Decapitation at Camas nan Liath!

On our recent paddle in Loch Sunart and the Sound of Mull we enjoyed an idyllic stop at Camas nan Liath. From a distance the cobbles on the beach looked grey and I thought that was the explanation of the Gaelic name which I took to be "beach of the grey" though I though just Camas Liath would have done.



The water was crystal clear and beckoned us in to the beach which, nestled under the steep wooded slopes of Tor nan Con. Even in winter, the colour of the birch and aspen branches contrasted with the grey of the cobbles and invited a return in spring.



To the north west, the beach is exposed to the full force of Atlantic storms and the bed rock had been worn into mounds, hollows and channels by the action of countless wave tossed cobbles.



In the deeper hollows, at the bottom of each crystal clear pool of water, there was a mixture of cobbles and pebbles of different sizes and rock types.



As we left, we paddled past great grey "heads" of rock whose necks had been worn away by the wave action. Some of the older heads had been decapitated and fallen as boulders. Suddenly, the full and subtle meaning of the Gaelic "Camus nan Liath" hit me: Beach of the Grey Heads.

What a place, what a language.

Mishnish mission via Morven to Mull from Ard na Murchan

We started in the shelter of Port na Croisg, Loch Sunart with the grentle hills of Morven receeding in the distance.



Our route was 28km. Coming back over the Sound of Mull the tide was strongest towards the Morven shore.



Tobermory was founded in 1788 by the British Fisheries Society to service the herring fleet. It is named after tobar Mhoire or Mary's well. In 1588 the Almirante di Florencia, a galleon of the Spanish Armada blew up in the bay. She was reputedto be carrying thirty million gold ducats.



At low tide the beach is sand and shingle. At high tide there are a couple of slipways. There is a small one conveniently situated beside a blue fish and chip kiosk at the pier in the middle of the bay (beside the distant red house in the upper photo.

Mishnish Hotel

This is part of an occasional series of sea kayaking pubs. Ideally a sea kayaking pub should be able to be seen from where you park your boat. It should not involve an onerous hike. It should be open on your arrival. It should serve ice cold Guinness and a variety of malted amber liquids. It should not be snooty about kayaking attire dripping on the floor. The Mishnish fits the bill perfectly.




The Mishnish is situated right on the front of Tobermory, capital of Mull in the Inner Hebrides. Tobermory is more commonly known to millions of children as Balamory in the synonymous BBC series. I have never watched the programme but I have drunk the Guinness.

The Bad Step

Mike said "isn,t that the beach you reach after traversing the bad step?"

Absolutely right Mike. The Bad Step is the slanting crack over the great slab of gabbro. The first time I came across it, it was getting dark, the wind was howling and it was pouring. Not only that, we had huge, top heavy rucksacks on our backs. It is just about unavoidable on the shore path from Camasunary into Loch Coruisk. There is supposed to be a high level alternative but I have never met any one who has found it.



Here is another shot with a lone scrambler to give scale. It is a fantastic spot.

An Clarsach

An Clarsach, "the harp", is a lovely natural arch at the NE corner of Eileach an Naoimh in the Garvellach Isles at the mouth of the Firth of Lorn. It is composed of tillite which is a metamorphosed glacial boulder clay.

Port Sgaile, Loch nan Leachd, Skye

Many casual visitors to Skye are disappointed by the lack of white sand beaches which are common in other parts of the Hebrides. However, there are hidden gems like Port Sgaile which nestles in a corner of Loch nan Leachd, an arm of Loch Scavaig, to the west of Sgurr na Stri in the Cuillin.



This is a view of Port Sgaile from the summit of Sgurr na Stri. The boat is Bella Jane in which Donald MacKinnon runs trips in from Elgol.

Dunvegan Castle, Skye

Dunvegan Castle is unique in Scotland in that it has been inhabited nearly continuously by the one family, the MacLeods, for over 850 years. It was abandoned for only 80 years after the potato famine in the mid 19th century. It is situated in a sheltered inlet in Loch Dunvegan, which is a deep sea loch on the otherwise exposed north west coast of the Isle of Skye. The rocky knoll upon which it is built was originally an island but now it is linked to the mainland.

During the famine, many Highland chiefs led the good life while evicting their tenants and giving them "free passage" to far off places places such as Nova Scotia. In the case of the MacLeods, the 25th Chief also had had to abandon the ancestral home and lands and took his family to London where he found work as a clerk. It was not until 1929 that his second son returned, as an old man, to Dunvegan.

The 29th Chief, John Macleod died a few days ago. During his life he was criticised for attempting to sell the magnificent Cuillin mountains for £10 million pounds in order to repair the crumbling castle. I thought this rather unfair as, during his stewardship of the Cuillin, mountaineers had enjoyed unrestricted access when many other owners of Scottish mountains had done their best to impede access.

He is succeeded by his son, Hugh Magnus, who is the 30th Chief and now guardian of the Castle and its ancient relic, the Fairy Flag. This is a silk banner of Middle Eastern origin which dates from about 500 AD. Legend has it that it may be waved 3 times to save the Clan in times of trouble. So far it has been waved twice.



The magnificent Cuillin with salt water Loch Scavaig and fresh water Loch Coruisk at its feet. Skye is sea kayaking heaven.