.

We had left the granite rock of the Galloway hills far behind and were now paddling past layers of Silurian sandstone which had originally been formed at the bottom of the Lapetus Ocean when Scotland was situated near the equator.

As England collided with Scotland the horizontal layers on the ocean floor were folded up and many became vertical such as here at Rumblekirn. A Rumblekirn is a cave with a blowhole at its back.

Below half tide this coast is a maze of reefs with sharp fangs of rock formed by the vertical strata ready to rip the bottom out of any boat. The steamship Ormsa stranded near hear in 1907 but the coast is literally littered with the wrecks of wooden 19th century smacks, sloops and schooners.

Above half tide you can paddle into Duncan's Cave and behind the nearby Little Pinnacle but we had to settle with a...

 ...view from further out.

Dove Cave can be entered only at high tide and these cliffs are indeed home to rock doves. There are also a pair of peregrine falcons here though we did not see them (We would see another peregrine further round the coast).

 Once we rounded Borness Point we left the Isles of Fleet behind and ahead we could see...

 ...the coast of Cumbria in England which was 40 kilometers distant with the hills of the Lake District rising behind.

 We came to a second Rumblekirn and could see through the blowhole at its back.

We paddled into a deep geo behind Rumblekirn and could see where the blow hole exited but could not approach due to the low tide.

The walls of of the geo were impressively vertical as they soared upwards towards the sky. Who would have thought that there had been so much friction between Scotland and England? 

Read more on Ian's blog here.

The follies of Knockbrex and a convenient cave.

 From the three priapic pillars of Knockbrex we set off along the...

...rocky Solway coast until we arrived...

 ...at a delightful stretch of shell sand backed by a castellated folly.

We stopped for a second time to...

 ...explore what was an early 20th century bathing house. A folly in Galloway is known as a "coo (cow) palace" and this was a good example with...

 ...the remains of a stone and iron pier extending into the Solway.

 The folly has a beautiful view over to Barlocco Isle and the distant mountains of the Isle of Man. It was built by James Brown who was a wealthy Manchester merchant. He retired to nearby Knockbrex House  in 1895. Until he died in 1920, he spent much of his fortune building a series of gardens, walls, buildings and follies around the estate.

The jagged reefs of this coastline were the scene of many shipwrecks but it was also used by smugglers who would have found...

...this to be a most convenient cave for concealing contraband from the customs cutters. For many years the entrance was concealed by a thick growth of ivy but a storm a few years ago tore it away.

The cave has a dry level floor and would make excellent shelter in a storm.

This part of the Solway was a lawless place not only frequented by smugglers but also by pirates. We decided to reenact walking the plank. Was this to be a folly on Ian's part?

Time was pressing on and the ebb tide was now in full swing so we made our way back to the boats to continue our exploration of the Solway by sea kayak.

Lobsters, tides, caves and headlands on the Rhins of Galloway.

 We were not the only ones going round the Mull of Galloway that day...

 ...Tony Patterson and crew in BA852 Valodest were...

 also taking advantage of the calm and slack water to lift their lobster pots.

We decided not to land at West Tarbert as there were "wild" campers in residence. I am surprised there is any grass left there. Everyone makes a fresh fire ring on the grass.

 Instead we proceeded north up the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway ...

 ...along an amazing coastline and soon...

 ...we had left the Mull of Galloway and its lighthouse far behind.

 As we crossed Carrickamickie Bay the tide began to pick up until...

 ...there were standing waves and a slope on the water at a gap off Carrickallan Point.

 Beyond the point we entered a calmer eddy and then came to a series...

 ...of caves, at Carrickahawkie,...

  ...Slocknagower and...

 ......Port Mona.

By now we could see Crammag Head, the next bit of tidal fun but we decided to stop for first luncheon to let the tide build up a bit....