Return from Gigha

The problem with paddling out to islands off Scotland's west coast is that quite often the forecast force 2 is exceeded, even in the middle of a high pressure system. Tony's flysheet blew off in the middle of the night and leaving the shelter of the lee of Gigha, it was apparent we would have a rough crossing.



Jennifer decided to take the ferry back but Tony and I were looking forward to a bracing crossing in the stiff north easterly.



Jennifer took these photos as we left the north of the island.



We left at 0845am to try try and catch the slack before the northerly flood built up against the NE wind.



Out in the Sound of Gigha steep waves were breaking and we frequently lost sight of each other. It was a very bracing crossing. Both Tony and I employed frequent low braces. It was a satisfying crossing at the end of a fantastic trip.

Gigha sunset

Seen from Gigha, the sunsets behind the Paps of Jura are among the finest anywhere on the west coast of Scotland.



Room with a view.





I do like a bonfire but at this time of year last season's vegetation is tinder dry and you need to be very careful not to set the whole countryside alight like two campers recently did in Galloway. In this case the wind was blowing strongly offshore and we lit the fire below high water mark.



We enjoyed a quiet libation of Ardbeg malt whisky. Its peaty aroma blended perfectly with the smoke from the fire and its amber liquid glowed in the embers of first the sunset and then the fire. It seemed highly appropriate to drink it here under a Hebridean sky. The distillery is only 25km away on Islay across the Sound of Jura.

Sammy the otter.

Confucius say "Jetskiers see no otters!"



Actually I think what he really said was:

"By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart."

and

"Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it."



We do not see otters each time we go to Gigha, once we had to put up with a pod of bottlenose dolphins.

The Boathouse, Gigha

It was hot, thirsty work crossing the Sound of Gigha. Feeling quite parched, we speeded up as we approached a promising looking beach with a stone building just behind.



As we neared, we saw through salt rimmed and reddened eyes that it was called "The Boathouse". Readers will hopefully appreciate the unstinting efforts of the seakayakphoto staff in bringing to these pages, reports of oases of refreshment, which are hidden away in the remoteness of these scattered isles, that form the extreme edge of the great Eurasian landmass. Staff are now experienced enough to know that buildings with names warrant further investigation......



An idyllic landing spot just 30 metres from the portal of the boathouse.



The kayaks are framed by the door of a very conveniently located sea kayaking hostelry. Indeed, such is the convenience of this establishment, should global warming raise the seas even a little, waterproof boots might be essential wear for those requiring a libation.



In the meantime, sea kayaking apparel caused not a batting of an eyelid. There was a little disappointment to find no draft beers but there was an excellent selection of bottled beers from Scotland, England, Ireland, Denmark, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, USA and Estonia.



We sampled the produce of Scotland, Ireland and Estonia in the delightful beer garden. We decided that the lack of draught beer would in no way lead to a marking down of this establishment's markings.



The Boathouse was established in 2004 after the community buyout of Gigha from the former landlord. Prior to that, the establishment of new businesses on the island had been restricted. It is run by Joe and Lindsay and in season is open from 11am till 4pm and 6pm till 11pm. It also serves a wide variety of snacks and meals. The soups are excellent. Other facilities include showers, washing machines and tumble driers. There is free camping on the grass behind The Boathouse but it must be arranged in advance through reception at the nearby hotel (tel. 01583 505254). A further reassuring amenity (for kayakers who may over estimate their abilities) is the store for HM Coastguard which is situated in the loft of the building.

All in all, this is a near perfect sea kayaking pub and fully justifies a top 5* rating.

To be continued......

Great days on Gigha

Fresh from our retreat from the Mull of Kintyre we were facing a long drive home in the heat of the day when I spotted the lovely Isle of Gigha lying enticingly off the west coast of the Kintyre peninsula. We had no maps but I have been several times before so off we went! I love the dazzling white shell sand beaches and turquoise and ultramarine waters of the Hebrides.



It's a 36 km round trip and we camped overnight.



