Sea kayaking the four castles of Carrick.

Last week David, Tony and I set off from Turnberry beach on the Firth of Clyde on one of our favourite routes: "The four castles of Carrick".


Out in the bay we enjoyed the fresh cold air as we passed the famous golf links of Turnberry and its hotel.



With a misty Holy Island and Arran as a backdrop, we rockhopped our way round Turnberry Point. We were nearing the first castle on our route, the great maritime castle of Turnberry.


These four Ayrshire strongholds have a bloody past which belies the peace and tranquility of today's Carrick coast of Ayrshire.

We shall find out some more of the past on this sea kayaking journey.

20/01/2008

Brave Buckie and the wreck of the Valkyrian

Last week we stopped off at the Anchorage Bar in Dunure on the Firth of Clyde. While we were enjoying some Guinness I noticed the above faded photograph hanging in a corner. There was no annotation but it aroused my curiosity.


While we were warming ourselves by the pub fire we got talking to one of the locals. It turns out that he lives in the recently restored cottage in the photo above.

He told us that apart from the castle, it is the oldest building in Dunure and dates from 1640. More recently, it was inhabited in the late 19th century by one William "Buckie" Munro, the man in the photo! He was one of 31 fishermen of Dunure who went to the rescue of the Valkyrian a 381 ton Danish barque which was wrecked in hurricane force winds off the coast of Dunure during a frightful storm on the night of 11th December 1883.


They rescued 9 of her 10 crew including her master Peter Maersk Moller (above).

No sooner had the fishermen rescued the Danes than another ship was driven onto the rocks. She was the 32 ton steam paddle tug, Iron Duke, which had come to assist the doomed Valkyrian. Again Buckie and the men of Dunure threw themselves into the breaking seas and succeeded in rescuing five of the Iron Duke's crew. Her master, Captain McBride, was lost leaving a widow and five children.

The Valkyrian's bell was salvaged by Buckie after the storm. It remained in the cottage at 1 Habour View, Dunure for many years before being passed to Buckie's descendants.

20/01/2008

Till a' the seas gang dry

"Till a' the seas gang dry." R. Burns

Leaving Bute we headed for the north tip of Great Cumbrae. The full spring tide of about 3km/hr was ebbing down the channel and the wind had swung round to the north. It was thirsty work what with the pub having closed some time before our arrival on Bute.


We eventually made landfall on the west of Great Cumbrae as sun sank towards the horizon behind an approaching front.


We took another break on the north east of Great Cumbrae before the final crossing to Largs marina. We had a small break as we let the MV Alainn past on her way to Largs


By the time we got back to the slipway at the marina it was nearly dark.


32km is not bad for a short winter day. Pity the pub was closed!

12/01/2008

The dry red rocks of Bute

We worked our way up the east coast of Bute towards Kilchattan Bay. One may obtain a refreshment within the portals of St Blanes Hotel in Kilchattan village. Unfortunately the tide was now against us and the sun was setting in the south west. We knew it would be dark before we returned to Largs, even if we left now. Three thirsty paddlers turned their backs on Kilchattan Bay and paddled for the west coast of Great Cumbrae instead.

12/01/2008

No room at the inn of Rubh an Eun

From Little Cumbrae we paddled across to Glencallum Bay on Bute. It is marked by the lighthouse on Rubha an Eun. There was a settlement with a famous inn here. It served mariners who sought shelter from westerly gales in the bay.

Feeling thirsty after the crossing we were saddened to discover that the inn had closed. Final closing time was in 1800 and all that now remains is a pile of stones. The Glen Callum Inn is therefor the first sea kayaking pub to score a humble zero after a visit from the thirsty seakayakphoto.com staff.

We accept it has a scenic location. Yes, it is accessible from the sea, being situated as it is on a raised beach. We can make allowances for the quadruped bar staff who wore woolly jumpers and had neither English nor the Gaelic. We can even forgive the lack of a roof but what is completely unforgivable is the lack of a decent pint of Guinness.

I repeat nil point.


We paddled on past the lighthouse feeling very thirsty.

12/01/08

Out with the old in with the new.

Crossing from the Little Cumbrae to Bute, we looked back upon the two Little Cumbrae lighthouses. The modern square concrete block just doesn't compare with the beauty of the original which has a green copper dome above its lantern house. Both lights are built on a raised beach which is found on other many other Clyde islands such as Arran and also on the mainland.

12/01/2008

Little Cumbrae: a touch of the Hebridean Wild West.

Little Cumbrae lies deep within the protective arms of the Firth of Clyde and so is not strictly speaking one of the Hebridean Islands. These lie off the remote Atlantic coast of Scotland from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north.


The highest point of the Little Cumbrae is only 47km from George Square in the heart of Glasgow, which with its commuter belt has a population of 2.3 million people.


Despite this proximity to so many people, we found ourselves completely alone on a winter Saturday lunch time. Of course in the summer there will be innumerable yachts, motor cruisers, speed boats and jet skis on the horizon.


We can now enjoy the solitude of this wonderful place, which in winter is as quiet as any remote Hebridean Island. As Billy, Tony and myself paddled round Little Cumbrae, it rekindled memories of a truly memorable trip, which was only the second time that we three had paddled together.

12/01/2008


Scarp, Outer Hebrides.

We had gone on a trawler supported trip arranged by Andy Spink of Hebridean Pursuits to the "Wild West". Andy has been organising these trips (for six years now) with the aim of getting to the remoter parts of the Hebrides, including when possible St Kilda. This year, the week long trip leaves from Oban on 16th May. It occurs to me that it would be an ideal introductory trip for some of the regular visitors to this blog who have not yet paddled in the Hebrides. Of course when I say introductory, what I mean is to the area not to sea kayaking! You would need to be used to paddling in exposed rough water conditions. Full details are available from Andy tel. 44(0)1631 710317 and email hebpursuit@aol.com.

11/06/2006