Bear right at Belnahua!

We paddled east towards the Black Islands. Away to the south Jura and Islay lay on the horizon while Eileach an Naoimh lay closer at hand.


We got a good view of Dun Chonnuil to the north. Through the gap between it and Garbh Eileach we could see the Laggan peninsula on Mull.


We slipped through the reefs to the east of Eilean Dubh Beag, the smaller of the Black Islands. After a brief stop on Eilean Dubh Mor we cut across to the north end of Lunga. The Sound of Luing was running like a river and we broke into its current.


We were carried north past the lighthouse on Fladda. It was built in 1860 David and Thomas Stevenson. It flashes every 9 seconds and has red white and green sectors.


If you are not careful you will be swept past the SW corner of Belnahua but a stiff paddle should see you up its east side.


Only then can you relax and let the 5 knot tide...


...secure in the knowledge that it will take you all the way back to Seil.

Return tickets for the Sound of Luing express.

We cut through the reefs to the SW of A' Chuli and proceeded up its SE coast until...


...we arrived at Garbh Eileach and its little jetty, which is used by the farmers to load and unload sheep for summer. We basked on the warm rocks and enjoyed a little refreshing amber nectar.


Although it is a rocky landing this bay is sheltered from all directions except NE. Rising water announced that the flood tide was now well established.


At last it was time to go.


We were bound for the Black Islands (on the horizon) and the tides in the Sound of Luing beyond, for which we all carried return tickets. With any luck the tides would now carry us all the way back to Seil.

The great eagle of Eileach an Naoimh

The exposed NW cooast of Eileach an Naoimh inthe Garvellach Isles is a wondrous place. This great stone eagle stretches its wings over a tiny paddler, who is lost in the scale of the place.


Usually the swell is too big to get in this close. We had looped round the Garvellachs in a figure of eight, so that we would paddle this bit later in the day, when the sun had come round...


You can see why!


Having traversed below the NW cliffs of Eileach an Naoimh we planned to slip through a gap in the chain of islands and now go up the SE coast of Garbh Eileach. A 10.8m creel boat, the Mairi Christine OB520, from Luing also had the same idea , in reverse!

Garvellachs rock face.

Fleeing from the midges at the monastery, we made our way round the reefs at the SW corner of the Garvellachs...


...before turning NE up their exposed side.


The modern lighthouse is perched...


on the end of a line of dramatic tillite cliffs.


As we made our way below the lighthouse...


We became aware of the dramatic features of the Old Man of the Garvellachs, whose stony gaze was directed to the distant mountains of Mull..

A fishless lunch on Eileach an Naoimh

We slipped through a gap in the reefs through to the SE side of the Garvellachs. I fell behind the others to drop a mackerel line over the side. I very quickly caught a good sized one but when I pulled it in it was just a head! It had been very neatly bitten off at the gills by a seal that was following us. I gave up on the idea of mackerel for lunch. :o(


The magnificent Paps of Jura dominated the horizon to the south...


...while we made our way past the barnacle encrusted reef of Sgeir Leth a' Chuain towards the sloping SE side of Eileach an Naoimh... the rocky isle of the Saint.


We passed under the Clochain, a pair of ancient beehive cells where monks from the monastery retreated to pray.


From the landing spot, we climbed up to a little platform beside the monastery, which had a great view over to the Gulf of Corryvreckan, which lies between Scarba and Jura. Even from this distance we could see the swell breaking on the exposed SW coast of Scarba.


The view to the south towards the Paps of Jura showed that the monks must have enjoyed the scenery while meditating.


We too attempted to meditate, while enjoying our fish-less lunch. However, we were subjected to a most ferocious midge attack in the midday sun. Don't these midges play by the rules? Either monks were very thick skinned or the beehive cells were midge proof. If they were stuck in these windowless cells for months on end, maybe they didn't enjoy the view after all!

Sea kayaking under the west coast cliffs of Garbh Eileach.

The NW coast of the Garvellachs is a wild place. It is not often possible to paddle in close due to the swell that seems to be amplified as it rolls up the narrowing Firth of Lorn from the Atlantic.


We proceeded under the steep tillite (metamorphosed glacial deposits) cliffs of Garbh Eileach.


The cliffs are almost continuous until...


...we reached a break before the next island in the chain, A' Chuli (with Eileach an Naoimh) beyond.


We then turned south beyond a reef at the SW corner of A' Chuili. Above the rocks we could just make out the Paps of Jura beyond.

A rough crossing to the Rough Islands.

The weather forecast for the long weekend was pretty poor but there was to be a brief weather window on the Sunday. After an early start, David, Jennifer, Tony and I made our way up to the Island of Seil. Our plan was a dry trip to the Garvellach Islands that lie in the tides that sweep between Scarba and Mull. We were on the water in time to catch the 10:15 ebb express for the Garvellachs!


With Insh and Mull on the horizon, we had a brief dally with the reefs at the north end of Easdale...


...before the tide carried us at a steady 7-8km/hr towards the SW and Dun Chonnuil, the nearest island. Jura and distant Islay lay away to the SW.


The water was calm in the light winds, but Jennifer remembered the last time we were here...

...imagine a very rough sea at this point! My camera was firmly in its waterproof bag and it was even too rough to take a photo with the little one handed waterproof Sony! The ebb tide flows SW down the SE coast of the Garvellachs but when the tide is running at its maximum, an eddy flows NE up the NW coast of Dun Chonnuil. Where this meets the main flow there is very confused water. Our progress slowed from about 8km/hr with gentle paddling down to 2km/hr with vigorous paddling down the NW side of Dun Chonnuil. Bracing as they say!


Fortunately it didn't last long and we were soon in calmer water as we...


... approached the wooded slopes of the NE end of Garbh Eileach, the largest island, after which the Garvellachs take their name. It means the Rough Island.

An oasis of refreshment and welcome at Colintraive

The Kyles of Bute between the Cowal peninsula and the island of Bute are great sea kayaking waters.


The icing on the cake is the Colintraive Hotel which is just beside the ferry terminal on the Cowal side. I first visited this oasis of refreshment on a yacht in 1977. Last September we returned to see if the years had been kind to it.


Just inside, there was an impressive menu on the wall. Sadly due to the winds we arrived after 3pm when the kitchen had closed...


...however the welcoming bar staff lit the fire for us and brought us some freshly made prawn sandwiches. These were not only generously filled but truly delicious! Not only that but the Guinness was served at just the right temperature.

I notice that the Colintaive Hotel has won two accolades: "Scottish Hotel Awards, 2010 Winner of the Inn of the Year" and "Gold Medal Award for Real and Local Food"

It would be most churlish of us to disagree in any way, particularly in view of the excellent service, which we found on our visit. We will visit again soon, to sample that menu but this time we will arrive at this wonderful place early!

If all this was not enough, the hotel are now offering sea kayaking instruction for their guests together with local instructor Roddy Mcdowall. This must make it one of Scotland's premiere sea kayaking pubs!

Douglas Wilcox at Brewery Arts Centre Kendal 13/10/2010

I will be giving an illustrated talk "Sea kayaking is the new mountaineering" at the Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, Cumbria on Wednesday 13th October at 8.00pm. Tickets are £10 and I will be donating my portion of the fee to the Myotonic Dystrophy Support Group. I am lucky to be able to enjoy many active pursuits. Many people with the debilitating wasting condition myotonic dystrophy are less fortunate.I have been honoured to be a medical advisor to the charity for many years and have met some really great people, who somehow manage to triumph over much adversity.

So if you are within travelling distance of Kendal, bring your friends and we will be able to do a little to help a great cause. It would be great to meet you there. There is a bar!