Retreat from the Mull of Oa

From Texa to the Mull of Oa is 14km and then another 10km from there to the camp site at Kintra on Laggan Bay. The wind was still light but by the time we got to the Mull of Oa, the ebb tide (SE going) would be at its maximum against us. Billy and Mair decided to stay on the east of the Mull and go and explore Port Ellen. Tony, David and I thought we might be able to eddy hop round the rocks before the forecast wind picked up... so off we went.


On the way to Rubha nan Leacan, the most SE point on the Oa, we passed this basalt dyke, evidence of past volcanic activity. Unfortunately the sky began to cloud over and the wind picked up with the approaching front. David's back was giving him problems and we had to land to give him a rest on a steep cleft in the rocks just before the point.


On relaunching, the MSI weather forecast came over the VHF: force 5-6 SW winds tonight and 6-7 SW winds for the following day with similar for the next few days. The west coast of the Oa is not a place you can easily escape from if you have several days of winds of that strength. Not only that, as we rounded Rubha nan Leacan, it was obvious that the race was much closer to the rocks than we had hoped for. A red and white workboat was rolling wildly as it came round the Mull with the tide race. Tony and I looked at one another and shook our heads. We turned back towards Port Ellen, the Mull would always be there another day.


In the meantime, the wind and waves had picked up so we made very rapid progress back along the Oa peninsula. David had got a new lease of life and forged ahead. We had warned him about landing on the attractive, steep little beach but the back of the surf looked so innocent.... Here he is recovering his things after a good trashing and a bail out landing. Tony and I were not going to risk the same, so we stayed out beyond the surf zone shouting instructions on how to do a surf launch. Determined not to be left on the beach, David proved to be a quick learner, well after another five or so trashings, he learned!


All safely at sea again, we approached another sandy beach which was sheltered by some offshore stacks and reefs.


This proved to be a good spot to land and more importantly to be able to launch again in the following day's predicted strong SW winds. Billy and Mair had already found the same spot and had set up camp on the machair behind the beach. Tony, David and I reckoned we were thirsty enough to warrant a cross country jaunt into Port Ellen to seek some refreshment....

13/07/2008

White tailed sea eagles, a swim and a can of Guinness

After rounding the Mull of Kintyre and entering the Firth of Clyde we came across a pair of sea eagles soaring with their offspring.


We needed a break and the sight of the sands of Carskey Bay proved most welcome.


We were by now rather hot.


I went for a very quick swim while Tony sensibly cracked open a can of Guinness.


We lazed in the sun while we looked back at the line of cliffs leading to the Mull of Kintyre, home of mists and sea eagles..... days like these.....

26/07/2008

The State of Texa

The island of Texa lies just a kilometer off the SE coast of Islay in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. While we were cruising down Texa's west coast we spied two gable ends high on the hill above us.


We landed at a little quay below the building. Famished and quite exhausted by our exertions since second breakfast, we decided to partake of a long and leisurely third breakfast prior to any exploration of the isle.


Pushing our way through shoulder high bracken, we made our way up to the ancient lichen encrusted walls. It turned out to be a chapel which was built in the 14th century. St Kenneth(whose chapel we visited last year on lovely Inch Kenneth) was a friend of St Columba and stopped off on Texa while travelling between Iona and Ireland. It is likely that the current chapel was built on the site of an earlier chapel dating from St Kenneth's time.

Texa remained inhabited until the 19th century and its population were known as Texans. Not many people know that St Kenneth was a Texan.

Tony, David and myself decided we would try and head out west round Islay's Mull of Oa. Billy and Mair decided to explore Kilnaughton Bay and Port Ellen. Given how long we had dallied, the approaching weather front and how the tide was running, the latter option was to prove eminently more sensible.

13/07/2008

Amiralty warning: "Rollers break on the beach".

Once we had rounded Rubha na Lice, to the south of the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse, the fog started to lift. Sadly an RAF Chinook helicopter crashed here in thick fog in 1994. All 29 people on board were killed.
Photo Tony Page.


The wild landscape, which we had paddled past without seeing, was at last revealed.


The coast was littered with the wreckage of ships.


We approached the final major headland of Sron Uamha at 13:46. If we had arrived at 11:40 then we would have met what the Admiralty Pilot gives grave warnings of: a delightful tidal phenomenon of "rollers break on the beach".


As it was, we passed Sron Uamha (Point of the Cave) while all was quiet.


Our mood lifted as we left the scene of so many wrecks and such loss of life. The sun now burned strongly in the mid summer sky.

26/07/2008

Mulling it over with a dram of malt on Islay

From Eilean Imersay we were now bound for the Isle of Texa on Islay's SE coast. To the east, the distant mountains of Arran rose above the long peninsula of Kintyre.


Note how Tony is looking wistfully at the distant Mull of Kintyre!


