Sea kayaking over crystal clear waters in Hynish Bay, Tiree

From the dry dock and pier at Hynish we looked across Hynish Bay to the distant headland of An t-Ard. There are some wild camping opportunities round Hynish Bay but there was a large Music Festival based at Crossapol and we could already hear rehearsals. Not only that, every available spot was already taken. We decided to try and find a quieter spot somewhere between An t-Ard and Scarinish.

Leaving the higher ground of the south corner of Tiree we approached Mannal where the houses were again the highest points on the landscape.

The anemometer at Tiree airport was recording an average of 17 knots of wind from the NNE so we had a long hard slog into the wind past Balemartin and...

...Balinoe where...

...the clarity of the water was absolutely stunning.

Eventually we briefly turned south again to round An t-Ard before finding...

...a break in the rocky coastline to land for a welcome break and to set up camp.

A wild goose chase and feeling flushed at Hynish, Tiree!

After rounding the southern tip of Tiree we turned to the NE again for the first time since we had left the Gunna Sound. We entered a maze of skerries with several dead ends but these wild geese led us through.

As we approached the settlement of Hynish, we saw the observatory tower for the Skerryvore lighthouse, which lies over 19km away to the SW. Two way communication was by flag signals and telescopes. It is now maintained by the Hebridean Trust and houses an interesting museum.

Rounding Hynish pier we approached the beach with its massive dry dock...

...which was built by  Alan Stevenson during the construction of the Skerryvore lighthouse from 1838 to 1844. Granite was quarried at the Ross of Mull then shipped here to Hynish where the blocks were shaped to the exact dimensions required for each layer of the lighthouse.

Hidden away at the back of the dry dock is an unusual opening. It looks just like something that might lead to some burial chamber filled with gold! However, you would be wasting your time on a treasure hunt! It is actually a sluice gate that is connected to a reservoir above Hynish. At low tide, it could be opened to flush out sand which was silting up the dock.

Jets, sea kayaks and galleys and fair Tiree.

 After lunch, David and Phil snoozed on the hill above the remote beach on the SW coast of Tiree.

There is nothing over the horizon until you encounter the fair shores of Newfoundland.

The dome on Ben Hynish houses one of the main air traffic control radars for trans Atlantic flights to and from Europe.

The summit of the hill behind the beach was an Iron Age hill fort. It also commanded views away to the east to the Treshnish Isles and Mull from where any invaders would come, looking to plunder the fertile lands of Tiree.

About two thousand years ago, it would have been our ancestors galleys that would have been drawn up on this beach of dazzling white shell sand.

The beach to  the SE of the hill fort was composed of cobbles and rose continuously up the hillside to a level that the tides would last have reached about 10,000 years ago.

This raised beach is very similar to those on the west coast...

...of the isle of Jura. The tops of the Paps of Jura could be seen rising above the horizon 80km away to the SE. There was no sign of the coastline of Jura, or indeed the intervening isle of Colonsay, which were both below the horizon.

Sea kayaking the Hynish peninsula, Tiree.

From Balephuil Bay we enjoyed a downwind blast down the west side of the Hynish peninsula, which is the most southerly point in Tiree.

Once we turned the corned and headed east we were in the wind shadow  and could enjoy exploring the most incredible series of skerries and white and beaches...

...like this one to the west of Port Snoig.

It was past 1pm and so first luncheon was somewhat overdue.

Whatever, it took little excuse to stop at this piece of paradise!

Sea kayaking Balephuil Bay, Tiree.

Leaving Ceann A' Mhara on Tiree's west coast we arrived at the beautiful Traigh Bhi  or Balephuil Bay as the surfers know it. Ben Hynish is the highest point on Tiree at 141m. I would have loved to have landed and climbed to the radar dome at the top but my knee was bothering me. We missed the all encompassing view if the island from the summit. I hope to climb it one day...

Anyway the view from the kayaks more than compensated.

The turquoise and ultramarine of the sea contrasted with the dazzling white sand and...

...green grass of the dunes...

...while puffy white clouds scudded across the deep blue sky, only a little faster than our kayaks with their sails.

Simply stunning......!

Through the Maze to Ceann a' Mhara

South of the amazing beach that the Tiree surfers call "The Maze" (it is actually Traigh Thodhrasdail) lies the real Maze...

it is an incredible series of skerries and channels which lie to the north of Bharrapol Bay and the imposing headland of Ceann a' Mhara. Inside we were protected from the swell that the surfers were now enjoying...

...but as we emerged into Bharrapol Bay we were reminded of the presence of the surf.

At 103m Ceann a' Mhara is the third highest point on Tiree. Quite a distinction as Tiree only has three high points!

We had timed our arrival for slack water. If we had arrived with the north going tide against a NE wind, then it would have been somewhat bouncier than we experienced.

Once round the headland, we found a rocky cove sheltered from the swell.

It was now time for a well deserved third breakfast!

Up before the surf dudes on Tiree's Maze.

Leaving Hough Bay, we paddled through the skerries that lie off the westernmost point of Tiree, Rubha Chraiginis. The north going tide was still flowing through the channels against us.

We stopped for a rest in this little inlet on the sheltered south side of the point. Unfortunately the beach below the water was very steeply shelving with very slippy boulders. I half fell out of the kayak and it took both David and Phil to recover me. It was the worst wrench to my bad knee since the operation and it could have been serious if it was not for their speedy help. Thanks guys!

From the top of the rise behind the beach we could look back at the way we had come with the Cuillin of Skye in the distance.

21km away to the SSW we could just make out the Skerryvore lighthouse on the horizon.

We now set off in a southerly direction down Tiree's west coast. The NNE wind was cross off at "The Maze" as the surf dudes call Traigh Thodhrasdail. The surf was about 4 feet so there were a lot of boardies emerging from their camper vans for what, for them, was an early morning surf (but we had been paddling for 2.5 hours! David and I whipped up our sails and we could see several dudes rubbing their eyes in disbelief!

It was great fun sailing and paddling along the beach, just beyond the surf zone. Judging by the stares, the surfers had clearly never seen a sea kayak with a sail!

All to soon we left the beautiful Maze beach and the surf dudes behind.

Sea kayaking Tiree's north shore

 Despite a comfortable camp site on the machair of Tiree's north shore, I slept poorly. Partly it was the noise of the F5 wind and surf but mostly it was a grating pain in my bad knee. However, I had finally dozed off by the time the shipping forecast was broadcast at 0530. It was to be F4 NE in the morning rising to F5 NE in the evening.  However, the coastal station report for Tiree was currently only F3 so it was...

...time for an early start. We had the sea kayaks loaded and on the water by 0730! David hadn't ever realized that there were two 7:30's, every 24 hours!

We were soon weaving in and out of the skerries as we paddled west along Tiree's north shore. This was near Barna-Sgeir.

 Rounding the point we came across yet another of Tiree's stunning beaches. this one is Traigh Chornaig.

Away to the north, the Cuillin mountains of Skye and Rum broke the otherwise empty horizon.

The west side of Traigh Chornaig is guarded by extensive skerries.

By the time we reached Rubha na Bo Maoile there were no more crofts by the shore until...

...the rocks were breached by Traigh Bail' a Mhuilinn. Beinn Hough, at only 119m but Tiree's second highest hill, now came in sight.

As we rounded Rubha Boraige Moire, we noticed that the wind was increasing...

...but it was now more a tail wind and it blew us across the wide bay of Traigh Hough. It was only 0900 hours but we had now nearly completed our paddle of Tiree's fantastic north coast, just as the wind kicked in for the day.