The Sound of Gigha can be a bumpy place. especially when the tide is running. On the crossing we had a great downwind blast in a fresh wind.



The west side was very sheltered and we enjoyed lovely views over the Sound of Jura to the Paps of Jura.

The Mull of Kintyre did not happen!

Mull of Kintyre
Oh mist rolling in from the sea,
My desire is always to be here
Oh mull of Kintyre
-"Mull of Kintyre", Wings

An east wind holds up the surf on the 6km long beach at Macrihanish on the west side Kintyre peninsula. (Photo Jennifer Wilcox)

As the crow flies Macrihanish is only 45 miles from Tony's house in Ayrshire (on the east side of the Firth of Clyde) but it involves a 166 mile drive round all the sea lochs that branch deep into the mountains on the north of the Firth.


The Mull of Kintyre lies 10 miles away to the south round this headland, the Irish coast is in the distance.

Our destination was the Mull of Kintyre. This fearsome and remote headland juts out into the North Channel which separates Scotland from Ireland and is only 12.6 miles wide at the Mull. All the tidal forces that link The Irish Sea and the Firth of Clyde to the Atlantic and the Sound of Jura are forced past this spot. As a result, HW times at Macrihanish and Sandhead (which are separated by only 15 miles of coastline and lie on either side of the Mull) differ by 2hrs and 15 minutes. Just to the east of Sron Uamha, low water "slack" is characterised by 20 minutes of breaking rollers close to the cliffs, as opposing currents sort themselves out, truly fearsome!


The Paps of Jura lie on the far side of the Sound of Jura.


Things did not look much better from sea level.



We needed calm conditions for the trip, Magicseaweed predicted falling surf heights from 9.5 feet on Thursday to 4.5 feet on Friday. The Met Office, BBC, Metcheck and Theyr.tv were all predicting force 2 easterlies on Friday and Saturday.





We went for it, leaving home at 5am on Friday morning. All the way round the Clyde lochs, the sea was flat calm but on arrival at Macrihanish there was a force 5 easterly blowing. Was this just a local and transient wind? Surely all the forecasts could not be be wrong? It would be 4 hours before we got down to the Mull, surely the wind would have dropped by then?

What did we do? We WIMPED OUT! Our image of hardened sea kayakers, able to down raw puffins in a single swallow, is dented. I had been so confident of a successful mission, I had not even bothered to bring maps of other locations. Did our lack of confidence mean it was a wasted 372 mile journey?

With dry paddles, we turned the car northwards in retreat....

Sammy the seal

Sammy the seal resurfaces in the Solway at Sunset

Advanced Elements Advancedframe Convertible Kayak Test

I have spent three weeks in the autumn of 2006 and the spring of 2007 paddling the Advanced Elements Advancedframe Kayak and Advancedframe Convertible Kayak on the Solway. They are innovative inflatable boats which use aluminium frames to give the bows and sterns a traditional kayak shape. They were supplied by Mike Thomson of Scottish Paddler Supplies. They share a packable design that can be unfolded from a suitcase sized bag and inflated within about 5 minutes using a two handed double action barrel pump.


180 kg of finely toned muscle can drive the Convertible Kayak up to a maximum of 10.4 km/hr, which is faster than some composite single seaters!


This is the one man Kayak version which I also tested in 2 foot waves and a force 5 wind. It surfed well but was blown about more than a conventional kayak. It was surprisingly rigid crossing steep waves. I was very impressed by its performance in these conditions. I am not saying that it is the ideal type of kayak to set out on a long trip in these conditions but it is great fun to use off the beach. I would also say that a competent kayaker would be quite happy to paddle home a fair distance, if caught out in these conditions.


The single Kayak version in comparison with the Valley Nordkapp LV. Side on to steep waves you do feel the boat rocking but it does not feel insecure. In contrast a narrow boat like the Nordkapp LV just bobs up and down with the waves from the beam.


