3,000 sea kayaks behind Ailsa Craig, but all was quiet.

Photo Phil Toman
Setting off anticlockwise round Ailsa Craig, we passed a yacht and a motor cruiser.

Photo Phil Toman
I don't know who was more surprised, them, seeing our puny little sea kayaks (with no engines) so far offshore, or us, by the size of their bottle sized wine glasses! Mind you the wine would be the least of their expense. This Fairline Targa 44 comes with a choice of twin 370hp or twin 435hp diesels and would cost about half a million quid, for the basic version. Yikes, that's at least 3,000 sea kayaks!

We approached the north fog horn...

 ..and were dwarfed beneath its long silent and now rusting trumpet.

The dark mouth of Swine Cave was devoid of  pigs and no grunting or squealing echoed from within.

 We continued under the dark, sunless and overhanging rocks of the Eagle's Seat...

...until we emerged into the sun and our eyes, ears and noses were about to experience one of Nature's wonders!

A little rockhopping in the Firth of Clyde.

Phil and I convened at Carleton Bay to the south of Lendalfoot on the South Ayrshire coast. The light breeze was onshore so to check the sail, I had to head back into the shore...


...before starting the 15km crossing to the great granite monolith of Ailsa Craig.


Ailsa Craig sits right in the middle of the mouth of the Firth of Clyde and it takes a long time to grow in size.


As we approached the rock, the wind backed to the south allowing me to get the sail up.


We landed (with some difficulty in my case) on the spit of granite boulders that extends from the east of the island. The lighthouse is situated here which means it is not visible from the west of the island.


It is a rough landing and tricky to bring a kayak up the green slimy rocks.


We enjoyed lunch on a stony bank at the top of the beach. At 15km distant, the Ayrshire coast is pretty featureless and it is difficult to identify Lendlfoot. You can just make out a transmitter on the summit of Knockormal hill. The launch spot is directly below it.

A Fyne trip on Argyll's Secret Coast!

A 21km day trip from Portavadie to Otter Ferry, Loch Fyne.


Auchalick Bay, Loch Fyne

Tidal streams in Loch Fyne are generally weak. In the Otter Ferry narrows:
+0555 HW Greenock (-0510 HW Dover) north-east going flood begins.
+0015 HW Greenock (+0135 HW Dover) south-west going ebb begins.
In mid channel the rate in each direction is 1 knot. Close to the beacon at the end of the spit, the rate is about 2 knots in each direction.

How sweet is the Clyde?

One way trade and a one way voyage.

Missed the gun but not the boat, in Loch Fyne.

Auchalick Bay, Loch Fyne.

High water in Kilfinan Bay.

Reviresco on the Loch Fyne Riviera.

Let them eat oysters, in Otter Ferry.

Fellow travellers on Loch Fyne.

The Oystercatcher, Otter Ferry, Loch Fyne.

Photo album map.

Sea Kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar, November 2010

November, paddling across the Sound of Bute towards the mountains of Glen Sannox, Arran.

The seakayakphoto.com November desktop wallpaper calendar (in a variety of screen resolutions) is available for download here.

The Oystercatcher, Otter Ferry, Loch Fyne.

On our return to Otter Ferry with the shuttle car from Portavadie we could not help but notice that the Oystercatcher was open.


We enjoyed some excellent Guinness (half pints, since we would both be driving within the hour) in the cozy surroundings but noticed that everyone else was sitting outside.


We decided to join them for our meal...


...and we enjoyed it thoroughly...


...while watching a hazy sunset over Argyll's secret coast on Loch Fyne.

The Oystercatcher is well worth a visit and is especially conveniently situated by the shore. All in all, an excellent sea kayaking pub!

Fellow travellers on Loch Fyne.

We pulled the kayaks up onto the grass above the shingle beach at otter ferry. We parked beside this hovercraft. Apparently "It's the most environmentally friendly motorised water sport available!" We did not meet the owner and in a way were glad we had not met on the water. Hovercraft produce an enormous number of decibels and it was such a lovely still evening.


I much preferred the look of this lovely old National 18, number 247, Sea Fever. I first came across National 18s in the early '60s, when I was sailing at Chanonry Sailing Club in the Moray Firth. The National 18s from the Findhorn Yacht Club (as it was then known) used to make the 75km round trip across the Firth to take part in the annual Chanonry Regatta.


