In the wake of the dead at dawn through Inner West Loch Tarbert, Jura

HW was at 06:41 and we needed to be in the inner part of West Loch Tarbert as close to HW as possible to avoid a muddy exit and also to be able to paddle through the narrow rocky channel of Cumnann Beag before the spring tide turned against us. There was nothing for it but to rise early and forgo breakfast. We emerged from the bothy at Cruib Lodge, packed the boats in the cold blue predawn light and were...

 ...on the water before sunrise.

 The entrance to the inner loch is very inconspicuous and the flash of low light as the sun broke the horizon...

 ...helped us locate it. We entered the narrows at 06:28 and the tide was still flowing gently in. Although you will hardly see a soul in these waters today, this route (through West Loch Tarbert and across the narrow portage to Tarbert on the east coast of Jura) was once a busy highway from Argyll to Colonsay and Oronsay.

It was used by both pilgrims and by the bereaved carrying their dead for burial on the islands. The route avoided the strong tides of the Corryvreckan to the north and the Sound of Islay to the south.

 It was eerily silent as we paddled through the maze of the inner loch's...

 ...narrow channels and shallow waters.

 Gradually the inner loch...

 ...opened up and as the...

 ...sun rose and...

...day truly broke, we arrived at the head of the loch at 06:56. It was near spring HW and fortunately we stepped out onto grass. As we prepared our trolleys for the portage I noted that the tide continued to rise and did not start to fall until 07:20, almost 40 minutes after HW Oban at 06:41.

Fiery matters at a Barlocco dawn.

 Dawn over Barlocco proved to be more than a match for the previous evenings sunset. It was as if...

 ...our fire from the previous evening had some how set the clouds alight.

 Before the first sun of the day fell on our beach...

 ...the Galloway Hills of Cairnharrow, Ben John and Mill Knock were illuminated in beautiful red light.


 We went down to the boats to collect our breakfast things as the sun slowly but steadily...

 ...dropped towards sea level, lighting successive layers of the land and seascape as it did so.

 There was not much sign of life at the caravan site across the bay as...

 ...we warmed ourselves by the embers and warm stones of the previous night's super fire. Note that the large round log which formed the back of our fire has completely disappeared! This year has been a good year for fires. We are not just talking size but also about heat output. Crispy trouser bottoms are a sign of a good fire but are not in themselves a measure of how good a fire is. However, we now have a rough scale to judge future fires by: ten Inchmarnocks (Ix) make one Cara (Cx) and ten Caras make one Barlocco (Bx). It might be some time till we have another Barlocco (Bx)! A key feature of this fire had been Ian's large log fireback which acted both as a reflector and a generator of heat..

In the background we saw the tide was coming in but we were in no rush to carry the boats far. So Mike toasted his toes by the embers and Ian went hunting for shells.

Jennifer had found a groatie buckie (cowrie) on this beach and given it to me for my 60th birthday. Ian did his best to spot one but there were none to be found.

I went looking for lichens to photograph and gradually the tide came up to the boats...

A shadow at dawn on Little Ross Island.

 We rose before dawn on Little Ross Island. We had camped on the path between the...

 ...crumbling slipway on the west and the...

 ...crumbled east quay, which lies beyond the far tent. The stone store was built for the supplies landed for the lighthouse.

 We wasted no time in getting the kayaks loaded and...

 ...preparing breakfast which we ate as the...

 ...sun broke the horizon. We knew we would have a long hard day and would be lucky to arrive at our next camp by sunset but first we wanted to...

...explore Little Ross Island in daylight. As we set off ,the shadow of the lighthouse was cast upon the sunlit slopes of the Ree of Ross on the far side of The Sound. Maybe this his where Mr Brown of Knockbrex got the idea for his pillars?

Setting off with a fair wind and tide on the Solway Firth.

The day dawned fair on Fleet Bay in the Solway Firth and as the line of clouds drew back to the SE we enjoyed some warm October sunshine.

Ian, Mike and I soon had our kayaks packed and at the water's edge. It had been our intention to paddle east to Sandyhills stopping at Little Ross Island and Hestan Island on the way. Unfortunately the firing range at Dundrennan was in use so we would not be able to pass. So we intended to do a there and back paddle as far as Kirkcudbright.

 It was a most marvellous start with a fresh tailwind and paddling...

 ...straight into the sun.

 The ebb tide was also with us and it seemed like no time at all until...

 ...we landed on Ardwall Isle for first luncheon.

We decided to climb to the top by way of the farm track which leads up from the beach. The farmer drives over from the mainland at low tide several times a year to cut the grass and bale it.

As we gained height we enjoyed a great view over the recently cut meadow to Murray's Isles Ravenshall Point and to Wigtown on the far side of Wigtown bay.

 There were plenty of brambles but almost no sloes.

From the summit we had a clear view back across Fleet Bay to where we had come from, the cluster of caravans under Ben John.

 The simple cairn at the summit of Ardwall Isle overlooks the grand...

 ...house at Knockbrex with its fields extending down to a little harbour.

Beyond Barlocco reef our way lay away to the SE, beyond distant Ringdoo Point.

For the full kayak stereovision experience follow Ian's blog which starts here.

All calm in the Lunnock Cave at the Mull of Galloway.

The 16th dawned to be one of the few sunny, calm days in August. It was ideal for a trip to the Mull of Galloway.

Tony and I dropped a shuttle car at Port Logan on the west coast of the Rhins of Galloway then met Phil and Maurice at the East Tarbet. Inshore, the west going ebb starts at -1:30 HW Dover. HW Dover was at 13:10 so slack water was at 11:40 and we launched bang on time at 11:10.

The NE side of the Mull is a grassy slope and gives very little warning of the dramatic rock architecture beneath the lighthouse just 500m away on the other side of the peninsula.

The waters of Luce Bay to the NE were calm unlike a previous visit when we hit the Mull at maximum tidal flow!

 We rounded the critical point at Lagvag at slack water and entered the Lunnock Cave...

...for a celebratory exploration. If you do get caught out in the Mull of Galloway tide race, the Lunnock Cave would make a marvellous place to wait for calmer conditions as the...
.

...vicious eddylines at its mouth kill the swell.

Dawn in the Sound of Islay

 We rose at dawn in the Sound of Islay.

 The warm light dir not reflect the air temperature which was rather cold.

 Surprisingly we were not the first to be afloat on the Sound. The MV Scot Isles was on her way to Wicklow in Ireland. At 1am she had been off Arnamurchan Point then made her way down the Sound of Mull and Firth of Lorn before entering the Sound of Islay.

 The water off An Cladach was still and clear but...

...once we left the shore it was moving like a train. This is the view up the Sound and...

 ...this is the view down the Sound past McArthur's Head lighthouse.

 The ebb tide was flowing SE down the Sound. We paddled at right angles to the flow. To the SE, the distant mountains of Arran rose beyond the Kintyre peninsula. After leaving Islay we paddled towards...

...the green can on the above chart and continued paddling NW. You can see how far we were carried SE before we hit a NW going counter eddy.

 We arrived off Am Fraoch Eilean which is topped by...

 ...the remains of the 15th century Claig Castle.

Soon we left the Sound of Islay and Claig Castle behind us. We would shortly enter the Sound of Jura and when the tide turned about mid day, it would accelerate us back to our starting point at Carsaig Bay on the mainland.