Big boats and wee boats, all headed for Ailsa Craig!

It was an overcast morning when Ian and I met at Lendalfoot on the Ayrshire coast for a trip out to Ailsa Craig. It was actually my third trip of the year but Ian had missed the last trip so any excuse as they say. We were not the only ones interested in the Craig. The cruise liner MV Discovery beat us too it despite Ian's 04:30 start from Aberdeenshire!

A telephoto lens makes Ailsa Craig appear tantalisingly close but it is...

...14.2km from Lendalfoot. We are not fast paddlers and normally allow 2hours 45minutes for the crossing.  The cloud of the early morning soon...

...burned off and it proved to be a hot crossing.

Slowly, slowly Ailsa Craig spreads over...

 ...the western horizon and detail such as...

...the castle and the lighthouse.

A roar broke the peace of the morning which had only been disturbed by the dripping of our paddles. It was...

...the high speed ferry en route from Troon to Larne.

The best place to land is the spit of granite rubble which extends to the east of the Craig. The smallest boulders are on the north of the spit but in early season grey seals haul out here and it is best to land on the SE of the spit.

As we approached we could see no seals and so we decided to land on the north of the spit just as...

MV Glorious the tour boat from Girvan was arriving.

Wuite a bit of tide runs past the spit and we were so taken by the scenery that we rather overshot the spit on our final approach.

We delayed a little to allow the wash from the high speed ferry to subside, you can see how high up the beach  the waves reached.

We hauled the up to a ledge on the storm beach but not before Ian's kayak escaped and shot down the steep beach into the see. Ian has better knees than I and he leapt after it catching it just before it glided out of reach.

We enjoyed our lunch in the sun as the passengers on the tour explored the lighthouse area and the crew of Glorious had their tea.

We may have left the shelter of the Eileans in Millport Bay on a millpond but...

We left the shelter of The Eileans in Millport Bay on a millpond to find somewhat different conditions off...

 ...Farland Point where the wind was at the top end of F4 against an ebb spring tide in its third hour.

 These photos can only give an inkling...

 ...of the fun conditions we experienced.

Once round the point we entered the main tide race with the wind behind us.

There were some great waves to catch and the combination of the Flat Earth kayak sail and paddling very hard (I do like these VE paddles) meant we could get onto the plane (in fully loaded sea kayaks!) and overtake the waves in front.

 It is a great feeling accelerating down a wave face then breaking...

....through the wave in front then resurfacing with spray flying everywhere.

I hope this video will give some idea of the speed and fun.

Unfortunately not everyone was having fun. As we paddled into the shelter of Largs the VHF radio traffic was busy with calls as the Largs inshore lifeboat and a Sea King helicopter from HMS Gannet were called to assist a small motor boat that had got swamped south of the Great Cumbrae.

All in all our overnight trip to Inchmarnock had proved a wonderful experience. Camping, bonfire, good company, a swim, a pilgrimage to Saint Blane's monastery and some wind over  tide race fun all made it unforgettable.

Windmills not millstones round our necks in an Independent Scotland.

As we left the shelter of Glencallum Bay on Bute and 

 ...passed Rubh'an Eun lighthouse we met a most pleasing wind in the channel between Bute and Little Cumbrae Island.

We made excellent progress past the end of the little Cumbrae beyond which the new Hunterston wind turbine could be clearly seen. At 177m tall it is currently the biggest wind turbine in the UK. At the moment Scotland has the majority of UK wind turbines. They are heavily subsidised by all electricity customers throughout the UK. If Scotland were to vote for independence I doubt that subsidy would continue and I have not heard from the Yes Campaign how they would be funded and one possible outcome is that relatively few Scots will end up with windmills round our necks.

 Anyway the wind soon had us approaching Great Cumbrae and its delightful...

 ...town of Millport. Millport provides excellent fish suppers and ice creams but we decided to take...
 

 ...our first luncheon on the wonderfully situated The Eileans...

...in the middle of Millport bay. There is a lovely sandy beach (except at high tide) and it was on the sheltered side of the islands.The biz of  Millport and the problems of the world seemed a million miles away.

Little sails in the Sound

We set off on the 10km crossing from Inchmarnock to Garroch Head. A light breeze got up so it was time to hoist sails.

 The early morning sun glistened on the water as we paddle sailed...

 ...towards the misty hills above Garroch Head.

 Slowly but steadily the distinctive sloping outline of St Blane's Hill changed from an outline to...

...a hill with shape, form and detail.

 Soon we were below Dunagoil Hill where the wind dropped and we rounded...

 ...Garroch Head in a flat calm in the company of this yacht.

 Our destination was Glencallum Bay on the south end of Bute.

We enjoyed second breakfast on the wide sweep of the bay and I was even tempted in for a swim though the water was still on the Arctic side of bracing.

The sea was clearer than the air.

We set off from the south of Inchmarnock and explored a little way up the west coast of the island before turning back down...

...the Sound of Bute. The sea fog slowly rolled about the Sound before gradually...

lifting. Above the fog the Arran summits soared through into clearer air.

As we paddled through the skerries at the south end of Inchmarnock we realized that the waters of the Sound were clearer than the air above.

Don't forget your silk stockings on a visit to Inchmarnock!

We woke on Inchmarnock to a thick fog which a light wind was blowing in from the sea.

 The breeze kept the midges away as we busied ourself preparing first breakfast.

Nothing quite smells like frying bacon but unfortunately the wind dropped and the smell of our cooking attracted a cloud of voracious midges.

 It was time for midge jackets and we escaped to the water's edge to eat our victuals.

Despite the return of the light breeze, the midge attack continued as we loaded the boats. Phil had remembered his midge hood but had clean forgot his silk stockings. By the time he...

...got into his boat his legs were more mottled with bites than the bottom of the crystal clear sea. Fortunately wading into the cold sea helped to reduce the irritation of the bites.