Showing posts with label storms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label storms. Show all posts

Friday, July 02, 2021

29th April 2021 #7 Locked in but not locked down by a wild night in Loch Hourn.


Ian and I set to work building a fire on the shore of Loch Hourn. We chose a site below the highest tide level but, as it was just before predicted HW, we expected the tide not reach the fire.

A stiff NE breeze soon had it burning fiercely.

Unfortunately the tide kept rising and we had to rescue the wood and leave the fire to the mercy of the water. We built a new fire further up the shore.

Of course the sun did not stay out long. Yet another squall battered down the loch towards us obliterating the view of the mountains as it came. A brave rainbow framed the scene but lasted only a few seconds till it was lost in a wall of grey. The approaching storm was elemental and truly magnificent. For a while we were transfixed by its beauty but just in time, we abandoned the new fire to its own devices and fled to the tents. The noise as the wind ripped at the flysheet and alternate bands of rain and hail lashed down added to the sense of wildness.

After the storm, we emerged from the tents to find a dusting of fresh snow on the summits but more importantly the wind had dropped.

As the sun began to set on this landlocked arm of the sea...

... its still waters reflected the sunset colours of the clouds, despite the setting sun being hidden below dark enclosing mountain ridges.

As night fell and the fire burned more brightly we swapped tales of kayaking adventures. We might be locked in, in inner Loch Hourn, but we were no longer locked down!

Friday, November 01, 2013

A shooting and second coming at the three pillars of Knockbrex.

Last week the Atlantic storm St Jude hit southern Britain. In SW Scotland we escaped the worst but my friend Cameron enjoyed strong wind windsurfing in Fleet Bay. I started windsurfing in 1977 but have not windsurfed since I dislocated my right knee falling down a sand dune on Gunna in June 2009 but I do hope to get back to it someday...

I can't sea kayak at the moment either as I am recovering from shoulder surgery which happened at the end of July. Actually even my walking is not too good and I am due to have major surgery to reconstruct my left knee on Monday (as it is also dislocating). Despite this I decided to go for a...

 ...short walk to Knockbrex Bay to see the storm. This ash tree shows the direction and strength of the prevailing wind. No sooner had we left the shelter of the trees than we came across a...

 ...really splendid sight. Shafts of sunlight broke through a dark stormy sky and illuminated the three priapic pillars of Knockbrex.

The pillars were being battered by the storm but were standing firm as...

 ...successive waves rose up their shafts before exploding into clouds of spray which ...

 ...swept round...

...each side of the pillars before...

 ,,,coming together again on the downwind side. As the ground shook to the impact of the waves...

 ..we found the scene to be strangely uplifting.

It was after all, only 3 months since I had been chased off this beach by a man wielding a shotgun. That resulted in two police armed response units and a helicopter being sent from Glasgow. It is just as well I do not scare easily as I might not have come back to Knockbrex...