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.

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

As we paddled into Loch Fyne, the view out of the mouth of the loch was completely dominated by the mountains of Arran.


The Clyde Cruising Club were holding their Scottish Series Regatta out of Tarbert on the far side of Loch Fyne. It looked pretty busy over there, as these Sigma 33s tacked down the loch!


Despite the start gun having gone off some time before, the owners of this fine old Moody 346 were still tucked up, down below. At least she was lying at anchor. So many yachts these days just go from marina to marina, or worse, just lie at berth in their home marina all season.


North of Portavadie, the east coast of Loch Fyne has some very attractive reefs and islets. Far from the roads, this is part of Argyll's Secret Coast.


Although I have sailed on Loch Fyne many times, in the 30 years or so I spent yachting, I was always frustrated that we kept well off such interesting coasts. A great joy of sea kayaking is being able to get right in amongst the skerries...


...where the only company is the pipping oyster catchers and the occasional otter.

I am very fortunate to have a well paid job and could afford to own a yacht, if I wished. But do you know what? I saw more of the Scottish west coast in my first two years' sea kayaking than I did in over 30 years' yachting. So I feel no desire to encumber myself and my coastal adventures with a yacht. Sea kayaking is true freedom of the seas.

Not many people know this but, under the waterline, yachts are constructed in an interesting way. Their hulls are a composite material, somewhat akin to a papier mache, made up of £50 and £100 pound notes, which are laminated, with a not entirely waterproof adhesive. Whenever a yacht is in the water, these bank notes steadily break away and drift off in the current. Yachting is an expensive business and no, I don't miss the boat...


...I am still sailing!

One way trade and a one way voyage.

Embarking from the ferry at Hunter's Quay we stopped at the head of Loch Striven. This loch is one of the most remote but sheltered of the many sea lochs, which branch off the Firth
of Clyde.

Far from the open sea, boats seek shelter from its neighbouring hills and mountains. It was here that the Sealand Performance was laid up for nearly a year. We had passed her at anchor off Greenock fitting out for her final voyage. She was bound for the USA, where she would pick up a supply of empty containers to take to China. Once there she will be broken up.


From Loch Striven we travelled across the fertile farmland of the Cowall peninsula towards Portavadie. To the south the rocky ridges of Arran soared above the blue waters of the Sound of Bute.


Portavadie (port of the fox) is where the departure point of the Calmac ferry to Tarbert in Kintyre. You can launch on the slipway as long as the ferry is well clear. The nearby Portavadie Marina serves an excellent breakfast.


It felt good to be on the water again as we launched onto the waters of Loch Fyne. We were also going on a one way voyage, to Otter Ferry where we had left Phil's car to shuttle us back to Portavadie.

How sweet is the Clyde?

It was time to be back on the water but to begin with, our hulls stayed dry.


We took the ferry crossing to the Cowal peninsula on the west side of the Firth of Clyde. This is Western Ferries' MV Sound of Scarba which runs from McInroys Point to Hunter's Quay. If you plan to use this crossing, you can get discount tickets in Paul's Food and Wine shop at 94, Shore St, Gourock. A return ticket for car and driver is £27.20 if bought on the ferry or £15 bought in Paul's! If you are travelling from the Cowal side you can get the same discount tickets at Sandbank General Store and Post Office.


It was a great morning to be out on the Clyde with views in every direction. As the MV Scarba motored out of McInroys Point at 7am, we passed the MV Nordstrand at anchor. She is an 88.3m grain carrier and was waiting for high tide to make her way up to Glasgow. In the distance, the mouth of Loch Long leads into the Argyll mountains.


A few moments later, the Calmac ferry, MV Saturn, passed on her way from Dunoon to Gourock.


The view to the south showed the Cloch lighthouse and the distant hills of Arran above Bute. MV Aasli, a bulk carrier was making her way up the Clyde with a cargo of granite aggregate from Glen Sanda.


Straight ahead, the houses of Hunter's Quay and Strone flanked the entrance to the Holy Loch.


