A taste of the Sound of Islay.

An Cladach in SE Islay is an exceptional bothy,

 ...and we soon made ourselves at home. Some other bothies do not have libraries as they are too easy to get to and some visitors think that books are fire lighters.

 The food preparation area had been left very clean.

 The notice board had information about the history of the bothy.

 There was even a bag of dry fire wood by the fire.

We soon had our evening meal on and consumed it with relish before...

...taking some air outside the bothy.

 We were joined by not one but three otters!

This one suddenly surfaced close inshore and climbed on a rock  to look at us. He took me by surprise so this shot is blurred.

Unfortunately the noise of the shutter sent it back under the water.

 We took a stroll in the sunset to gather some firewood.

 We sat for ages on a rock just watching the tide running in the Sound of Islay.

At 20:50 the MV Hebridean Isles motored down the Sound.

She was on the Saturday service which left Oban at 16:30, stopped at Colonsay, Port Askaig on Islay and was now on her way to Kennacraig on Kintyre, where she would arrive at 22:50. We left the Sound of Islay  to the gathering darkness and the fading rumble of the Hebridean Isles engines.

It was time to get the fire on, get the baked potatoes cooking and pour a dram of Caol Ila. What does Caol Ila mean? It means the Sound of Islay  ...what else?!

A haven by the shore of the southern Sound of Islay.

Bt the time we passed the Carraig Mhor lighthouse on the Islay shore to the south of ort Askaig, we could...

 ...see right through the southern Sound of Islay to the distant Kintyre peninsula beyond.

Looking back the Paps of Jura were receding...

 ...at a rate of knots (literally) as the...

 ...swirls and boils in mid channel pushed us south.

 Amazingly quickly it was time to break out of the flow...

 ...we did not want to be pushed beyond McArthur's Head lighthouse!

 We turned west looking for the tiny haven...

...of An Cladach (the stony shore), another MBA bothy.

This was to be our home for the night. We had arrived on the wonderful isle of Islay from the mainland by a most circuitous route!

 It was six pm and the sun was sinking fast. Tony went for a shower in the local waterfall. I went for a quick swim in the sea. It was only 9C. I suspect the waterfall might have been a little warmer.

The northern Sound of Islay, the sound of superlatives.

The north half of the Sound of Islay is blessed with...

 ...some amazing rock architecture on the Jura shore. We were treated to more dykes, arches,...

 ....caves and stacks.

 We were enjoying the view so much that we kept close inshore out of the main south going flow.

 The Islay shore was also not without its delights. This is the Bunnahabhain distillery.

 Meanwhile back on the Jura shore the succession of caves and...

 dykes continued.

 Then gradually the Sound narrowed and as we approached...

 ...the lighthouse at Carragh an t-Sruith the full force of the ebb tide caught us and we sped south at 13km/hr.

 The next Islay delight was the Caol Ila distillery very rapidly followed by...

...Port Askaig, where the ferries from Kintyre, Jura, Colonsay and Oban call. This evening it was only the Eilean Dhiura, the Jura ferry, that was in port.

As we reflected on what we had seen in our rapid transit of the northern Sound of Islay, we agreed that it truly was a Sound of Superlatives. As we would now be crossing from Jura to Islay I was particularly glad I had brought some Caol Ila 18y old malt for later that night. Jura malt on Jura then Islay malt on Islay, what could be better?

Waiting for the tide in the Sound of Islay #2 Jura adventure at Allt Bun an Eas!

After picking the ticks off our ankles and wrists we tucked our trousers inside our socks. We still had plenty of time before the tide turned in the Sound of Islay. We fancied talking a walk back along the shore....

...to the waterfalls we had seen earlier. At first I was not sure I would make it that far as my knees were painful in particular my right knee. However on the descent off the grassy slope behind the basalt dyke something deep inside my knee clicked. Suddenly it was less painful and much easier to move.

 So Tony and I set off along an amazing beach, under Beinn an Oir 785m, to the...

 ...waterfalls at Allt Bun an Eas (burn with the waterfall at the bottom). The final fall cascades into a pool on the beach itself.

I had climbed up here (before knee problems) on a visit with Phil and there are three more fabulous pools above the large pool at the bottom of the falls. Each is more difficult to reach than the one before. There are big jug handle holds and Tony soon made his way up. It looks very steep but the first step was only about 25 degrees.

I was just going to stay at the bottom but my knee was still nice and loose so I could not resist and was soon up the first rock step to the second pool. Tony was now up at the third pool and shouted down that it was completely stunning.

Unfortunately it was at this point that my right knee clicked again and I had sudden stabbing pain. Ouch! Stunning pool or not I was going no further so I retreated. Thank goodness for the big jug handle holds on the rock!

We made our way back on a higher path. On the cliff line above the beach there are long dry sea arches, caves and...

...stacks. We could now see that the tide in the Sound of Islay had slackened off and would soon turn. It was time to return to the boats!

Waiting for the tide in the Sound of Islay #1 a tick feast!

The flood tide was now rushing north up the Sound of Islay at  5 knots. While there are some counter eddies, it is a purgatory thing to waste energy fighting the forces of nature. It is much better to go with the flow and where better to stop for third luncheon than this stunning beach on the Jura shore?

 Tony wasted no time in leaping to the top of the basalt dyke behind the beach. "You'll need to come up and see this view" he shouted down. Well my knees were still aching after the Tarbert portage the previous night so I took my time...

...and pitched my tent in the lee of another dyke. My tent was still soaking wet after my camp on Seil with Mike two nights previously.  The fresh offshore wind soon had it bone dry. While it was drying I slowly made my way up to Tony the easy way, round the back of the dyke.

As I climbed the view got better and better. This is looking north  to the distant mountains of Mull.

This is looking NW to Ruvaal lighthouse on Islay with Oronsay, Colonsay and Mull on the horizon.

This is looking west across the Sound of Islay to Sgarbh Breac 364m on Islay.

 This is looking SE down the narrowing Sound of Islay.

 These pretty yellow primroses caught my eye as I stopped to give my knees a rest.

 Tony was right the view from the top of the dyke was stunning.

 We had pulled the kayaks well above the incoming tide so we were in no hurry.

 Unlike these guys whom we had seen lifting their pots when we left the mouth of West Loch Tarbert.

The boat is Speedwell of Glenariffe CN318. Her home port is Kilkeel in SE Northern Ireland some 240 kilometres away! Whatever, she was on full throttle and only making slow progress down the Sound of Islay.

After all this activity and hubbub died down Tony and I were left in peace. We spent some time just watching the tide rush by and picking ticks off our wrists and ankles. This was our luncheon, not a tick feast!