Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Moonset over Little Colonsay and Lunga


After a long day, when we paddled from 9am to 10pm, we prepared a meal on a rocky knoll on the island of Inch Kenneth in Loch na Keal on the remote west coast of Mull. Long after sunset there was still a red glow in the north western sky as a dusky crescent moon sank below the island of Little Colonsay at the mouth of the loch.

Monday, July 23, 2007

Turquoise seas of Iona



Sometimes it is nice just to float along and slip off into a dream of Iona.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

The hardships of Scottish seakayaking.



I am just back from a week trip; sea kayaking the west coast of Mull and its outliers. The weather here in the UK has been exceptionally wet and breezy for July. I am often asked what it is that attracts me to paddling in this harsh environment. Perhaps this photo of Port Bhan may give the dear reader a small inkling of the strong pull of the Hebrides?

Our caddies travel ahead, by a variety of means, and assemble our social and refreshment tents prior to our arrival on pristine cockleshell sand beaches. Why they even scour far and wide for some small pieces of driftwood just so that we may enjoy a little late night incendiary activity.

19/07/2007

Friday, July 20, 2007

On location

Posts will resume soon On west coast Mull no mobile recep Great new photos also assesed new seakayaking pubs Truly seakayak heaven :o)

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Ixodes ricinus and Lyme disease


This charming looking insect is Ixodes ricinus or the hard bodied tick. (The penny is 15mm in diameter.)

It preys on mammals by sucking their blood and storing it in its abdomen. It particularly likes rabbits, sheep, deer and sea kayakers. This year seems a bad season for them and it is worth examining yourself after walking through vegetation like bracken. They climb it in wait and anticipation of feasting upon their next victim.


Traditionally people have pulled then out with their nails or tweezers, burned them off with a cigarette or attempted to suffocate or stun them using Vaseline or alcohol. Unfortunately all these methods cause the little creature to dig further in and to puke its stomach contents into the victim's blood stream. This partially digested blood is a heady cocktail that contains another of God's creations, a spirochete bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato. This causes a condition called Lyme disease in humans. Believe me (and I am a doctor), Lyme disease is something you would much prefer not to have.

Public service announcement: if you get a red ring spreading out from a tick bite you should seek medical advice, mention you have been bitten by a tick and you are concerned about Lyme disease.

A much safer way to remove the injurious, illegitimate and far from insignificant insects is to use a little rotating hook such as the O'Tom, available from all good veterinary surgeries. You slide the tapered fork behind its bloated abdomen then slowly twist without pulling. The tick can resist a pull by digging in with its jaws and fore feet but it's helpless against gentle rotation. Some favour anticlockwise and others clockwise rotation. My own experience is that both are equally effective.

Are you curious what to do with the now pitifully struggling insect which you have untimely ripped from its natural element? Well, this might not be good for your Karma, but the following is my humble suggestion. I take some delight in burning the hapless former parasite.

If only it was so easy to get revenge on the Scottish midge.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Ayrshire agate



This banded agate was found on the south Ayrshire coast under the cliffs on which Culzean Castle stands. Agates form as nodules within cooling lava. As the lava weathers the nodules are released and get broken open by wave action. They are also found on Ayrshire's raised beaches which are used to grow Ayrshire potatoes. Hunters of the semi precious stones will often follow the tractors which plough the fields.

Friday, July 06, 2007

Treshnish friends.


Sammy, I am not speaking till you get the name right. It's NEVILLE!

Razorbill and Puffin on the Treshnish Isles.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Tiderace Seakayaks.



Tiderace Seakayaks is a new name on the UK sea kayaking scene. Aled Williams (formerly of Rockpool kayaks and designer of the delectable Alaw and Alaw Bach) has decided to rename his new company (formerly known as In-Uit Kayaks) in respect of the tradition and culture of the Inuit people who come from the Arctic territories of Alaska, Canada and Greenland. Michael, who has spent a great deal of time with these people, has already drawn attention to the appropriateness of the name. I am sure Aled chose the name out of respect to the Inuit origins of our sport. I am equally sure that Aled has made the correct and sensitive decision to rename the company.

I like the name Tiderace and here is Kenny paddling an Aled designed boat in a tide race: the Cuan Sound.

