A crossing from Eigg and the colours of summer

We had a leisurely start in our camp at Kildonnan, there was a strong north easterly breeze blowing as we ate our breakfast but the forecast was for the wind to drop as the morning went on.  We had a back-up plan which involved taking the lunchtime ferry to Mallaig if the wind remained strong, though we were very much hoping to complete the journey back to the mainland under our own steam.

The forecast was accurate and the wind had dropped markedly by mid morning.  We got underway and headed out from the shore of Eigg, knowing that it's an island we'll return to.

The conditions were just about perfect for sea kayak sailing - we hoisted our Flat Earth sails and felt the immediate increase in speed as the sails filled and began to pull strongly.  The was a short chop in some areas as the tide swirled up the Sound of Arisaig which only added to the fun........

....and we weren't the only ones enjoying the conditions.  This fine traditionally built yacht was absolutely spanking along and we got a cheery wave from her skipper.

The wind dropped to a very light breeze as we neared the Arisaig shore and we once again felt the full heat of the midday sun.  We were aiming for the beach at Port nam Murrach which had been the jumping-off point for our outward crossing two days previously.  The enclosed channel is quite difficult to locate from seaward, but a GPS waypoint kept us straight.....

....and we were soon cruising in to the idyllic little beach with jade green water beneath our kayaks.

The clarity of the water in this bay always delights, the colours change with the state of the tide and the reflection of the sky. Eigg is prominent in the seaward view, some 14 kilometres across the Sound of Arisaig.  With the assistance of our sails the crossing had taken a little over two hours without undue effort.

We were pleased to have been able to paddle out to Eigg, circumnavigate the island, climb to its highest point and then to paddle back to the mainland. Our journey wasn't over, but we now had a the remainder of the day to spend cruising the Arisaig coast, and we planned to spend an further night on the journey too.

In contrast to the morning we set out to Eigg we had the beach at Port nam Murrach to ourselves.  We enjoyed a leisurely luncheon stretched out on the cropped turf above the sand, absorbing the atmosphere of the place.  The machair  and rock outcrops were studded with the bright colours of early summer flowers, so we took some time to just stroll around and enjoy them.

Thrift (Armeria maritima) was at its very best, the seemingly delicate flowers nearly all open in the bright sunshine.  This is one of my favourite wildflowers, it's equally at home on salt-lashed shorelines and right to the summits of our mountains - a truly tough little plant.

Three different plants in this image,  the tiny purple flowers are Wild Thyme (Thymus polytrichus) - the leaves of which can be used to add a lovely flavour to camp food.  The yellow flowers are Birdsfoot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) which hadn't fully formed the red buds which give it the alternative name "Bacon and Egg plant".  Between the two, a White Clover (Trifolium repens), a useful fixer of nitrogen in soils.  All these plants are favoured by bees and hoverflies and we saw some of the mining bees for which this site is known feeding on the flowers.

This tiny succulent plant was growing in amongst the boulders - I think it might be English Stonecrop (Sedum anglicum) - but I'm not at all certain. 

I'd been mildly surprised that there was nobody else at this popular spot, and as we put our lunch things back in the boats, a guided party of kayakers arrived.  They'd paddled out from Arisaig and had been enjoying seeing the seals among the skerries in Loch na Ceall before heading down to Port nam Murrach for lunch.  What better introduction to sea kayaking could there possibly be to padle in a stunning location with great wildlife, calm seas and dazzling beaches?!

Mike had joined me in searching the shore ...... and we were delighted to find a few "Groatie Buckies".  There's a risk in finding one though; as those who paddle with me will know, hours can pass while I indulge in this addictive pastime! Having found a couple each to add to our jars of these lovely little shells, Mike managed to persuade me that it was time to go.....

In the space of about 30 minutes while we'd been intently looking at the sand in search of shells there had been quite a change in the weather.  A cloud sheet had formed, the breeze had disappeared completely and the air felt heavy and warm - it seemed that there might be some thundery weather.  We discussed possible spots to camp for the evening and decided to dawdle along the coast of the Sound of Arisaig towards Loch nan Uamh to assess a couple of places we've used previously.

Out of the blue - Bay of Laig to Galmisdale

We woke to a sparkling morning, the view of Rum from our camp at Bay of Laig was very fine.  Mike and I had landed the previous evening at just about high water and so didn't have far to move the boats.  Over breakfast we watched the morning high water come and go - handily it wasn't far to move the boats back into the water.

