All quiet in Dunure.

 It was high noon but the low winter sun had hardly made it above the hills behind...

 ...the former fishing village of Dunure.

At one time, the harbour would have been packed with herring smacks but nowadays it is very quiet: there are just a few small prawn and lobster boats.

 The villagers are very proud of their harbour but we were more interested in...

 ...their pub.

 After the passage of a little time, Phil asked the barman why the public bar was so quiet...

....

Between fronts at Fisherton.

We turned to the south once again and soon our attention was caught by...

...the swollen Drumbane Burn, which spilled out of its small gorge and tumbled over the rocks into the sea beside us.

 The breeze picked up as we approached Fisherton Point and the iconic silhouette...

...of Ailsa Craig dominated the empty horizon. Clouds building behind the Craig forecast the approach of the next front. We were making the most of the brief calm in a short winter day.

A torrent from a Taran.

 After our early repast...

...the sun finally rose over the hills as we were getting ready for the second stage of our journey.

 We paddled south towards the cliffs of Carlandcheek where the swollen Lagg burn...

...cascaded from the heights in a torrent to the beach below.

Let's do brunch at Bower Hill.

It has been particularly windy and wet in south west Scotland but this day dawned calm as we made our way to edge of the sea.

 We set off across the bay towards...

 ...distant headlands well before the sun had risen.

As it was not strictly day time yet, we debated for a moment whether we should land for second breakfast or first luncheon.

 In the lee of Bower Hill, the calm sea was disturbed by only a sprinkling of raindrops but...

 ...the spouts of water cascading down the cliffs betrayed how heavy the previous day's rain had been.

 It was spring low water and we took our exercise as we made our way over the sands to...

 ...the luncheon tree. Phil had come prepared for either second breakfast or first luncheon. One flask contained hot mulled wine, the other The Singleton. In the end we compromised and did brunch.

A further opinion on the Rockpool Taran 16.

So far the four members of our team who have tried the Rockpool Taran 16 have all been male with an average age of over 60! So it was time to redress the balance and Jennifer, who is in her early 30's took the Taran 16 for a fast twenty four kilometre trip down the Ayrshire coast past the Heads of Ayr. Conditions varied from flat calm to force 3.

Despite two of the less mobile older testers having problems with the cockpit length, Jennifer found no problems getting in or out and found the seat footrests and rudder pedals really suited her. She was amazed how tightly...

...the Taran 16 turned...

...with its rudder before she disappeared...

...over the horizon. The distant rear view of the Taran 16 is something I have seen too much of!

When we finally caught Jennifer, she liked everything about the Taran 16, apart from one little reservation about its looks when she first saw it. Despite that, she tested it and now she would swap her Alaw Bach for a Taran 16... like a shot!

Seakayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2013.

I wish a very Happy New Year to all visitors to seakayakphoto.com. As way of a celebration of the last year and in anticipation of sea kayaking adventures yet to come, here is the 9th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar from seakayakphoto.com.

As in past calendars, all the photos were taken during the previous year (2012). Despite having been retired for a year now, I have not been able to explore wide new horizons as I had once dreamed. Increasing disability has somewhat restricted  the areas in which I have managed to paddle. This year all the photos are from my local waters of the Firth of Clyde and The Solway Firth. Far from feeling sorry about this, I have felt blessed to have the freedom to enjoy exploring my own doorstep. I am so grateful for the assistance of my friends in getting me to and from the water. My daughter Jennifer chose the photos for each month of the calendar.

2013 cover shot. This is paddle sailing at its best: sun, wind, tide and big skies, on a trip round the Little Cumbrae in the Firth of Clyde.

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January.  A cold east wind sped us from Maidens to Seafield with the snowy mountains of Arran on the far side of the Firth of Clyde.

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February. Some gentle swell made for interesting exploration of the rock channels of Bennane Head on Ayrshire's Atlantic Coas, Firth of Clyde.

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March. Looking back to Glen Sannox after a misty crossing of the Sound of Bute, Firth of Clyde.

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April. Sunset in the Kilbrannan Sound, Firth of Clyde. It was dark when we reached our camp site but the experience of night slowly gathering round you on a calm night is unmissable.

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May. Clear waters in Catacol Bay, Firth of Clyde make a great place to stop for a second breakfast.

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June. Rounding Bennan Head on Arran, one of the impressive headlands in the Firth of Clyde.

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July. Safe haven on a granite boulder reef at Ailsa Craig, Firth of Clyde.

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August. Summer rain, Fleet Bay, Solway Firth.

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September. Waiting for the tide, Isles of Fleet, Solway Firth.

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October. Enjoying the freedom of the seas in Wigtown Bay, Solway Firth.

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November. Taking a break in Bracken Bay, Firth of Clyde.

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December. Seakayak sailing to Dunure with Ailsa Craig on the horizon, Firth of Clyde.

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I hope you find something to inspire you to paddle in your local waters. Finally....

....previous years' calendars can be found here.

Savouring the smell of history below the walls of Greenan Castle

 It was getting dark as we approached the...

...dark walls of Greenan Castle...

...which seemed to grow out of the...

  ...rock upon which it has stood for centuries.

 We drifted in the shade of the castle walls for a while, savouring the smell of history*...

 ...before heading back to the present, across the darkening waters of the bay...

...towards the twinkling lights of Ayr beyond.

*maybe it was just rotting seaweed!