Monday, July 02, 2007

Sunday, July 01, 2007

Crossing to Scarba


Leaving the fertile grassy slopes of the

Garvellachs, we headed south east for Scarba. It is a barren and rocky isle with few places to land. We stopped here for a second luncheon whilst we waited for a favourable tide in the Corryvreckan. In this view the Garvellachs can be seen in the middle distance with Mull beyond.


The GPS track of our route.


From the Garvellachs the horizon to the south east is blocked by Scarba on the left and Jura on the right. From this distance the Gulf of Corryvreckan, which lies between, them looks like a sheltered sea loch.


There is a raised beach on top of a line of cliffs which surround most of Scarba's coast. This means that even if you can find a landing spot, access to the interior is barred by the cliffs. No wonder the 5th century monks chose the Garvellachs!

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Eithne's grave.


This simple stone, incised with a Celtic cross, can be found on a peaceful knoll, high above the monastery on Eileach an Naoimh in the Garvellachs.


We have wandered and spent time reflecting here several times before traversing the tides of the Grey Dogs or the Corryvreckan. I have always enjoyed the contrasting emotions experienced on such sea kayaking trips.

The grave is thought to be the last resting place of St Columba's mother, Eithne.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Praise the dawn.


Sammy razorbill greets a new day.

It's always reassuring to have another day ahead of you.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Leaving of Jura


A charter boat enters the Corryvreckan at dawn to pick up a party from the Glengarrisdale bothy. I wonder if they had managed to drink all their supplies and if they were ready?


It may be calm but the water is accelerating and it is against us!


Looking back to the Corryvreckan. Tony decided it would be fun to paddle back to Carraig Mohr with the start of the flood back into the Corryvreckan. I was not so sure and what I did not realize is that Tony thought Maol Eilean was Carraig Mor (which was actually a half kilometer further on). So Tony hung back at Maol Eilean while I paddled on down the accelerating slope! Fortunately I managed to break out next to the rocks. I then had a stiff paddle back round the point, much to Tony's amusement!. This was at 07:39 am two days after neaps and slack water before the start of the flood was predicted to be 06:59. A few minutes later and we would have been back on the west coast of Jura!


Sammy the white tailed sea eagle and friend.


A blink of sun on barnacle covered rocks on the east coast Jura. The north going flood was building against us all the while so we eddy hopped up the coast. Breaking through the current round each headland was tricky as it was all too easy for the bow to swing wide carrying us far out into the strongest current. The sharpest eddy line we met was at Rubh' an Truisealaich, just round the green hill above. After that the current dropped and in places we had a helpful counter eddy.


Sammy the otter.


Tony with the Paps of Jura disappearing into the mist.


Sammy the puffin.


A last blink of sun while crossing the Sound of Jura and approaching the Knapdale coast. This was the end of a perfect weekend. We arrived at Carsaig Bay just as the drizzle started and the midges came out.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Sunset over the Great Race of the Corryvreckan


Sunset over the Gulf of Corryvreckan with Scarba behind.


After we came through and crossed the Corryvreckan twice we found this great little bay to camp at with a ringside seat of the tides rushing by.


LW water was at 18:04, this photo was taken at 18:24 and our observations confirmed that slack water lasts about an hour at neaps, very roughly 30 minutes on either side of LW and HW. On a previous visit to the Corryvreckan, at springs when we landed on the Scarba shore, slack water lasted no more than 10 minutes and it very quickly accelerated to 18km per hour so forget the rule of thirds in these waters! At slack water, the wind also dropped and hordes of midges descended upon us. We were no longer top predators and our ranking in the food chain dropped a notch. A very persistent cuckoo seemed to be laughing at us.


Tony and I climbed high into the hills above the Corryvreckan at the north end of Jura. Sitting on a rock we witnessed the most amazing sunset. We were not the only witnesses. hundreds of larval and adult ticks attacked us. Our position on the food chain dropped a further notch. At least the last wolf was shot in the 18th century!


The Great Race began to form as the flood built up and stretched far out to the western horizon.

Then as the sun set and the golden light turned to pink, we began to hear a roar like a distant river in spate. Right on cue the Hag appeared, her breaking waves twisting and dancing in a sunset maelstrom. This photo was taken at 21:26 3hours and 20 minutes after the start of the neap flood. The waves of the Hag had just started to break. On a previous visit at springs (see top photo) the waves began to break much earlier. It was very noticeable that at neaps the strongest current hugged the east and north side of the Jura shore for the first 3 hours of the flood then in the last 3 hours it moved over towards the Scarba shore.