Where the evening view of Rum was a silhouette backed by the sunset, the morning view is flooded with light, showing the features of the island.  We picked out each of the grand, Norse-named hills - from left to right are Sgurr na Gillean, Ainshival, Trollaval, Askival, the highest of Rum's Cuillin, and Hallival.  We were able to clearly pick out Glen Dibidil, enclosed by rugged ridges and at the left of the view the cliffs of Sron na h-Iolaire.

Sat around our fire  the previous evening we'd discussed various options for the rest of our trip.  We had another two nights available before both of us had commitments, and this helped us in deciding that a circumnavigation of Rum would be too long a route.  Even if we took the ferry from Kinloch to Mallaig we'd still have a further day's paddling back to our cars at Glenuig.  We also considered an out-and-back to Harris Bay on Rum's west coast but to both of us this seemed like making the crossing simply for the sake of it.  I've yet to paddle the west coast of Rum, but it'll wait until the time is right.

Some trips require detailed planning due to tidal constraints or weather conditions - but on this one we could be much more flexible.  We'd deliberately set out with no fixed itinerary other than a crossing to Eigg.  If the weather forecast changed dramatically we could simply use the ferry back to Mallaig and work back to Glenuig, otherwise we'd go with what seemed best at the time.  The settled conditions in the early morning looked good for a crossing to Muck, so that was what we decided on.

Heading out from Laig opened up the view to the north where the Black Cuillin of Skye floated above a sea mist.  We picked out individual peaks, re-living great days and hard battles on that amazing ridge.

From Bay of Laig there are no tenable landing places for 12 kilometres along the west and south coasts of Eigg; cliffs fall to jumbled boulder shores or straight into the sea.  Conditions were absolutely perfect to get close in and exploring this dramatic section of the island.

Buttresses, caves and crags are the predominant scenery here and we were treated to great views.  The warm sunshine, clear visibility and flat sea was quite a contrast to my previous journey along this part of Eigg, when Douglas and I were entranced by shifting mist and tantalising glimpses of great walls of rock on a winter journey in the Small Isles.

The low outline of Muck became visible as we headed around the coast, conditions were still good and we were looking forward to crossing with  a bit of sail assistance from a north easterly breeze which had started up.  Taking a bearing to keep us on track, we agreed the target as Gallanach Bay and hoisted our sails to begin the crossing.

We were soon spanking along as the breeze freshened a little, our boats surging forward under sail.  The breeze continued to freshen though, a smooth acceleration in wind speed up through Force 2 to 3, then to 4.  Mike and I made sure we were in close formation whilst enjoying this exhilarating ride down wind and sea, spray bursting from the bows of our boats - there are no photographs from this period as both hands were definitely needed on the paddle!

As the wind had reached Force 4 I'd been doing some thinking about the conditions.  A north easterly wind would quickly build a swell running onto Muck, and I knew from previous experience that Muck has reefs all around which amplify any swell.  Furthermore, a north easterly would be blowing directly from Eigg and would make returning from Muck a real slog.  We hadn't been able to get a forecast either from the Maritime Safety Information broadcasts on VHF or from Radio Scotland as there was no reception at Laig Bay - so we were working on a forecast from almost 36 hours previously.

Gradually, my internal alarm bells started ringing.  I've developed a healthy respect for winds from an easterly component which blow from clear blue sky in high pressure conditions - they have led to some of my toughest battles on the water.  The wind, now touching Force 5, was continuing to strengthen and both Mike and I dropped our sails as the power going through them was terrific with our boats laden with camping gear.  At that moment the VHF forecast was announced and we listened to it with full attention.  Winds of Force 5 or 6 from the northeast, then east were forecast - which settled the matter.  We turned about and battled back towards Eigg.  We had got just about half way to Muck and could already see the line of surf right along its coastline - a landing would have been quite sporting and getting off difficult if the wind continued as forecast.  It was a mighty struggle to get back to Eigg's south coast, the wind was pouring off the island as a steady, insistent force.

Eventually we won back close under the shore and in the wind shadow of the An Sgurr ridge - it was like a different world with just a light breeze.  Out to sea, the glittering surface was full of whitecaps - we felt we'd made the right decision.

Above us, the great ridge of An Sgurr was picked out in sharp detail by the morning sun, a dramatic sight....and we began to form an alternative plan for the day.........

......which first called for us to head for Galmisdale, Eigg's main settlement (but don't expect a busy town!).  Pulling our boats up on the sand opposite the pier, we got by a friendly reception from a dog who clearly felt that sea kayakers arrived here simply for him to play with.  Having carried the boats well up the sand, we noticed that we weren't the only paddlers in town.

Two boats sat at the top of the beach, meaning two paddlers with almost certainly  the same intention we had.....

