Port Appin dawn

Port Appin is a sleepy little village which nestles below the mountains of Appin which seperate Loch leven and Loch Creran on Argyll's rugged west coast. Port Appin was never a fishing port but it served as a stopping point in the 19th century for steamers travelling between Glasgow and Edinburgh via the Crinan and Caledonian canals.


Today it serves two small ferries. This is the Lismore which carries foot passengers across the Lynn of Lorn to the beautiful island of Lismore. In Gaelic, Lismore means the big garden. It is more fertile than many of the Scottish islands because of the presence of limestone rock. From 1800 till 1934 this was quarried and heated in lime kilns to produce lime for agriculture on the west coast and building in Glasgow.

The quarrying tradition in these parts started again in 1986 when the Glensanda quarry opened. It is one of Europe's biggest quarries and its granite rock was used to make the channel tunnel. Glensanda quarry is removing an entire mountain, Meall na Easaiche, on the Morven coast on the far side of Loch Linnhe, beyond Lismore. It is situated just behind the mountains in the sunshine in the photo above. Another ferry carries local workers from Port Appin across Loch Linnhe to Glensanda.


We were bound for a circumnavigation of Lismore and also chose to launch from Port Appin. We carried the boats over frost covered seaweed in the predawn light. Although we were still in freezing shade, there was a lovely pink glow in the sky reflected from the tops of the high mountains which were already in sunshine.


We planned a clockwise circumnavigation. It is 37 km and we knew that it would be dark before we finished as sunset would be about 15:34.

On 27/12/2008 HW Oban was at 05:35 and 17:49. The tidal constant at Port Appin is -00:05 Oban. It was one day before springs.

At the Lynn of Lorn south end (1 knot springs), the ebb (SW) starts at -01:40 Oban which was 16:09 on our trip. The flow (NE) starts at +04:45 Oban which was 10:20.

At the Lynn of Lorn north end (2.5 knots springs), the ebb (SW) starts at -00:15 Oban which was 17:35. The flow NE starts at +06:00 Oban which was 11:35.

On the NE going flood an eddy runs SW from the islands along the SE coast of Lismore so we reckoned we would have tidal assistance for most of the day.

27/12/2008

Sea Kayakphoto.com trip index 2008

I have been posting little snippets of various trips concurrently. For those who would like to follow the thread of a single trip, I hope this index will be useful.

Less is more round Lismore!
27/12/08

What a carry on round the Mull!
15/12/08 The Mull of Galloway

Another West coast sunset! Firth of Clyde
14/12/08 Bute from Portencross,

Dunure from Maidens, Firth of Clyde
06/12/08

The Four Castles of Carrick, Firth of Clyde.
02/11/08 Turnberry to Ayr

The River Fleet from Fleet Bay
17/10/08

Loch nan Ceall and the Sound of Arisaig
13/09/08
14/09/08

To the Corryvreckan
30/08/08 Seil to Scarba via the Corryvreckan
31/08/08 Scarba to Seil via the Grey Dogs and the Cuan Sound

The Mull of Kintyre
26/07/08 Macrihanish to Sanda via the Mull
27/07/08 Sanda to Davaar Island

To Islay
12/07/08 Claggain Bay
13/07/08 Traigh Bhan
14/07/08 An Claddach
15/07/08 Port Askaig

To St Kilda
30/05/08 Loch Roag
31/05/08 Taransay
01/06/08 Monach Islands
02/06/08 Hirta and Dun
03/06/08 am Village Bay, Hirta
03/06/08 pm Boreray and the stacks
04/06/08 Loch Reasort to Scarp
05/06/08 Pabaigh Mor and Bhacsaigh

To the Garvellachs
10/05/08 Seil to the Grey Dogs via the Corryvreckan
11/05/08 Grey Dogs to the Garvellachs and Seil

Lady Isle
08/05/08 A busy night at Troon

Ailsa Craig
05/05/08 Gannets and granite

Fleet Bay
02/05/08 Solway sunshine

A misty Firth of Clyde
27/04/08 Maidens to Ayr

Arran
18/03/08 Portencross to Brodick via the Wee Cumbrae, Bute and Glen Sannox

Mull of Galloway
17/02/08 Ardwell Bay to East Tarbet

Dorus Mor
12/02/08 Craignish through the Dorus Mor to Crinan and Loch Craignish then back through the Dorus Mor as the sun set.

The four maritime castles of Carrick
20/01/08 Turnberry to Ayr.

The Cumbraes and Bute
12/01/2008 A day trip in the Clyde from Largs

Sunset over the Monach Islands

As we paddled round the remote Monach Islands, which lie to the West of the outer Hebrides, the mid summer sun began its journey to set in the far north west.


As Cuma swung gently at her anchor, we watched the sunset in appreciative silence. Like the mythical Avalon, St Kilda lay far beyond the western horizon, where the sun met the sea in blaze of crimson fire. We could only hope that the red sky at night bade well, for a settled spell of weather, to reach those long abandoned isles.

01/06/2008

The Odarum rock and the wreck of the Vanstabel.

Making our way round the north end of Siolaigh in the Monach Islands, we decided to cut inside the gap between the island and the Odarum rock.


This saved a detour of over 1.5km around the reefs that extend to the NE.


Once we landed we were able to watch the swells marching through the gap which we had just traversed. This small flock of black face sheep kept close together while they circled us inquisitively.


On the shore, high above high water we noticed the rusting remains of an iron ship. She was the Vanstabel a French ship registered in Dunkirk. In 1903 she was driven onto the Odarum rock where she broke up with the loss of all her crew of 21 souls.


As we walked towards the lighthouse we came across more wreckage from the Vanstabel.