A 9 and 6 year old were able to paddle the Convertible Kayak version for 1.5 miles with no previous experience. Despite their inexperience, it tracked well due to an inbuilt permanent skeg. Despite their diminutive size, they were able to turn it using sweep strokes.


The bow and stern are formed from cloth stretched over an aluminium frame giving a surprisingly fine entry for an inflatable boat. (Most inflatables) just have a big blunt round tube. In rough water the bow cut cleanly through the waves. In calm water the fine stern meant there was little visible wake behind the boat which is a sign of an easily driven hull.


Standard on the one man Kayak , and an option on the longer Convertible Kayak , is a deck with an inflatable rim that will take a spray deck. The seat base and back are comfortable and in the convertible you can have two (fore and aft) or one (mid) seat positions with zip on decks available for each option. There is also an adjustable inflatable footrest. There is a puncture repair kit in the seat back pocket.


There is a continuous air chamber which runs right round the boat. Inside this are two separate air bladders, so if one punctures you still have air right round both sides of the boat. Three layers of cloth contain the air. The hull has excellent longitudinal stiffness and I suspect that the two bladders within the one air chamber contribute to this stiffness. The materials and finish are superb, it just oozes quality. It can carry a lot of gear in dry bags below the deck, it has lots of lashing points and deck elastics. It has decent carry handles and the assembly instructions are printed on a waterproof label tied to the rear handle. The boat can be completely deflated for easy packing by reversing the pump and using it to suck air out. If you have 4 piece paddles there is room for them in the carrying case.

A wide range of accessories are available. These include a full length bow to stern "backbone" to provide extra longitudinal stiffness. I did not test this and I found the stiffness to be very good in the shorter Kayak in rough conditions. The longer Convertible Kayak was only tested in flat water conditions without the backbone but it seemed to have very good stiffness when crossing speed boat wakes. For those requiring extra stiffness in more demanding conditions, the backbone is collapsible and fits in the carrier bag.

Both boats paddle very well in a wide range of conditions. These are most definitely not toys, they are serious sea kayaks. In calm conditions, I paddled the convertible, one up, for 12km with no discernible extra effort than a companion in a composite P&H Quest.

I think they would especially suit:

those with children
those who fly to destinations where it is difficult to hire
those who have no space to store a traditional kayak
yachtsmen who would like to explore from an anchorage
those who want to potter in all but the most exposed coastal environments
those who like snorkeling
they would undoubtedly make fantastically stable fishing platforms, though the thought of sharp hooks makes me reluctant to recommend any inflatable for this purpose. (It has to be said that many people fish safely from inflatable dinghies.)

I would thoroughly recommend either of these kayaks.

European distributor: Luftkajak

Advancedframe Kayak
Length: 318cm Width: 81cm Weight: 16 kg Carrying capacity: 136 kg
Colours red/grey or green/grey
Size of packed carrying case: 77 x 41 x 30 cm
Cost: £399

Advancedframe Convertible Kayak
Length: 457cm Width: 81cm Weight: 25 kg Carrying capacity: 249 kg
Colours red/grey or green/grey
Size of packed carrying case: 90 x 54 x 30 cm
Cost: £619 (£699 including both single and double decks).

Solway Sunset(s)

Murray's Isles, Fleet Bay 14/4/2007.

Simon Willis said...
Absolutely gorgeous

Edited 23:00 23/4/2007

Simon, you smooth talking.....
....just for being so appreciative, here is another one from the night before:



I had several solo paddles home in the pitch black that week!

Cruggleton Castle

Cruggleton Castle was built by Earl Malcolm of Galloway sometime about 1050 AD. It was built on the edge of a 200 foot precipice into the sea in Wigtown Bay, which is an indentation of the Solway Firth. It covered 1.5 acres and its central courtyard was surrounded by a stone wall with 8 towers. It was protected from the land by a 50 foot wide moat that was crossed by lowering a drawbridge which had a portcullis behind.

After Malcolm's death in 1064 it was taken over by King Magnus of Norway in 1098. It then changed hands many times during its history and was involved with the wars with the Vikings and the English. It was last occupied in 1583 and sadly, at the end of the 18th century most of its stones were plundered for building farms and dykes.