Mike and I strolled over to the Galmisdale Cafe where we ordered lunch - and we can report that the home-made burgers with salad and hand cut chips are simply superb!  Over lunch, we finalised our revised plan for the day which would involve very little sea kayaking, but quite a lot of walking.

A crossing to Eigg

Scotland's weather in Summer 2018 has been some of the best in living memory with long spells of settled, warm and dry weather. In the first part of June, Mike and I decided to take advantage of a settled forecast to make a trip which would involve a couple of long crossings.

We met at Glenuig mid morning on a glorious day with the temperature already in the mid 20's Celsius.  We were disappointed that our good friend Douglas didn't feel up to joining us on this trip whilst he continues his recovery from a shoulder injury and an illness.  Glenuig has been the staging point for many great trips over a number of years, and we hoped that this would be another one.

After a leisurely packing of the boats we got underway at around midday and paddled out into the familiar waters of the Sound of Arisaig.  A small breeze moved the air, keeping things from being really hot and encouraged us to hoist our sails to catch some assistance.

In the distance, beyond Mike in this image, lies the island of Eigg.  Our planning for this trip had been deliberately flexible; we would cross to Eigg, then let conditions and our inclination guide us for the remainder of the trip.  We discussed crossings from Eigg to Muck or Rum as possible options, but that was for the days ahead.  In the meantime there was the not inconsiderable crossing out to Eigg to be tackled.  The straight line distance from Glenuig to the coast of Eigg is 20km, but the crossing can be broken up into two legs by first heading across to the north side of the Sound of Arisaig before heading west to Eigg.  This option adds about 5km overall but breaks the distance into two legs with a break in between......

....and when the break between open crossings looks like this, why wouldn't you choose this option?!  Port nam Murrach is justifiably well known, it must feature on most tourist brochures.  A beach of dazzling white sand enclosed by arms of rock and backed by cropped turf, it's an idyllic spot.  In summer it's also very well visited by from land and from the water and can be busy - as we found it on this day.  At least 25 people were enjoying the sun, sand and sea on the beach, possibly the most folk I've encountered here at one time.

By the time we set off for the crossing to Eigg the breeze had died completely and the heat was considerable.  Fortunately after about half an hour another small breeze started up and moved the air; as a bonus it was from the east and we hoisted our sails to take advantage.  Our speed notched up and we would complete this crossing at an average speed of over 7 km/h.

We slowed our speed to allow the trawler "Fear Not II" to pass ahead of us.  Built in 1986, she's had along life of fishing northern waters.  Now bearing a Campletown (CN) registration, she originally had a Peterhead (PD) registration, as in this image.

We gave plenty of space before crossing astern of Fear Not since she was trawling at a steady slow speed.  She continued north towards the Sound of Sleat off Skye, her engines were audible for many miles in the calm conditions.

As we drew nearer to Eigg the detail of the east coast began to open up.  This was the only part of Eigg which Douglas and I didn't paddle on our 2013 winter trip to the Small Isles, and I hoped to explore this piece of the coast on our present trip.

Our landing point was the sandy beach at Poll nam Partan below Kildonnan.  It felt really good to arrive on Eigg - and we'd chosen Kildonnan for a reason....

Boules - Hebridean style

The 16 kilometre crossing from Colonsay back to the west coast of Jura took a little over two hours of steady paddling, assisted by a light breeze from astern.  As ever on crossings like this the coast towards which we paddled didn't seem to get any nearer for long periods of time despite GPS showing that we were making steady progress.

Gradually the raised beach backing Shian Bay which we were using as an aiming point grew close enough to see the brilliant white streak of sand below it.  Douglas and I had noted Shian as a good campsite on our visit a year previously and knew that we'd find flat ground for the tents, a good landing on sand and fresh water in a nearby burn.

We were pleased that our memory of the place was accurate!  A sweep of brilliant white sand with cropped turf above it, a view out to Colonsay and in full sunshine made for a great place to camp.  Added extras were that the nearby burn had a deep bathing pool with sun-warmed water and there was plenty of driftwood for a fire........

...which we collected while Douglas used his Japanese folding saw to create a satisfying pile of evenly sized logs.  Normally we would light our fire well below the tideline, but at this beach we found a properly constructed fire pit which had clearly been in use for very many years.

We had arrived at Shian and set up camp in the late afternoon so we had plenty of time for relaxation before dinner.  After we'd taken turns bathing in the pool we found all that we needed on the beach for.......

..... a few ends of Hebridean boules! There were more than enough creel buoys washed up on the beach to provide a jack and six quite evenly sized boules - great fun but a pity that there's so many of these plastic buoys littering the beaches around Scotland.