It was far from the shore and high above sea level. It is impossible to imagine the ferocity with which that Atlantic storm had dashed her asunder and thrown the pieces so far inland.


Some of her internal timbers had survived for 105 years on the Monachs.


Delicate thrift contrasted with her rusting plates and rivets. Photo Jennifer Wilcox.

01/06/2008

The Monach Lighthouse and 60 years' of pigeon shit!

Paddling round the SW coast of Siolaigh in the Monach Islands we became aware that there are actually two lighthouses.


The original light was established in 1864 after it had been built by David and Thomas Stevenson. It is a 41m red brick tower but it was switched off in WW2 and abandoned in 1948.


It was replaced by a fully automatic minor light in 1997.


It is powered by solar cells.


We found a party of NLB workmen restoring the Stevenson tower. They lived on the Orkney Islands but were spending the summer here. The old light is shortly to be reestablished as oil tankers from the North Sea are going to be rerouted from the Minch on the east side of the Outer Hebrides to pass by their west coast. Three months of hard labour were required to shovel 60 years of pigeon shit from the tower's interior. The shit bags are piled up outside the lighthouse walls.


We were lucky enough to be escorted to the top of the tower by one of the Orcadians. This is the view to the NW and we were excited to see the tops of the islands of the St Kilda archipelago 64 km distant


The view to the SE extends over the Caolas Siolaigh to Cean Iar and the distant hills of North Uist and South Uist. On the 15th November 1936 two lighthouse keepers were drowned rowing back across the Caolas from the post office in the village.


The view to the NE extends from the distant hills of Harris to the hills of North Uist.


We were very grateful to our Orcadian friend for the privilege of seeing the view from the tower. It was his 22 ascent of the tower that day! Under the green sheeting, the new light and lens were already rotating.

This post should have appeared a few years ago but for some reason I saved it as a draft and forgot! 01/06/2008

The Monach Islands

The Monach Islands are little more than low dunes that are swept over by Atlantic storms. In the distance are the mountains of South Uist.


The whole area is fringed with reefs but Siolaigh is the most western of the more substantial isles. It is dominated by a large brick built lighthouse that has been disused since the 1940s.


Cuma anchored in the lagoon on the south side of Shibhinis and Ceann Ear.


We made our way along the south side of the islands.


We crossed Caolas Siolaigh still sheltered by offshore reefs but on rounding Siolaigh we were exposed to the full strength of the Atlantic swells.


Siolaigh was covered with a carpet of thrift. On the horizon we could just see the peaks of the St Kilda archipelago.

01/06/2008

These are the voyages of the MV Cuma, day 2, sausage logistics.

On day two of the St Kilda trip there were force 6 to 7 E winds forecast. This would make it impossible to anchor securely in Village Bay, Hirta, which is exposed to the E. That morning a decision was taken to motor 68km to the Monach Isles (off North Uist) where a sheltered anchorage could be found and from where it was only 65 km to the NW and St Kilda!


However, the sharp eyed will have noticed a detour which was made to the west coast of Harris. The crew of the Cuma are used to supplying needy passengers with sausages. However, Murdani and his crew were completely unprepared for the gannet like breakfast demands of hungry sea kayakers. I have to confess, even I was rather surprised at the extent of the breakfast order that went in the evening before. Murdani was however, completely nonplussed. Early in the morning he phoned his son in law who proceeded to make a 262 km round trip from Uig to Stornoway then through the fastnesses between Lewis to the coast of Harris and back. The purpose of this incredible journey was to resupply the sausage needs of Cuma's hungry sea kayakers.

As Clark and Fiona F enjoyed the early morning sunshine, Murdani nudged the Cuma close inshore and launched the RIB to make a sausage rendezvous.


The sausage supply situation was resolved before we, the guests, even knew what was happening. Here, Nancy, Fiona B, Lena, Andy and Murty sit digesting their multiple breakfast sausages, somewhat unaware of the complexities of the logistics of Stornoway sausage resupply. So hospitable were our hosts, it would be unseemly of them to mention the true purpose of the visit to Harris. They just hoped we had enjoyed our view of Harris's wonderful beaches.

I think it would be fair to say that day two had started with a banger (or several)!

01/06/2008

Little Cumbrae: a touch of the Hebridean Wild West.

Little Cumbrae lies deep within the protective arms of the Firth of Clyde and so is not strictly speaking one of the Hebridean Islands. These lie off the remote Atlantic coast of Scotland from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north.


The highest point of the Little Cumbrae is only 47km from George Square in the heart of Glasgow, which with its commuter belt has a population of 2.3 million people.


Despite this proximity to so many people, we found ourselves completely alone on a winter Saturday lunch time. Of course in the summer there will be innumerable yachts, motor cruisers, speed boats and jet skis on the horizon.


We can now enjoy the solitude of this wonderful place, which in winter is as quiet as any remote Hebridean Island. As Billy, Tony and myself paddled round Little Cumbrae, it rekindled memories of a truly memorable trip, which was only the second time that we three had paddled together.

12/01/2008


Scarp, Outer Hebrides.

We had gone on a trawler supported trip arranged by Andy Spink of Hebridean Pursuits to the "Wild West". Andy has been organising these trips (for six years now) with the aim of getting to the remoter parts of the Hebrides, including when possible St Kilda. This year, the week long trip leaves from Oban on 16th May. It occurs to me that it would be an ideal introductory trip for some of the regular visitors to this blog who have not yet paddled in the Hebrides. Of course when I say introductory, what I mean is to the area not to sea kayaking! You would need to be used to paddling in exposed rough water conditions. Full details are available from Andy tel. 44(0)1631 710317 and email hebpursuit@aol.com.

11/06/2006