Sunday, May 18, 2008

The Gulf of Corryvreckan by sea kayak.


The ebb was still running fast through the Corryvreckan and impeding our westward progress so we stopped for a rest below this old cottage on the SE of Scarba...where we took our second luncheon.


The mist was glowering low on the hills as we entered the Corryvreckan against the last of the ebb. A west wind had picked up and it is always a worry what conditions may lie outside. The transit of the Corryvreckan is about 5km so you will not get the whole way through at slack water, not that there is a great deal of slack anyway!


We made steady progress but


...as we passed the site of the great submarine pinnacle of rock, which extends up from deep within the great rock trench of the Gulf, the waters started moving uneasily and with increasing restlessness. It is a grim place and it fills insignificant kayakers with awe.


Then as we approached the western end, the mist began to clear.


Our mood changed as we saw that outside the Gulf the winds were still light....


...and there was only a moderate swell.

Then we were through but did we have a thirst?


10/05/2008

Saturday, May 17, 2008

22.4 km/hr in the Sound of Luing




Leaving Easdale there was not a breath of wind and away from the rocks the swell was just a lazy roll in the ocean.


We were headed down the Sound of Luing with the ebb tide.


Gradually the pace picked up and we fairly whizzed past Belnahua, Fladda (with its lighthouse) and little Ormsa. (Photo Jennifer Wilcox)


At the north end of Lunga the GPS hit 22.4 km/hr and where the tides from the west and the north east of the island converged, there was a very impressive whirlpool about 15m in diameter with a bright green eye


The current only backed off once we were south of the Grey Dogs. (Photo Jennifer Wilcox)


We were soon under the wooded slopes of eastern Scarba and Kilmory Lodge.


In the lee of Scarba all was calm again as the tides died away.


To the south east corner of Scarba from Belnahua is 10 km and we had averaged 12 km/hr. Now, as we turned the corner, we could see the great Gulf of Coryvreckan ahead. We would need to wait till the last of the ebb before we forced a way through.

10/05/2008

Friday, May 16, 2008

The flooded quarries of Easdale


We left from the village of Ellenabeich on the island of Seil in the Firth of Lorne.


Mist hung lowout in the Sound of Luing to the south so we thoug w had eter check our maps. We also duoble checked our tide times as we were heading for the fearsome Gulf of Corryvreckan.


A short crossing took us to the island of Easdale. As it was high tide we were able to us the swells to carry us over the lip of the flooded quarry to enter the deep calm water within.


Photo by Jennifer Wilcox showing the surge of the swell.


After a little drift about the mist began to lift and we had a tide to catch!

10/05/2008

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

U2 can Bono Rock


U2 can Bono Rock in the Sound of Luing, if you have a sea kayak!


But you had better look for it 750m to the NE of where the chart says it is!

Monday, May 12, 2008

A wee trip to the Garvellachs


The Garvellachs (Rough Islands or Isles of the Sea) are a chain of magnificent small islands which lie at the mouth of the Firth of Lorn, where they are exposed to westerly Atlantic swells.

This is travelling SW down Eileach an Naoimh, Isle of the Saints.


On Sunday we had a fabulous day circumnavigating these islands. This is at the SW corner of Garbh Eileach, travelling NE.


Some of the swells made an impression on us.

I must apologise for the grainy quality of these photos. I was using my Canon 5D but every so often I would need to put it away in a hurry. In my fumbling, I reset the sensor speed to 1600 ASA and did not notice....


Of course we did not go directly to the Garvellachs! Oh no, we went via the tide races of the Sound of Luing, the Gulf of Corryvreckan and the Grey Dogs. What a great part of the world to be a sea kayaker!

11/05/2008

Friday, May 09, 2008

Busy night at Troon


We met last night at 8pm on the Ballast Bank at Troon Harbour on the Firth of Clyde.


Our destination was Lady Isle, a nature reserve to the SW.


Just as we set off the high speed ferry Express left for Larne in Northern Ireland. Her gross weight is 5902 tons and her maximum speed is 41 knots. She passes by Ailsa Craig and on our recent trip there we set off an hour later than we originally intended. This was to make sure she was well past the Craig before we arrived.


Those 4 diesels sure make some smoke as she warms up.


As she left the fishing fleet was returning to Troon. We had seen them scooping huge loads of fish from the waters round Ailsa Craig. I hope they have left enough for the gannets.

