Midges and rain but no French gold in Loch nan Ceall

Seakayakphoto.com is delighted to welcome a new staff member. Alastair joined a sea kayaking trip in desperate search for fair weather despite an atrocious forecast. After a long drive to Loch nan Ceall near Arisaig, the mist was hanging low over the sea. It was the Scotch variety; a very fine but wetting rain and infested with midges. "We must be mad!" was the general consensus.


Once on the water it was slightly better, at least the midges had not followed us but the prospect of a sodden camp did not hold much attraction.


We paddled below a raised beach. The cliff behind was riddled with caves. We landed to explore an interesting one. In 1746 two French warships landed gold to support the Jacobite cause after their defeat at Culloden the year before. The Royal Navy blockaded the ships and some Frenchmen escaped with the gold on land. It was never found and is reputed to be hidden away in this area.


We climbed up to the cave. Its sheltering wall meant it was dry as a bone but despite a careful search no gold was found. We found some neatly carved graffiti from 1936 but nothing else. We had wondered about using the cave as a doss for the night but the smell of beasts was unappealing.


We paddled on under low clouds and rain but an occasional golden glow on the western horizon promised better...

13/09/2008

A residence on Scarba

After our exertions we were ready for a rest. We came across an old keeper's cottage high above a bay of slippery cobbles on Scarba's southern coast.


Despite having a sound roof with recent double glazing to the south, it was dusty and damp. Tony and I didn't find the atmosphere within conducive to a good night's sleep.


So we retreated to the shore where we pitched our tents. The souls of lost sailors are reputed to roam the coast of Scarba at night. Well it wasn't lost souls that bothered us. It was the double whammy of midges and ticks.

30/08/2008

The Great Race of Corryvreckan

We paddled down the exposed west side of Scarba.


Jura lay far to the south.


As we approached the Corryvreckan, plan A did not seem quite such a good idea. Plan A involved sticking close to the Scarba shore and using an eddy to carry us into the Corryvreckan against the full force of the flood tide. As you can see, a slight swell made the edge somewhat rougher than we (fair weather paddlers) choose to paddle in.


We entered the Corryvreckan on Saturday at 1552. Although it was the last hour of the flood, the flow was still running at full belt! The rule of thirds does not apply here!


We found ourselves in a patch of calm water between the eddy and the Great Race of the Corryvreckan. The Great Race extends for 5 nautical miles out to sea. It is not a place to get into trouble.


It was with some pleasure and dry mouths that we found ourselves paddling into the shelter of the Great Gulf of Corryvreckan.

30/08/2008

A sudden tidal surge on Scarba

When we left Guirasdeal we went into the Grey Dogs tide race (against the tide) for a little fun.


Somewhat scared witless, we proceeded down the NW coast of Scarba.


The photo above shows the nice calm conditions which we found there, after the mayhem of the Dogs.


We landed for a short break and carried the boats well up the beach (about 3 boat lengths on a steep beach).

We only turned our backs for a minute while I attempted to get a weather forecast on my mobile phone. (The coastguard were not broadcasting the forecasts due to industrial action.)

In that moment a tidal surge came in and carried the boats off the beach where they were bashing around the rocks. The strong offshore wind threatened to take them to the Garvellachs. We leaped into the sea and recovered them just in time.

We knew about these surges in this complex tidal area but had not been careful enough. Be warned and carry your kayaks above the high water mark on even a short stop.



Despite our apprehension of what conditions would be like in the Corryvreckan, we left the storm beach on Scarba wiser and somewhat relieved!

30/08/2008

The spirits of Dunyvaig Castle, Lagavulin Bay, Islay

Leaving Port Ellen and heading east along the south coast of Islay we came across a break in the reefs guarding a large bay.


Being highly skilled sea kayakers we were able to use all our powers of navigation to deduce that we were now in Lagavulin Bay.


In the thirteen century the bay was the anchorage for a fleet of armed birlins. They were the navy of the Lords of the Isles who were descended from Somerled, who had wrested the Hebrides from the Vikings.


Today the 16th century ruins of Dunyvaig Castle teeter on the edge of a rock stack which guards Lagavulin Bay. Some of the castle dates back to the thirteenth century and its stones have been there so long that it appears to grow out of the rock. In places it is difficult to say whether the structure is the hand of man or the hand of God.


The castle changed hands many times in a turbulent history and in the 17th century one of its last MacDonald owners was hanged from the walls after a siege. Some say it is haunted by troubled spirits from its bloody past. We chose not to camp there but the only spirit we found was a heady vapour making its way over the sea from a plain white building at the back of Lagavulin Bay.

14/07/2008

Sea Kayakphoto.com trip index 2008

I have been posting little snippets of various trips concurrently. For those who would like to follow the thread of a single trip, I hope this index will be useful.

Less is more round Lismore!
27/12/08

What a carry on round the Mull!
15/12/08 The Mull of Galloway

Another West coast sunset! Firth of Clyde
14/12/08 Bute from Portencross,

Dunure from Maidens, Firth of Clyde
06/12/08

The Four Castles of Carrick, Firth of Clyde.
02/11/08 Turnberry to Ayr

The River Fleet from Fleet Bay
17/10/08

Loch nan Ceall and the Sound of Arisaig
13/09/08
14/09/08

To the Corryvreckan
30/08/08 Seil to Scarba via the Corryvreckan
31/08/08 Scarba to Seil via the Grey Dogs and the Cuan Sound

The Mull of Kintyre
26/07/08 Macrihanish to Sanda via the Mull
27/07/08 Sanda to Davaar Island

To Islay
12/07/08 Claggain Bay
13/07/08 Traigh Bhan
14/07/08 An Claddach
15/07/08 Port Askaig

To St Kilda
30/05/08 Loch Roag
31/05/08 Taransay
01/06/08 Monach Islands
02/06/08 Hirta and Dun
03/06/08 am Village Bay, Hirta
03/06/08 pm Boreray and the stacks
04/06/08 Loch Reasort to Scarp
05/06/08 Pabaigh Mor and Bhacsaigh

To the Garvellachs
10/05/08 Seil to the Grey Dogs via the Corryvreckan
11/05/08 Grey Dogs to the Garvellachs and Seil

Lady Isle
08/05/08 A busy night at Troon

Ailsa Craig
05/05/08 Gannets and granite

Fleet Bay
02/05/08 Solway sunshine

A misty Firth of Clyde
27/04/08 Maidens to Ayr

Arran
18/03/08 Portencross to Brodick via the Wee Cumbrae, Bute and Glen Sannox

Mull of Galloway
17/02/08 Ardwell Bay to East Tarbet

Dorus Mor
12/02/08 Craignish through the Dorus Mor to Crinan and Loch Craignish then back through the Dorus Mor as the sun set.

The four maritime castles of Carrick
20/01/08 Turnberry to Ayr.

The Cumbraes and Bute
12/01/2008 A day trip in the Clyde from Largs

The west coast of Hirta in the St. Kilda Archipelago

We emerged from the threatening darkness of the Hirta/Soay gap and made our way south down the west coast of Hirta.


Looking back to the north, Soay was still wreathed in its cap of cloud.


The cliffs on this side of Hirta were no less impressive than on its north side.


From the summit of Mullach Bi (358m) the great headland of Carn Mor plunges into the sea.As we approached we thought we could see light coming through what appeared to be a cave.


It turned out to be a long tunnel which made its way right through the headland from the west to the south coast of Hirta. It is called Geo Creag an Arpaid and we were lucky enough to be there when it was calm enough to paddle right through!

02/06/2008