As we crossed into the middle of the Clyde we saw the Inverkip power station chimney behind the Cloch lighthouse and the steep slopes of Little Cumbrae island on the horizon.


Looking back up the Clyde, past the MV Nordstar, we could see the Maersk Line ship, SeaLand Performance at anchor off Greenock. She was being readied for sea after having spent the recession laid up in Loch Striven for nearly a year. She was finally towed out of Loch Striven on 21st May 2010. Just behind the SL Performance, you can see the capsized hull of the MV Captayannis, which was wrecked here in a storm in 1974. She is known locally as "the sugar boat" and is a popular sea kayaking destination. Her full cargo of sugar soon dissolved in the murky waters of the Clyde.

Paddle 2010, Perth

Paddle 2010, the Scottish Canoe and Kayak exhibition is on this weekend, 23rd and 24th October, at the Bells Sports Centre, Perth. It runs from Saturday 09:00 - 18:00 and Sunday 10:00 - 16:00. In addition to the trade stands, there is a really interesting progamme of talks and workshops. I will be giving a slide show "You don't have to go far, for great sea kayaking adventures." on Sunday from 13:30 to 14:30. It would be really great to see you there.

The Garvellachs from Seil

A 32km day trip round the Garvellach islands from Ellenabeich on Seil. August 2010.


the NW coast of Eileach na Naoimh.

Tidal streams from Insh Island to the north end of the Sound of Luing:
+0430 HW Oban (-0100 HW Dover) north-east going flood begins.
-0155 HW Oban (+0500 HW Dover) south-west going ebb begins.

The spring rate is 6-7 knots through the islands at the N end of the Sound of Luing. On the N going stream a strong tide race extends from Rhubha Fiola to Ormsa then past the SW side of Belnahua. Between the Garvellachs and the Black Islands the spring rate 2-3knots. On the west side of Lunga the spring rate is from 3-3.5knots. South of Insh Island, the spring rate is 1-1.5knots.

Eddys are frequent, especially round the north end of the Garvellachs.

On the day, it was 4 days after springs Oban HW 0915 LW 1531 HW 2138. We left Ellenabeich at 1015, the SW ebb had started at 0720. On the return we left Garbh Eileach at 1605, the NE flood had started at 13:45. We returned to Ellenabeich at 1757.

A rough crossing to the Rough Islands.

Sea kayaking under the west coast cliffs of Garbh Eileach.

A fishless lunch on Eileach an Naoimh.

Garvellachs rock face.

The great eagle of Eileach an Naoimh.

Return tickets for the Sound of Luing express.

Bear right at Belnahua!

An encounter with Loti on an uneasy sea.

A unobstructed view thanks to midges and shaggy dogs.


Photo album map. (Note that Google maps know nothing of the Garvellachs or Insh Island!)

A unobstructed view thanks to midges and shaggy dogs.

We passed by the south coast of Easdale...


...on our approach...


...to the little harbour at Ellenabeich, which nestles below the rocky slopes of Dun Mor, on the Island of Seil.


We called in at the Oyster Brewery Bar Restaurant for a Guinness and some excellent haddock and chips. Despite being crowded when we arrived, we got the best seats. We are not sure if it was the coincidental arrival of the Highland midge or David's shaggy dog stories that cleared the terrace...


...but the view south across the flooded slate quarry to Luing, Scarba and Easdale was marvellous.

On this occasion, we stuck to Guinness as our previous favourite local brew, Grey Dogs Strong Ale, was no longer available. At least we could see the view this time!

An encounter with Loti on an uneasy sea.

Long after we had left Belnahua we were still being carried north at 9-11km/hr on an uneasy sea. Wind against tide here can be an interesting experience. Fortunately there was not a breath of wind.


Looking back to the Garvellachs, we could just make out the outline of Colonsay to their right side.


Soon we left the isolated rocks of Dubh-fheith behind.


As we approached Easdale, the evening Cal-Mac ferry...


...passed on her way to Colonsay from Oban. She is the MV Lord of the Isles. Loti as she is affectionately known is 84.6m long and was built in 1989 at Port Glasgow on the Clyde.