Hebridean boules on the machair of Jura.

We got our camp set up on Shian Bay on the west coast of Jura in plenty of time before darkness. In the distance, you can just see Oronsay and Colonsay where we had camped the previous night. We swam in the sea (cold) or the river (warm) behind the machair to freshen up after the long crossing.

We had plenty of time to scour the beach for driftwood of which there was an abundance. There was a solitary fire ring on the huge expanse of machair backing the bay. We do not normally have fires on the machair but there was a pre-existing fire ring with some large logs and planks arranged as seating. As the damage had already been done (apparently it was built by a recent party organised by the estate owners) we decided, on this occasion, to use the local facilities.  We were careful not to move the stones in case the damage got larger.

 I used my exceedingly sharp Japanese folding saw to make a  woodpile from the logs and posts we had gathered on the beach. Some of the logs had been bored by some sort of marine worm and they smelled absolutely disgusting. Camp chores completed, it was now...

...recreation time! We gathered some fishing floats from the beach and started our game of Hebridean boules.

 As you see, we are quite good at it!

The sun setting slowly into the haze over Colonsay to the west finally brought the games to a close.

Read Ian's account here.

Perfect paddle sailing past the Paps of Jura.

We set off from Colonsay on the short 16km crossing to Jura. The Paps of Jura increasingly dominated...

...the eastern horizon as the favourable breeze pushed...

 ...our little fleet steadily east.

Sam unfortunately had no sail so he just had to...

 ...put his head down and paddle hard while...

 ...the others could take it easier and enjoy the view.

 About half way across we could make out...

 ...the fine white strand of our destination on Jura's wild and remote west coast at Shian Bay (Bay of the Tempest).


For once we had arrived while the sun was still relatively high in the sky, so we looked forward to a more relaxed setting up of camp.

Read Ian's account here.

Cake, beer and wind in Scalasaig harbour, Colonsay.

It was now time for second luncheon and as the sun was high overhead, we had become exceedingly thirsty. We decided to stop at Scalasaig harbour, which was deserted as the ferry we had seen earlier had already gone.

Making our way from the harbour to the scattered settlement, you can imagine our disappointment when we saw the big sign outside the Colonsay Brewery.."Brewery Shop Closed".

We resigned ourselves to Plan B and visiting the Colonsay Pantry for a slice of excellent chocolate gateau. You can imagine our delight to discover that they sold...

 ...Colonsay beer! What a relief, David was...

 ..particularly pleased because our beer supplies had mysteriously dropped during the previous night at Kiloran. Perhaps the Hag of Colonsay has a taste for beer and had raided our camp?

 Refreshed and loaded with victuals we paddled slowly out of Scalasaig harbour.

The morning's NE wind had now backed to the west and, as we were heading east to Jura, it looked like the...

...favourable winds we had enjoyed would continue. This was much to Sam's consternation as our destination, the neighbouring Isle of Jura, was still 15km away. We said our farewells to the fair isle of Colonsay as we passed under the small lighthouse on Rubha Dubh.

Read Ian's account here.

A cuckoo in every cove, flapping sails and giant wings on the NE coast of Colonsay.

It was with some reluctance that we dragged ourselves away from Balnahard strand on the NE tip of Colonsay.

Once we cleared the point, our flapping sails caught...

...the wind and fair breeze filled them taught. We made such good progress down the coast that...

 ...the distant Paps of Jura heaved ever higher above the eastern horizon.

Sam, being the youngest, had to suffer the handicap of not having...

...a sail...

...to help with his progress. Each rocky cove we passed seemed to have a cuckoo calling, which added to...

...the atmosphere of paddling this wild place. The  NE coast of Colonsay is rocky and backed by rough heather covered slopes interspersed with scrubby patches of deciduous woodland. There are few,...

 ...if any, places to land. Maurice was remarking that despite sea kayaking for years, he had never seen a sea eagle.

 "What, like that one? said Ian and only a moment later...

 ...David said "Or that one!"

Sea eagles are lazy big birds and they only flapped their great wings a few times before landing just 100m along the coast. Unfortunately for them, they landed beside a pair of broody oyster catchers who vocally and bravely expressed their displeasure by "pip, pip, pipping" as they fluttered above their giant but lethargic new neighbours.

"Well you can hardly top that" said Ian until...

...a golden eagle soared high over the ruins of the appropriately named...

...Riasg Buidhe (Golden Moor). You can read more about this abandoned fishing village in this post about our previous visit. It is possible to land at the head of a gully above high tide. Unfortunately it was low tide and the once cleared gully bed is now full of boulders. So we continued on our way to Scalasaig, the main port on Colonsay.

Read Ian's account here.

Absolute consensus, armadas, wrecks and goats all end up at Balnahard Beach.

 We set off round the northern end of Colonsay and proceeded...

 ...down the remote and rocky east coast which is inhabited...

...only by a colony of feral goats. They are reputed to be decended from a flock which survived the wrecking of one of the great ships of the Spanish Armada in 1588.

With the hills of Islay in the distance, the ferry from Oban passed as our mini armada made its way to...

 ..the wonderful strand of Traigh Ban, or Balnahard Beach as the tourists call it.

 Absolute consensus was reached, this was to be the location of...

 ...first luncheon, after which...

 ...we set off to explore this enormous beach...

 ...which is stunning, whichever way you look at it.

Right in the middle of the bay can be found...

 ....the sad remains of a wooden Swedish steamship, the SS Wasa. In 1920 she caught fire midway between the Dubh Artach rocks and the north end of Colonsay.  4 of the 28 crew were lost but 24 survivors were picked up by the trawler Hibernie II which towed the burning Wasa to this spot. If I were a Swedish sea kayaker I would not name my boat Wasa or Vasa!

All that remain are her keel timbers, still held together with rusting iron bolts. Clearly the SS Wasa has seen better days.

 I climbed a steep dune at the back of the beach from which this magnificent panorama could be seen.

 Slowly and almost reluctantly I made...

 ...my way back across the strand to where...

...the others were preparing to put to sea.

Read Ian's account here.