Time stands still in Loch Sween

The mouth of Loch Sween is guarded by the grim walls of the remains of Castle Sween which...

 ...is one of the oldest stone castles in Scotland. I have used a great deal of artistic licence in the composition of these photos as nowadays the castle is besieged on all sides on land by serried rows of modern caravans. Little is known of the origins of the castle but it is believed to date from the late 12th century when it was built by a lord Suibhne in the Norman style. It changed hands many times before it was abandoned in the mid 17th century. However, so well was it constructed that time seems to have stood still for the castle over the last four centuries or so.

 The wind from the north had increased so we crossed to the loch's NW shore to gain some shelter. The offshore wind carried the heady coconut scent of the Kokatat yellow gorse bushes.

 Elsewhere the shore was bare rock and the perspective of this photo emphasised the linearity of this long ribbon like loch.

In places, the wind freed just enough to allow some close hauled paddle sailing and we crossed to the SE shore. Soon...

 ...we had left the entrance to the loch and the Sound of Jura far behind. We were beginning to get a sense of closure on our expedition to Jura and Islay.

We tacked across to the NW shore again and paddled inside Taynish Island where we passed Taynish bath house and jetty. 

 There was just a hint of the buds breaking in the deciduous trees of the Taynish nature reserve. We heard the contrasting calls of a willow warbler in the woods and a great northern diver on the water.

As we approached the end of our journey at Tayvallich the Shannick, the Jura passenger ferry passed on her way to Jura. two sea kayakers were hitching a lift for a trip across the Sound of Jura in much less time than we had just made.

We now turned west into the sheltered waters of the natural harbour at Tayvallich where...

 ...sheltered by the wind we unloaded the boats in warm spring sunshine before...

...shuttling across to Carsaig Bay on the Sound of Jura where we had left the other car. Beyond the NLV Pharos the north end of Jura beckoned. I seemed ages ago we had set off from this spot but in reality it had only been three days. That is what I like about a good sea kayak expedition, time seems to stand still and so many things get packed in to what is actually a very brief time.

Catching the tide in the Sound of Islay past a mimetolith in a D cup on Jura

 The south going ebb was still running as we set off across the Sound of Islay towards Jura.

 Not long after we had left Islay the wind...

 ...began to increase from the north but...

 we were able to close reach most of the way across. Away to the SE the mountains of Arran rose above low lying Gigha and the Kintyre peninsula.

 By the time we crossed the Sound the tide had turned and was running  north against the fresh wind.

 Despite the strength of the wind we were soon making...

 ...10km/hr against it due to the power of the north going tide.

 It was an exhilarating ride up the Sound as...

 ...testified by our big grins.

We were not the only ones up early to catch the tide. This yacht motored past us with her main still up but backwinding.

North of Port Askaig the Sound opens up and we could just spot the white Ruvaal lighthouse in the distance.

 The Sound of Islay has several other white landmarks such as the Caol Isla distillery.

 On Jura the quartzite of the Paps rose high above...

 ...a raised beach at the top of dark basalt cliffs.

As we passed the lighthouse at Carragh an t-Sruith (pillar of the current) we could see a team of Northern Lighthouse Board  maintenance workers at the light. They had arrived by RIB from one of the NLB ships which was lying off the south end of the Sound.

 The current was still speeding us north and the...

 ...Paps of Jura made a most magnificent sight as they heaved above the Sound. Perhaps they are the biggest pair of mimetolith we have ever seen? The origin of the name Jura is not clear and there is some disagreement. Some say it is from the Norse word dyrøy (beast) others say it is from the Norse dyr (deer) and others say it is from the Norse jur (udder). I leave it to the reader to decide. As far as I am concerned it's all a storm in a D cup.

 On the Islay side, Ruvaal came ever closer as we passed...

 ...the Bunnahabhain Distillery.

They were still muir burning at the south end of Colonsay and the plume of smoke rose high into the air beyond Ruvall.

 The MV Hebridean Isles ferry was en route from Port Askaig to Colonsay.

 Back on Jura the caves in the cliffs were full of tasty rock doves as...

 ...the peregrine falcon perched on the clifftop would attest.

 Next up came a couple of mimetoliths, the first was a basalt dyke that looked just like an older Queen Victoria wearing a headdress. The next was...

 ...this green pixie.

 It was now time for a rest...

...preferably out the cool north wind...

 ....so we found the ideal spot with our backs to a sheltering dyke where we enjoyed second breakfast.

 We then walked a short distance to  Alt Bun an Eas (burn with the waterfall at its foot) and Ian and...

 Photo by Ian Johnston

...I went for an extremely refreshing dip in its icy waters. Mind you the zing as we dried in the sun afterwards was worth it!

Mike had more sense and simply rinsed the salt off his dry suit!

A busy dawn in the Sound of Islay

We had camped on the SE coast of Islay and high hills to the NW meant we had not enjoyed a sunset. However, we enjoyed a wonderful dawn over...

 ...the sound of Islay with Jura in the distance. Indeed it had turned out to be a very comfortable camp.

I took an early morning walk in the warm dawn light. There was only a slight north wind rippling the Sound of Islay but it was forecast to get up to F4/F5 by mid morning.

I  came across the sad remains of the farmstead of Gleann Choireadail (glen of the corrie of the valley i.e. a boggy hollow).

The inhabitants had probably been cleared  here from more fertile ground inland. Maybe they survived a couple of generations before giving up the struggle for survival and emigrating to more fertile ground in the New World?

We had pitched our tents on what had once been their most fertile ground but all around the ground that was once their livelihood was now just bracken and bog.

While the tents dried in the early morning sunshine we walked back to...

 ...where we had landed the boats and...

 ...soon had breakfast going while we watched...

 ..a succession of ships making their way down the Sound. First was the MV Hebridean Isles, the CalMac ferry enroute between Port Askaig on Islay and Kennacraig on Kintyre. The ferry was followed by...

 ...HMS Blyth M111, a Royal Navy mine warfare vessel which is based in the Clyde. She was also returning from the Joint Warrior exercise.

Next down the Sound was the STS Stavros S Niarchos, which we had seen heading to Colonsay the previous day.

 As she motored down the Sound we made our final preparations to launch but...

...we paused to admire her fine lines under the Paps of Jura.