Fifty shades of grey in Loch Moidart.

 It was with some reluctance...

 ...that Ian and I dragged ourselves away from the environs of shoe bay but...

 ...the ebb tide was now running strongly out of the south channel of Loch Moidart and we hoped to circumnavigate the tidal island of Eilean Shona.

We hugged the coast of the isle and looked...

...enjoyed the open views over Loch Moidart to the...

 ...distant grey mountains beyond.

Basking grey seals blended with the grey rocks but we passed at a respectful distance and they did not slither into the water.

 The grim grey walls of Tioram Castle (pron. Cheerum) seemed to grow...

 ...out of the grey rocks of its tidal island.

It really does seem to be part of the grey landscape of Moidart. In Scotland we are lucky to have not just wonderful sea and landscapes but to have these historic castles as well.

As we paddled through the inner recesses of Loch Moidart the isles and coast became thickly wooded...

 ...but the trees had been badly damaged by winter storms and many fallen trunks were greying as they weathered.

At last we reached the eastern end of Eilean Shona which is called Shona Beag. In a moment we would discover if the north channel was dry...

The P&H Aries 155 as a beginner's kayak.

The Aries 155 is rapidly becoming my favourite kayak. Its versatility gives it appeal to experts in the surf and for those that like paddle sailing, it is unsurpassed by any of the kayaks I have tried. It is also good for beginners, though I should point out that this is my own opinion and I have no coaching qualifications. I am aware that some coaches think the Delphin and Aries are not suitable for beginners.

Anyway David is 74 years old and this is his first kayak lesson. His only previous experience in a canoe was 50 years ago and lasted for 15 minutes until he fell out.  He soon mastered turning and bracing using the paddle alone and within 20 minutes of being on the water had the sail up. He soon had the hang of threading through the gaps between old salmon net poles.

 Then he moved on to close reaching and...

broad reaching. He even managed an occasional plane in the small waves. In all he covered 6km in his first lesson.

Not only is the Aries a great kayak for beginners, this also demonstrates how accessible paddle sailing is with the Flat Earth kayak sail.

Quite remarkable....

Luncheon at Shoe Bay.

 Ian and I paddled across the south mouth of Loch Moidart towards Eilean Shona and a little inlet....

 ...which lies hidden at the back of...

 ...a cleft of...

 ...turquoise water...

 ...that runs deep into the grey rocks of Moidart.

The silvery sands of Shoe Bay are very soft...

 ...and have claimed very many shoes over the years.

 We climbed to a knoll above the sands where we enjoyed a view...

 ...of the Ardnamurchan peninsula along which we had recently paddled.

We enjoyed a first luncheon washed down by a dram of The Singleton. We found a cork from a bottle of Bollinger, which suggested that suggested that silver slippers and not just Lomo boots may have been lost in the soft sands of Shoe Bay.