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.

The sound of heavy guns and a mushroom cloud rising over the Solway.

As we turned to the west we left Little Ross Island and the sound of heavy gunfire at the Dundrennan Range far behind.

The dramatic cliffs, stacks and skerries of this stretch of coast make an amazing contrast to the sheltered wooded coastline, which we had just left in Kirkcudbright Bay.

 We were now sheltered from the north wind and the sun on the rocks made it feel almost balmy...

...though in the shade of the narrow passages it was already very cold. We came across...

...this lion rampant mimetolith as we emerged into the sunlight again.

More gunfire from the range accompanied our return to the open sea. Even though we were now some distance away, the reverberations of some particularly heavy rounds shook the channel walls and our chests.

Once clear of the cliffs at Fauldbog Bay we looked back to discover a huge mushroom cloud. What on earth were they firing?

 Beyond the boundaries of Brighouse Bay the breach...

 ....in the cliffs ended and the rocks reared up again.

  The wind swung round to the east and we benefited as it was no longer being broken up by the cliffs.

The wind assistance was most welcome as...

 ...we still had a long...

 ...long way to go. Once round Ringdoo Point we made for...

 ...Castle Haven Bay where we had left a stash of firewood.

The tide was dropping and the day was fading fast as we paddled into the bay. Our stash of firewood was actually a wooden pallet and we did not have long to demolish it. Ian broke the main timbers with a boulder before tackling the smaller pieces with a saw. I removed the nails so that they would not puncture our dry bags, which we attached to our back decks. The whole operation had taken just over 15 minutes but the bay had rapidly emptied. We really needed to press on. An 8m tide in the Solway goes out a long way...

Dark clouds gather above Little Ross, an island with a dark past.

 The high cliffs of the Ree of Ross gave way...

 ...to the lower rocks of Fox Craig and we caught first sight of our destination, or rather the lighthouse on its summit.

 We planned to camp on Little Ross Island which now lay just a short hop across...

 ...the Sound. Little Ross Island stands in the mouth of Kirkcudbright Bay and in wind against tide conditions this can be a wild place. All was quiet on this beautiful evening as it was near slack water and there was almost no wind.

 Taking advantage of the calm conditions, we paddled round the reefs at...

 ...the south end of the island before...

 ...turning north up its east coast.

 Coincidental with our arrival dark clouds gathered...

 ...above the dazzling white lighthouse tower.

 Despite its beautiful and peaceful location this lighthouse has a dark secret.

 It did not take long to reach the north end of the island and...

...from there we could look down the east cost and across the Sound which we had only recently crossed.

A steep cobbled beach proved the best place to land though earlier in the year this is the site of a gull breeding colony. We wasted no time in getting the tents up in the last of the daylight. We did not want to be caught by nightfall, given the island's dark secret...

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.