Ginger haired locals and abandoned piers.

On Eilean Balnagowan the SE wind had increased and was now F5 gusting to F6. We decided that further progress southward would be futile especially since the tide had now turned and was also running north. We decided to return to Ballachuilish.. Mike thought that the conditions were not ideal for paddle sailing but Ian decided to give it a try. He hoisted his sail in the lee of Balnagowan and set off at a cracking pace. Once out into the full strength of the wind and the tide he decided that perhaps Mike had been right and that discretion was the better part of valour  and dropped his sail.

I shouted to Mike and Ian to keep a lookout for each other and I  hoisted my sail and set off for the headland some 1.1km distant. It was a broad reach with a 3km/hr flood tide running R to L across our path. The water became increasingly confused as we approached the headland as the west going tide, pouring out of the sweep of Cuil Bay, met the main north going flood which had gone up the west side of Eilean Balnagowan. It was superb fun.

I paddle sailed the 1.1km in 5minutes 7 seconds and averaged 12.9km/hr and Mike in the Aries and Ian in the Cetus MV paddled it in 9 minutes 55 seconds and averaged 6.7km/hr.

My Aries was only planing for short distances as the waves were rather short and confused. However, the power of the sail helped me catch just about any wave available, even if only for a short ride. I think the speed difference would have been even greater if we had had more even following seas.

 As we proceeded north we gradually entered the lee of the mountains,  the wind dropped and...

...Ian and Mike got their sails going again.  But soon it was back to...

 ...paddling until we reached...

 ...Rubha nam Moine...

 ...with its distinctive trees. We stopped just round the point where...

 ...we were joined by some ginger haired locals.

We took a diversion into tiny Kentallan Bay the entrance of which is marked by its distinctive pier house above the old pier.
.

 The west side of the bay is composed of the steeply wooded slopes of Ardsheal hill. The Bay is a submerged geological fault and at its head...

...there is an old landing place where...

...the sad remains of a flat bottom turntable ferry. These were used on both the Ballachuilish and Corran routes until the mid 1970's. This one had seen better days, though its engine block was still in situ.

 It wasn't just old boats that had seen better days...

We set off home along the east coast of Kentallen Bay passing...

 Ardsheal pier on the way. Steamers used to deliver goods here until the railway from Oban to Ballachilish was built in 1903. At that time a new pier was built beside the Kentallen Railway Station, which is now a hotel. The rock on the north side of Kentallen Bay is an unusual igneous intrusion called Kentallenite.

 We hugged the shore to keep out of the increasingly cold wind and before long...

 ...the Pap of Glencoe reappeared in the east.

 Not much remains of...

 ...the timber part of Ballachuilish Pier but...

 ...the slates of its stone part are still in good shape.

The flood tide now carried us at a good rate of knots as the snow clouds gathered over the Glen Coe mountains.

It was good to see the hotel coming up and we made sure we broke out of the current in order to land at the old ferry slipway.

The Ballachuillish hotel proved really excellent. After a nice warm bath  nothing beats a pint of sports recovery drink by a warm log fire followed by an...

...excellent meal. Mike had mussels to start, Ian had Cullen Skink and I had the vegetarian haggis, neaps and tatties starter. We all had shank of lamb as main course. Yum yum.

All in all another truly excellent day.

Blood on the rocks and a murder at Appin.

 We launched in the pre-dawn light from the slipway near the Ballachulish Hotel.

Above us the steel grey bridge blended into the steel grey sky.

 Below us the ebb tide was kicking out through the narrows at 12km/hr. It was rather surreal travelling backwards at this speed as the land whizzed by. The cloud cover meant that it was a good bit warmer than our first days's trip to Kinlochleven.

A decent easterly wind  sprung up and so the sails were unfurled to help us speed our way into Loch Linnhe. Wind with tide gave fast progress on flat water and...

 ...soon the mountains of Ardgour then...

 ...Morvern dominated our view to the west. As the sun rose, the temperature did rise and it was noticeable how the snow had thinned overnight.

We were paddling down the south east side of Loch Linnhe, past Ardsheal Hill which we had climbed two days before.

 Gradually we encountered a SE headwind so we...

 ...hugged the shore until...

...we came across a sheltered NW facing bay where we...

 ...pulled up our kayaks on some remarkably sharp gravel. It was time for second breakfast. I became aware that one of my fingers was leaking quite a lot of blood but I hadn't felt a thing as my hands were so cold. We had plenty of elastoplasts so for once I did not have to resort to duct tape.

Of course a few drops of my blood on the Appin shore were nothing compared with the real events that surrounded the "Appin Murder" which took place here in 1752, six years after the defeat of the Jacobite Rebellion at Culloden. Colin Campbell, a local laird and Hanoverian agent was travelling along Loch Linnhe collecting taxes from the Stewarts and evicting those who could not pay. Suddenly a shot rang out and he was killed. News travelled fast to London where both the government and the King feared a third Jacobite (Stewart) uprising. The Stewart chief, James of the Glen, was arrested and charged without a shred of evidence. He was sent for trial in Inveraray, the seat of the Campbell clan. The judge was the chief of the Campbell Clan and eleven out of the fifteen jurors were Campbells. Stewart was found guilty and hanged at Ballachuilish. It was one of the blackest days in Scottish legal history.