There are too many people on this Earth. Maybe we had all better become vegetarians before the food runs out but on the other hand, maybe its already too late.

08/05/2008

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Half way across...


Half way across, after 7km, the detail on Ailsa Craig begins to emerge from the morning sea fog.

05/05/2008

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Logistics of sea kayaking to Ailsa Craig


It has to be said that the staff of seakayakphoto.com are not the greatest exponents of open crossings. This is not wholly due to our well developed senses of self preservation. Out on the open briny there is not a great deal to photograph, which kind of defeats being a seakayakphoto.comer.

Ailsa Craig is worth the effort to get to. It is one of the World's great sea stacks. Like a sentinel of the sea, its great monolith rises at the entrance to the Firth of Clyde. Unlike many sea stacks, which are hidden away in remote places, Ailsa Craig is visible to anyone who visits the populous Ayrshire coast. Its dramatic outline rises to 338m and, for much of its 3.7km circumference, the first 100 meters rise sheer out of the sea. Despite its arresting appearance, the current island is but a shadow of its former self. Some 61.5 million years ago it was a giant volcano 3.5km high! Then, during the Ice Ages, the huge glaciers that swept south from the Scottish Highlands carved out the softer rocks of the Firth of Clyde basin and carried away the volcano’s ash cone. It left only the hard micro-granite rock of its volcanic plug. Fragments of this were carried by the ice as far south as Wales, where they can be found today, as erratic boulders.

Ailsa Craig lies 14km off the Ayrshire coast and the spring tide rate is only about 0.6kn so it just requires some repetitive paddling movements to get there and then, hopefully, about the same number to get back.

However, the weather round these parts tends to change quite quickly so there is a degree of commitment in making this trip. 24 hours before this photo was taken, there was a force 6 SE wind.

The BBC coastal forecast was for:

2008-05-05 0600 - 1159Pressure - 1025 mB RTemp max/min - 16/7 degrees CWind speed - F1-3 becoming F0-3Wind direction - EMax gust in knots - 17 becoming 18Sea state - Wavelets Visibility - Moderate becoming Good
Sig weather -

2008-05-05 1200 - 1759Pressure - 1027 mB RTemp max/min - 19/7 degrees CWind speed - F1-3 becoming F0-3Wind direction - SMax gust in knots - 18 becoming 18Sea state - Wavelets Visibility - Good

Fortunately the forecast was pretty accurate.....

Thanks to Steve (Ceegee) for help with the right age of Ailsa.

05/05/2008

Monday, May 05, 2008

The bird colonies of Ailsa Craig


The sea bird breeding colonies on Ailsa Craig are amongst the biggest in the World. At this time of year, the scale of life being rejuvenated is simply humbling.

05/05/2008

Thursday, May 01, 2008

Croy beach (north)


Continuing north from Culzean you pass wide Croy Bay. This is very popular with summer visitors but if you continue round the rocks of Isle Port you can pretty well have this magnificent beach to yourself.

27/04/2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The SSSI coastline of Culzean


The magnificent structure of the castle dominates the great Ayrshire estate of Culzean. The coastline extends for 5km from Maidens Bay in the south to Croy Bay in the north. The coast is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest. It has many igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic geological features, which create varied environments within a short distance and as a result, it is rich in marine and terrestrial plant and animal life.

The whole estate is now managed as a Country Park by the National Trust of Scotland. I have a particular attachment to this place. In the early seventies I worked as a volunteer conservation worker when the Park was being established. I was then very fortunate in spending my summer holidays from university as a seasonal ranger naturalist. Happy days in a fantastic environment working with great colleagues!

27/04/2008

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Misty Maidens morning


A cold thick mist lay low over the Ayrshire coastline on Sunday morning. As we arrived at Maidens the sun began to break through.


By the time we were on the water, the mist had all but dispersed and we were in for another glorious day.



27/04/2008

Sunday, April 27, 2008

The sun beat down on a burnished sea.


