To Ardwall in the sunset.

"The Singleton" was all gone and it was time to leave Knockbrex.

We paddled towards Ardwall Isle, where there is another sandy beach below the trees.

 The wind had backed to the SE but by the time we were afloat had all but died away.

 So we paddled along the coast of Carrick...

 ...with the flood tide helping more than the wind...

...till we arrived at the wooded slopes of Ardwall Isle, just as the sun began to set.

Stand off at Knockbrex.

 One by one we...

 ...drifted into Knockbrex beach...

 ...for third luncheon.

 David had wangled Phil's bottle of "The Singleton" again and refused to part with it, until it was empty.

Phil is good natured and generous but his loss was only partially assuaged by David's offer of a sip of Guinness.

 Fortunately the resulting stand off was short lived as...

...the beauty of our surroundings...

...restored equanimity. We were enjoying ourselves so much that we hadn't noticed the...
 

 ..sun sinking in the west and...

...the shadows of our kayaks lengthening on the sands or...

...even the incoming tide, which was now lapping at our keels. It was time to go.

Downwind to Knockbrex.

 As we rounded Barlocco Isle, a gentle sea breeze picked up...

 ...so we launched the sails...

 ...mostly for the photos but also for their...

 ...gentle push...

 ...downwind...

...towards the beach at Knockbrex and our third luncheon.

The magnificent maze of Barlocco.

 Well satisfied by our second luncheon on Barlocco Isle we set off to thread...

 ...our way...

 ...through the...

 ...magnificent maze of skerries...

 ...that lie off...

 ...the SW coast of Barlocco Isle.

It always feels good to get through the maze...every tide is different!

High and Dry on Barlocco!

 All too soon the flood Solway tide drowned our little beach on the Murray's Isles.

 We set off along the steep rocks towards...

 ...the NW point of the Isles.

 We enjoyed paddling through the sunken reefs on the seaward side.

 The colony of eight grey seals and two pups had moved on and we only saw one adult in the water.

 Leaving Murray's Isles we paddled past Ardwall Isle and then on...

 ...to land for second luncheon on Barlocco Reef where...

...Phil was about to discover just how little Singleton was left! Things were looking bad. It looked like a dry lunch but things took a turn for the better when David discovered some long forgotten cans of Guinness that were stuck up behind his skeg box! We lazed on the rocks enjoying the glorious views of Galloway over the blue waters of the Solway.

A singular way to spend a sunny afternoon down south on the Solway.

I was delighted that David and Phil were able to join me for my last paddle of the season down on the Solway. It had been a late night (the previous evening) for them and they had rather rushed packing. David had lost his specs and phone and left his boots behind. So he had to wear his socks on the outside of his trousers, like Superman.

We hadn't been able to get out together since the beginning of the summer so it was great to arrive at the water's edge.

 We set off over a sparkling sea...

...towards the south and...

 ...the Murray's Isles, where we stopped for first luncheon.

Phil had remembered his coffee flask but sadly had forgotten his orange juice. All he could find in his day hatch was a bottle of something called "Singleton of Dufftown", whatever that might be.

While Phil and I enjoyed a cup of coffee in the sunshine, naughty David was determined to discover what the "Singleton" was and took a giant slug of it, behind Phil's back!

Dawn of a fair day.

 In the cold, grey predawn light, the Isles of Fleet were left high and dry as it was low water.

 Slowly the October sun rose over...

 ...the wooded slopes of Carrick.

 The wet sand and the slowly flooding channel reflected the warm dawn light and promised a good day.

 The sparkling waters and sands...

 ...by Knockbrex, Barlocco, Ardwall and...

Murray's Isles were calling. The bay was filling as the flood tide was running fast, time to phone David and Phil for a paddle.