Nowadays all that is left is the vault of the kitchen and even the cliffs it stands on are crumbling away. Beneath the castle there are several interesting caves.

Next Generation

Edited 24/4/2007

Alison said: "and who is this fine crew? i want to get my two ( 9 & 12 yrs) more involved in s-kayaking. the older one has been in my kayak a bit. i may have to get a double. what do you suggest douglas?"

Hello Alison, Elliot 13 and Fraser 7 are my wife's nephews. This is the really excellent inflatable Advanced Elements Advancedframe Convertible Kayak. It is great for youngsters as it is warm with no nasty hard edges. Elliot had been in a kayak briefly about 5 years ago but this was Fraser's first time. Note how well they are paddling in synch! Note also the junior paddle that Fraser is using and Elliot is using a light carbon river paddle. The following day they paddled 1.5 miles. With regard to introducing youngsters to paddling...first you have to toughen them up a bit

Family Easter Holiday

Not only did I get to hit some major headlands over Easter, I also enjoyed some gentle paddles with my wife Alison. Here she is paddling past the little chapel at Cardoness on the Solway. We had a really great time together.

Isle of Whithorn

On our paddle round the exposed headlands, reefs, wrecks and tides of Burrow Head, Tony and I, like countless seafarers before us, found shelter in the harbour of Isle of Whithorn. The surrounding waters of the Solway Firth and the Irish Sea are cruel mistresses. In January 2000 the Solway Harvester , a scallop boat, went down and all her crew, seven local men, were lost.

I have mentioned the Isle before. It was indeed an isle until a causeway was built in 1790 connecting it to the mainland and enclosing its safe harbour. The houses above are built on this causeway. The harbour served pilgrims from afar who wished to visit the shrine to St Ninian. He founded a Christian church (The White or Shining House: "Whithorn") in approximately AD 397. The White House was situated 6km inland from the Isle. Recent archaeological digs have found evidence of trade with Mediterranean countries dating back to the 4th century AD.



Turning to starboard, our eyes fell upon on the Steam Packet Inn, a potential sea kayaking pub! We felt duty bound to assess whether it came up to the standards required of such an establishment. Being visible from the kayaks was a promising start. We had some reservations on entering by the main door and seeing freshly pressed, white table linen on the tables in the dining room. Turning into the pub, our salty boots sank into a deep carpet. Would the staff welcome two thirsty kayakers in dry suits? We need not have worried! The true test of a sea kayaking pub was passed. The bar maid did not bat an eyelid as she took our order for two pints of Guinness which was offered at two temperatures, including my preferred ice cold.



Regular readers of this blog will appreciate our never ending quest for oases of refreshment such as pubs and ice cream parlours. On this occasion, we were stunned to discover that the Steam Packet Inn also served the local delicacy of Cream of Galloway Ice Cream. Tony and I were delighted to award a 5 star seakayakphoto.com rosette to this esteemed establishment!

The staff of seakayakphoto.com do hope that readers appreciate the hardships that are endured in bringing these reports to their attention.

The wreck of the SV Chile

While paddling round Burrow Head, Tony and I came across the wreck of the iron sailing vessel Chile. She lies at the low water mark at the foot of a defile through the cliffs, which are to the north west of Port Castle Bay.



Her riveted iron plates and winches litter the shore. She was a German vessel, built for the nitrate trade with Chile and was impounded in Liverpool at the outbreak of WW1. Captain Weaver was taking her to Glasgow when she was driven on to the shore by a storm and the powerful tides round Burrow Head. Her great masts towered above the cliffs but the sea was pounding her to pieces. The Captain managed to get the crew safely ashore in the boats then led them to safety up a steep path through the cliffs, known as the Ladies' Steps. They were so grateful that they presented him with a picture of the ship which can still be seen in the Wigtown Bay Sailing Club clubhouse.



The resting place of SV Chile.