On the third day of our Colonsay adventure we woke early due to beautiful sunshine which had warmed the tent as soon as the sun rose over the low hills to the east.
It is always easier to pack on the third morning. We had burned logs and barbecue coals which we had brought and eaten and drunk quite a few of our consumables. On a sea kayak camping trip we burn about 5,500 Calories a day!
It was most gratifying to see how flat our launch would be.
In contrast, this is what our last visit to Kiloran Bay was like. We got our faces wet on that launch!
The feeling of lightness once on the water is always a joy after the effort of humphing the camping gear and loaded boats to the water.
We set off on a very flat sea and hoped to do some close quarter coastal exploring which had not been possible on our previous visit. We hoped to find a one kayak wide rocky channel that leads into a hidden sandy lagoon near the north end of Colonsay.
At first things looked pretty promising but...
...we had not gone far when we were reminded that the Atlantic is never flat for long. Look at David, to the right of Sam, to get some idea of the scale of this growler.
Fortunately the swell did not increase too much and it was very...
...exhilarating paddling along this remote coast with...
...the sun sparkling and the roar of the surf washing the dark rocks.
Unfortunately there was too much swell to land at
Port Sgibinis and inspect the Balnahard Whale, which can be easily seen in this remarkable image from
Bing Maps. It is a huge artwork by Julian Meredith who has invited visitors to fill in the outline of the whale with cobbles from the raised beach.
Any disappointment was short lived when we arrived at
Pol Ban, a lagoon hidden behind some offshore islets and skerries. A combination of the direction of the swell and low water meant the lagoon was protected. We paddled into several of its recesses until we found...
...the narrow channel which led to...
...the sands backed by machair beyond.
One by one we wended our way into this remote part of Colonsay. No road reaches this far...
..as a steep line of cliffs cut this tiny northern part of Colonsay from the rest of the island to the south. On our last visit these cliffs were home to many red billed choughs but there were none on this day.
We left the boats in the creek and...
...made our way up to the machair where we discovered...
...a great many huge weathered logs. Colonsay has no trees of this size so where had they come from? Almost certainly...
...these trees grew in North America and had entered the Atlantic via the St Lawrence river before the long crossing to the Hebrides on the North Atlantic Drift. If logs like this are washed up on an inhabited part then they do not last long as they are a coveted source of fuel, which helps see islanders through the long Scottish winter. These trunks have survived as they are just too large and too difficult to get to. We must come back and camp here sometime. The wood supply looks adequate even for our pyrotechnic needs.
On the east side of this isthmus of machair another inlet offers the possibility of landing in calm weather above half tide. The sun was now high in the sky and it was getting hot. Maurcice said he was dying for a drink but was a bit short of water. Sam said he still had some in his water bottle back at the kayak. Mention of a libation brought a twinkle to...
...David's eye. "Isn't Colonsay the island with a brewery?"
Without further ado, we made our way back to the boats!