On our way to Texa we passed two of the three whisky distilleries that grace this part of Islay's coastline. The first was Ardbeg, a superb peaty malt.


The second was Lagavulin, producers of another fine malt whisky. Sadly we decided to pass them by as we had thoughts of rounding the still distant Mull of Oa later in the day.

I am now off on my own holiday to the Solway, so posting on our Islay trip may be irregular. If you want to read more of Islay I can recommend two blogs by other visitors to this fantastic island: Armin's Islay Blog and Ron's Islay Weblog.

13/07/2008

The great Gargoyle, the tides and eddies of the Mull of Kintyre

The tide swept us round the rocks below the Mull of Kintyre lighthouse at 12km/hour. There was a difference in water level on either side of this rock so definitely no turning back!


Looking back we could just make out the foghorn and lighthouse above the Dug's Lugs rock. It was a surreal and spooky voyage with strange rocks looming out of the mist at us.


Then the Great Gargoyle of the Mull of Kintyre reared up above us. Seafarers are a superstitious lot and our minds were working overtime thinking of all the lost souls that had come to grief in this treacherous spot.


The stalwarts of the DCKC disappeared over the horizon leaving Tony and I to grapple with the demons of the Fog!


We decided to flee out into the safety of tidal race just as the mist began to lift..



We paddled out 500m into the race. We were off the Mull 3 hours after the inshore tide had started to flow SE. As we left the waters close under the rocks, we hit a counter eddy flowing NW. This was also flowing at 12 km/hour. We then ventured further out and hit another SE stream also flowing at 12km/hr at 400 to 500m offshore. The eddy fences were razor sharp. God knows what kind of a maelstrom this would be like on a windy day. Sensible kayakers would leap right into the arms of the Gargoyle!

26/07/2008

Shaggy dogs on Eilean Imersay, Islay

The SE coast of Islay is a maze of reefs and islands. Some of the channels dry out as the tide recedes like this one inside Eilean Mhic Mhaolmhoire.


After a short drag we were afloat again.


Another maze of channels announced our arrival at Eilean Imersay.


We enjoyed second breakfast on this idyllic beach on Eilean Imersay.



David entertained the male members of the party with a series of shaggy dog stories (he is a vet, raconteur and bon viveur). Mair hung her head in despair at how easily the male mind is amused.

13/07/2008

Losts in the mists of the Mull of Kintyre

Tony and I were not the only ones rounding the Mull of Kintyre. Quite independently, Rab, Julia and Donald from the Drumchapel and Clydebank Kayak Club hit on exactly the same itinerary and timing as us!


Although the coast of the Mull of Kintyre is almost beach less, there are large areas of sand below low water. They gave the water a lovely luminous green hue.


There are actually two caves at...


....Uamh Ropa.


The heavy rain of the night before was cascading down from the heights above the mist and plunging into the sea.


Tony attempts to plot our position in the thick mist. Alternatively, keep the Mull close to on the port bow!

26/07/2008

Sand, sea, sun and blue sky on Islay!

On the second day of our Islay trip we awoke to find ourselves on an idyllic spread of machair above a white shell sand beach. The sun was shining the sky was blue and only a light breeze ruffled the waters of the bay. The only cloud on our horizon was the inshore waters forecast for Mull of Kintyre to Ardnamurchan Point. Winds west 3 to 4 backing SW and increasing 5 to 6 later (after 5pm).


What do you do on a beach but build sand castles? My little plastic spade doubles up as a sheep shit clearer on the camp site!


We set off to the south leaving the Sound of Islay and the mountains of Jura behind.


After rounding Ardmore Point we would turn to the SW following Islay's whisky coast! In the distance the Mull of Kintyre could just be seen on the horizon. Little did we know that we would be rounding the Mull within the fortnight!


After passing through Caolas Port na Lice we entered an enchanting area of scattered skerries called Plod Sgeirean. In the distance, the Irish hills of Antrim now drew the eye onward.

13/07/2008

God Knows in the mists of Innean Glen

We had left Macrihanish in thick fog at 0930am, just as the south going tidal flow started. An hour later we were paddling along a coastline of bizarre stacks and skerries whose outlines and sizes were distorted by the mists.


As we approached a maze of skerries the fog seemed to leach all colour from the seascape and smother all sounds except for the gentle dip of our paddles.


A blink of sun tempted us through through the maze.


We emerged into the isolated bay of Innean Glen, the only beach in the 23km between Macrihanish and Carskey Bay on the far side of the Mull of Kintyre.


Just above the beach a lonely sailor's grave is marked by a simple wooden cross. On the 6th of May 1917 the unidentified sailor's body was washed ashore. It was found by the local shepherd who buried him here. Over the years several crosses have marked the spot. This one was made by Neil Brown of Campbeltown in 1998. He had also made the previous one in 1981.


The inscription simply says "God Knows".

We paddled on into the fog uncertain of what lay before us.

26/07/2008