This wide angle shot will give a better impression of the scale of the Hag. She rises above a pinnacle on the sea bed.


Photo Tony Page.

The end of a perfect day. On return to the camp each of the millions of Jura midges seemed to have rung several friends and invited them to dinner. The air was thick with the blighters. My Canadian midge jacket did the business, none of that dreadful itch round the midriff, and by extracting my arms from the sleeves, I was able to sup a most appropriate libation, a 25 year old Jura malt whisky, bottled from a single barrel! Sea kayaking heaven!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

The Gulf of Corryvreckan


The Corryvreckan viewed from high on Scarba looking SW to Eilean Mor and Jura. The tanker gives some idea of the awesome scale of this place.


We rested here floating above a sandy bottom in a lagoon just before the Corryvreckan. We entered it through a narrow cleft in the rocks and it opened out behind. I wonder if it was "Paradise Bay" as described by Robin Lloyd-Jones on page 67 of his wonderful book Argonauts of the Western Isles.

One slightly confusing factor to watch for on approaching the Gulf of Corryvreckan is with the tides. It is that the ebb flows northwards on the west side of Jura but the flood flows northwards on the east side of Jura.


Despite the lack of wind and swell on the approach, a swell appeared at at the final headland before we entered the Corryvreckan.


An uphill view back the way we came! The tide spun me round and we were moving at up to 18km/hr.


On 09/06/2007 high water Oban was at 12:54 BST and it was 1 day after neaps. In the Gulf of Corryvreckan the flood (west flowing) starts at +04:30 Oban at springs +05:15 Oban at neaps; the ebb (east flowing) starts at -01:45 Oban at springs, -01:00 Oban at neaps. Rate is 8+ knots. We approached towards the end of the ebb. Slack water was predicted to be 12:54 + 05:10 which is 18:04. Please note that although we found these times to be accurate in the middle of a high pressure system, these times are affected by many weather and tidal factors and should be viewed as approximate.

We entered the Corryvreckan at 15:30 which meant there was another 2hours and 30 minutes of ebb to go. We only did this because it was neaps and there was no wind. On the ebb, the most turbulent water is often round the islands on the south shore of the Gulf.

If you look at the left hand track where we crossed the Gulf, you will see the current slackened off towards the Scarba shore. The track then gives an impression of the ferry angle we had to use throughout the crossing. It would be very easy to be swept right out of the Gulf and miss the far shore.


This is an extract from my old 1970's chart from my sailing days. The flood is shown with feathered arrows and the ebb with plain arrows. The brown stains are a mix of coffee and blood!


Eilean Mor and Buige rock (near the "68" on the map above) with Scarba in the distance.


Eilean Mor and Buige rock, photo by Tony Page.


Great smooth areas would well up from the bottom then spill outwards. Fortunately there was no wind or it would have been very rough. See whirlpool-scotland for warning of a dangerous anomalous wave which can rear up without warning on the ebb in this glassy calm patch to the east of Eilean Beg. You can also order from them a hdtv DVD of video footage of the Corryvrecken in more violent mood than shown in these photos.


Passing the mouth of Bagh Gleann nam Muc it was all happening too quickly so we decided to savour the Corryvreckan experience and ferry over the Gulf to the Scarba shore.


Looking back to Jura from Scarba. We had worked our way up the Jura coast in the distant right of this photo.


Tony crosses the final eddy line on the way back to the north shore of Jura from Scarba.

Normally if there is any wind, the Corryvreckan is a fearsome place. We felt privileged to have caught the Corryvreckan in an unexpected and unpredictably quiet mood. Consequently we were able to play in its current rather than waiting for slack water as any common sense person should.

Health warning. Scottish waters have already seen several rescues and claimed 4 sea kayakers' lives in 2007. Sadly one death was only a few miles from the Corryvreckan. We passed through the Corryvreckan in very benign conditions but do not think it is always like this. Tony and I were well equipped, experienced in interpreting weather forecasts and tidal flows, confident enough to handle rough water if the unexpected happened, sensible enough to turn back if conditions deteriorated and patient enough to have planned but waited for two years for the best conditions for this trip. Yes, on the day it was a piece of cake but make sure you are ready for the Corryvreckan or it will bite you. I know the next time I approach it, it will be with considerable trepidation and care.