 We found an idyllic sheltered bank with a...

...great view of the mountains and of...

...the Corran ferry 7.5km to the north.

 After second breakfast, Ian set about making the performance seat in his Cetus mv. The lower tab develops an uncomfortable crease that can be cured by cutting the tab completely off.

With comfortable posture restored we set off again down Loch Linnhe towards the northern end of Cuil Bay. We were momentarily distracted by a large dog otter munching a crab on the rocks.

From the shelter of Rubha Mor we looked across Cuil Bay to our destination Eilean Balnagowan. The wind had got up from the SE to a good F4 gusting F5. It proved to be a lumpy crossing but...

We found excellent shelter to go with the 15y old Dalmore that accompanied first luncheon. Despite its small size, Eilean Balnagowan has four shingle beaches. So it gives a sheltered location whatever direction the wind is blowing from. Neither Ian nor Mike had been before but I had paddled between Port Appin and Glencoe 6 years previously. I was surprised to discover a new pier, road and house on Balnagowan. The house was completed in 2014.

United in death at the Isles of Glencoe.

The light was fading fast when we crossed from the north shore of Loch Leven to the south shore. On the way we...

 ...paddled across to the Isles of Glen Coe where we drifted through...

.... narrow channels as the weak and dying.sun did its best to generate a sunset.

 In the gloaming we found ourselves paddling past the largest, Eilean Munde, . Many think the Gaelic means "island of the dead" but it is actually named after St Mundus who came here from Iona to found a church in the 7th century. An alternative name, Eilean Nam Mairbh does mean Isle of the Dead, This spot was the shared burial ground of three warring clans, the Stewarts, the MacDonalds, the McInnesses and the Camerons. At least they were united in death. A cold wind got up and moaned mournfully through the trees and tombstones that stand on this lonely rock. We left the silent tombs to the gathering darkness...

The wind was local to the islands and soon petered out so the sails were furled and we got our heads down for the...

...paddle back through the Ballachulish narrows. The tide was flooding in at 5.5 knots but we enjoyed a helpful eddy all the way back to the slipway and the hotel. After a hot bath we reconvened for frothing pints of sports recovery drinks and as we enjoyed our Cullen Skink soup, mussels and shanks of lamb we knew we would never again be as cold as absolute zero degrees Kinlochleven.

Loch Leven is certainly worth an explore, especially in winter. Snowy mountains, wooded isles, history and strong tides, what more could you ask?

Frostbite, Gorgonzola, and antifreeze at sundown on Loch Leven.

The freezing east wind out of the deep shade of Kinlochleven at least assisted with our speedy exit from the coldest place in the known universe. Ian had never sailed before but had no hesitation in unleashing his sail to ensure his timely departure.

Unfortunately Mike had rigged his sail wrongly and I rafted up to undo an iced knot. I got him going but my fingers were numb for 24 hours afterwards.

At first we made good progress and since we were paddle sailing with the wind the apparent wind dropped...

 ...reducing the effects of the severe wind chill to which we had been exposed on landing at Kinlochleven.

Sadly the wind dropped and we had glassy calm...

 ...back to down the loch to..

 ...the Caolas nan Con where the tide was now pouring in. We were still in the deep cold shade but warmed up by paddling up the south shore to an eddy then ferrying across to another eddy on the north shore.

At last we emerged into the sunshine again but the sun was low in the sky and partly obscured by a veil of cloud.

 A little beach beckoned for second luncheon...

 ..of Mike's home made...

  ...cauliflower, mustard and Gorgonzola soup* and...

...once we had warmed up with that, we...

...poured some antifreeze. It is important not to skimp and buy a 5 litre job lot out of one of the discount stores. No, such pecuniary orientated purchasing is not for us. This was the finest 15 year old Dalmore.

You can read Ian's account here.

* by popular demand here is the recipe for cauliflower mustard  and gorgonzola soup. Mike and I both have the New Covent Garden Food Co A soup for every day book. currently available on Amazon for £5! Ian has enjoyed my soup (broccoli and stilton and leek and potato) in the Sound of Aisaig and Mike's cauliflower, mustard and Gorgonzola soup in Loch Leven so he ordered his own copy on his return! Ian has kindly typed this out for me!

Covent Garden recipe cauliflower, mustard and Gorgonzola soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon plain flour
284ml vegetable stock
284ml milk
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
160g Gorgonzola cheese cubed
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

Method (40minutes)

1.            Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion then cook until softened, without browning

2.            Add the flour then cook for 1 minute

3.            Gradually add the stock and milk, stirring constantly

4.            Add the cauliflower, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 20 minsutes until the cauliflower is                tender

5.            Remove from the heat, add the Gorgonzola then stir until melted

6.            Blend until smooth then return to the pan

7.            Season to taste then reheat gently for 3 minutes

8.            Stir in the mustard and serve on a lovely cold beach!