Having cruised a Wayfarer from '71 to 2007, it was interesting for me to see the adaptations that had been made...


...to allow her to be used for extended single handed cruising and camping.


I had noticed the smaller than standard rig and the owner, Roger Bamford, told me it was a modified Wayfarer rig.


Phil and I had a great chat with Roger, swapping tales of our respective adventures (and sailing rigs!). It turns out that Roger toured regularly all round Britain. This time he had launched at Largs Marina and was spending 3 weeks exploring the Clyde. He had already been up the Gare Loch and Loch Long and had had a wild crossing to Arran the week before. He was now heading up Loch Fyne to Inveraray but hoped to camp at Loch Gair, on the far side of Loch Fyne, that night.

I casually said that I thought he must have a very understanding employer to have so much time on the water. He just laughed and told me his age and that he had retired years ago. It would be rude to say exactly how old Roger was, but let me just say that Phil and I hope that we are as full of life and adventure, when we are that age!

All too soon, we sadly had to say farewell to Roger and recover our shuttle car from Portavadie.

Let them eat oysters, in Otter Ferry.

From Castle Ewen we continued north up Loch Fyne. Phil is a very fast paddler but was no match for my Flat Earth sail in these breezy conditions.


Every so often, I would drop the sail to let him catch up!


North of Kilfinan, the golden sands gave way to grey rocks that plunged straight into the blue waters of Loch Fyne.


A wonderful mixed woodland of deciduous and coniferous trees grew right down to the high water mark. Rounding a headland at Ballimore, Loch Fyne stretched away for 20km until it eventually twisted, out of sight at Furnace. Beyond there, it extends for a further 22km to the head of the loch.


We came across the 19th century Ballimore House which nestles within
designed policies, woodlands and gardens. Unlike many of the big estate gardens round the west coast, it is not open to the public as it is the private estate of Baron Van Lynden. At low tide we would have seen the estate's oyster racks along the shore. The clean water here and tidal flow, accelerated by the spit at Otter Ferry, produces excellent oysters, which may be purchased at the the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar at the head of the loch.


Eventually we arrived at the great spit or oitir that gives Otter Ferry its name. We had chosen to be here near high water. At low tide you could choose to take a 3km detour out round the spit and back or portage from one side to the other. By now we had been paddling for some time and all this talk of oysters had us salivating and ready for dinner. We had in mind a visit to the Oystercatcher Inn, which was within spitting distance away, just on the other side of the spit!

Reviresco on the Loch Fyne Riviera.

Photo Phil Toman

Kilfinan Bay is a really beautiful part of Loch Fyne and the sun shone down on its golden sands which stretch for 1.2km. We had it all to ourselves as we crossed to its northern boundary...


...at Rubha Beag. We were ready for second luncheon and landed on a little cobbled beach beneath a conical mound with a flattened top.


We climbed up to get a better view and found...


...this recent monument, erected by the Clan Ewen Society, marking the site of the MacEwan Castle.


"Reviresco" is the clan motto. In Latin it means "grow young and strong again".


Reinvigorated by the rest and the motto (or was it the 18 year old Glenfiddich?) we made our way back to the kayaks to continue our voyage up Loch Fyne...

High water in Kilfinan Bay.

Many people think that there are no sandy beaches in Loch Fyne. They are wrong, you just can't see them from the roads! Twelve kilometers after leaving Portavadie, we came to the beautiful, broad sweep of Kilfinan Bay.


The Kilfinnan Burn empties into the bay and as it was near high water, we decided...


...to nip upstream where the burn meandered through the sand dune system that backs the bay.


Eventually we could go no further as the water became too shallow.


High on the banks above us, uprooted trees told of days when the burn could be somewhat higher!


We now drifted slowly back out to sea...


... just as the spring tide covered the last of the extensive sandbars at the river mouth.

Auchalick Bay, Loch Fyne

We continued paddling north up Loch Fyne along an unspoiled and remote coastline.


By the time we reached Eilean nan Gabhar at the south end of Auchalick Bay, it was time for first luncheon.


What a place to stop. Above high water the rocks were covered with multicoloured lichens and sea pink.


Down at high water level, the rocks were bare but displayed wonderful and ancient patterns.


The north side of Auchalick Bay is bounded by the distinctive slopes of Gob a'Bharra. I loved the way the yellow gorse flowers matched the golden lichens on the rocks in the foreground.