The sun baked down from high in the azure vault of the sky. Last weekend in Scotland it was winter, this weekend it is spring! Tony and I were paddling ever more slowly on our passage NNE from Maidens to Ayr. In the intense heat, the sweat rolled down my burning forehead becoming ever more salty as the beads made their way through my salt encrusted eye brows before running into my bloodshot eyes, stinging and blinding as they went. For the hundredth time I wiped my eyes clear with my hat but the cotton was already saturated and the back of my neck burned as soon as it was exposed to the sun's rays. I could only imagine that Tony was in a similar state to myself. I was too weak to turn round but the gentle plip plop of his paddling reassured me that he was just behind.

High noon approached and our plight worsened. A faint voice quavered from behind.

"I need a drink."

I paddled slowly on without answering such a statement of the obvious. I had nothing left to drink either. Surrounded by water we were slowly but surely dehydrating and I could sense the approaching madness as our brain cells shrunk, stretching and straining their synapses.

The voice behind continued...

"Do ye think there might be somewhere we might stop for a wee drink?"

Well I am not exactly the world's greatest sea kayaking navigator but we were paddling with the Ayrshire coast on our right.

"If we keep paddling I think we might just pass the pub at Dunure?"

"Is it very far?"

I stopped paddling, leaned forward and pressed some buttons on my GPS. One of the stored way points was for the Anchorage Bar in Dunure, I pressed another button and was just able to read the distance before drops of sweat obscured the tiny screen.

"It's 5 kilometers."

"Sure but that's 5000 meters, it's too far."

The plip plop of paddling behind me stopped.

"Would you like a pint of Guinness?"

Just the thought had me drooling in a Pavlovian slaver, further exacerbating my desperate state of dehydration.

"Tony I would love one but we need to keep paddling."

I paddled on in silence. There was no sound from behind. I rested my paddle on my cockpit rim and drifted to a stop on the windless, burning sea. Slowly and stiffly I turned, fearing the worst.

At first I couldn't see anything, as I was squinting into the fierce glare of the sun. Then I saw Tony.......










"Sure now, would ye no' like a wee drink o' Guinness?"

27/04/2008

Friday, April 25, 2008

Going Mobile on the Road to the Isles

"I don't care about pollution,
I'm an air conditioned gypsy, that's my solution"

Going Mobile, Pete Townshend

Lots of people think that sea kayaking is a green sport. However, getting to a paddling destination isn't exactly green, unless you limit yourself to local waters. Currently there is a fuel shortage in Scotland so I doubt I will be going far this weekend. This last year I have been paddling nearer at home but I mentioned Loch Hourn in a recent post. What a fantastic trip that was! A day trip in February with 380 miles there and back on the A82 and the A87. For those of you who do not know Scotland, these are not motorways, freeways or autobahns!


A. We left Glasgow in the darkness at 6am and by 07:38, just as dawn was breaking, we had reached Lochan na h-Achlaise on Rannoch Moor.


B. By 08:42 we had reached the Commando Memorial above Spean Bridge with this view over the ridges of Carn Mor Dearg to Ben Nevis beyond.


C. High above Loch Garry the morning mist was lifting at 09:06. We were headed for Loch Hourn which lies to the north (right) of the distant mountains of Knoydart.


D. This view of the Five Sisters of Kintail was taken at 09:41 near the summit of the Mam Ratagan pass...


...as was this view of a calm Loch Duich.


E. At 10:06 we arrived at beautiful Loch Hourn. Not a very green way to spend a day but it was a wonderful drive, not to mention the sea kayaking!

The rapidity with which Scottish fuel supplies have run low illustrates how reliant we are on fossil fuels. What will my grandchildren think when I tell them that one winter day, I drove 380 miles, just to go sea kayaking?

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Remnants of Scotland's ancient forests of oak.


This view, of Beinn Sgritheall from Loch Hourn, is most people's idea of the scenery of Scotland: a wild landscape of bare mountains tumbling into deep sea lochs. It is, however, not natural. It is man made and is a result of deforestation. After the retreat of the last ice age, a beautiful sessile oak forest grew on much of the western sea board of Scotland. It was cut down over the centuries to clear the land for agriculture, to build ships, provide charcoal for the iron industry and tannin for the leather industry.


There are a few surviving pockets of the natural oak forest such as this one at the head of Glen Trool in Galloway.


The forest floor is carpeted with mosses, lichens, ferns and holly.


Another surviving pocket is on the north shore of Fleet Bay on the Solway Firth. Here the oaks grow right down to near the high water mark.

The great western sessile oak forest of Scotland must have been indescribably beautiful.