Douglas climbed up to the raised beach behind the bay and found that he could just about get enough elevation to pick up a mobile phone signal from the mast on Colonsay in order to get a weather forecast.  The outlook was for a less settled period from the following day, but for now we knew we'd enjoy a fine evening in this wild and remote spot.

Snakes alive....

We woke at our camp on the Jura shore to a bright morning with a light ENE'ly breeze, just about  perfect weather for a crossing to Colonsay.  Our camp had been on the shore at the left of this image.  Glenbatrick Lodge is on the right, a property owned by Lord Astor and used as a summer house - it's the only real habitation on the entire west coast of Jura.  We kept well away from the house to respect the privacy of anyone staying there, and there's plenty of space to do that.  Up the glen, the iconic Paps of Jura make a striking backdrop.

The previous day had been a fairly long one.  We'd all had long journeys to get to the starting point at Carsaig and had then done a 25Km paddle with a portage across Jura.  A late finish had been rewarded though, we were in a great position to cross to Colonsay and to make our planned camp for the following night.


 

 The first stage of our journey to Colonsay would take us to Rubha an't Sailein - the name is possibly point of the sea-inlet and it's sometimes named as Ruantallain.  We planned to take a leg stretch and a comfort break there prior to the crossing to Colonsay.

 The north shore of Loch Tarbert has more splendid examples of raised beaches - once they're recognised as raised beaches the shape of the land during the ice age can be glimpsed.

 We landed at a sandy beach backed by grassy ground.  This had been considered as a camp site but Douglas was reluctant to camp here, on a previous occasion he'd seen many Adders.  Sam wandered up to take a look at the private bothy, and Maurice and I were following when, just above the beach, I glimpsed movement as I was about to put my foot down on a female Adder.....

The beautifully marked snake had curled into a defensive posture and I just managed to hop aside without standing on her. A relatively small Adder at about 30cm, she stayed stock-still for a few moments before darting into longer grass.  I'm not at all scared of snakes, but we decided not to venture further through the grass as there would likely be others warming up in the morning sunshine.  Adders are Britain's only venomous species of snake, and this was no place to be dealing with a painful bite!

 The crossing from Ruantallain to Oronsay, the tidal island at the south of Colonsay, is 15 km.  A breeze from across our right shoulders and low swell gave perfect kayak sailing conditions, and we enjoyed a great sail with spray bursting from our bows in the bright sunshine.

The sailing rigs meant that we completed the crossing in under two hours at an average speed approaching 8 Km/h, much quicker than if we'd paddled without the sails

 Sam doesn't (yet) have a sail, but with his youth and strength plus a background in marathon paddling he was able to stay with us.  As the breeze was fairly steady, we could drop our speed occasionally in order that we didn't get separated.

We headed straight for a prominent white sand beach, seen from right at the start of the crossing, and gradually it gained detail as we approached.  We were soon in turquoise water with white sand visible beneath the boats.......

 ....pulling around a reef we made first landfall on Oronsay.  We had arrived!  Sea kayaking to a new island is always a special thrill for me, and these islands have been high on my "must do" list for some time.  We found a spot out of the breeze with a view back to the Jura skyline and enjoyed a leisurely luncheon in the warm sun.

 The tide was approaching low water and it was nearly Springs - there was no possibility of paddling between Oronsay and Colonsay as the channel dries to reveal a large expanse of sand.  Besides, the paddle around Oronsay promised to be great.

The east side of the island is largely white sand beach backed by machair - stunning in the bright sunshine.

 At the south of the island we were able to pick our way through a series of rocky channels to gain the west coast.  A deep thrumming noise from astern proved to be a Coastguard helicopter overflying the island.

"G-MCGG" is a Sikorsky S-92 operated by Bristow's on behalf of HM Coastguard, operating from Prestwick in Ayrshire.  With a crew of four and an endurance of over four hours, it's an impressive aircraft.  I reflected that in the worst case, if I'd not avoided that Adder I might have required to be a passenger in her rather than a spectator as she flew over!

A change of plan sets the wheels in motion across Jura

Early May often brings some great weather for outdoor activities - and May 2017 didn't disappoint. Douglas and I had been carefully watching as a ridge of high pressure built over Scotland. The question was....how far would it extend and where would give the best conditions for a multi-day trip?

As usual we had several trips in mind, it was just a case of which would be best.  As the forecasts increased in confidence, we started to plan in some detail for a trip around the Small Isles (Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna) - the best conditions were forecast for the north of Scotland's west coast.  We were delighted that Maurice, David and Sam were able to make the trip too.  We planned to set out from Mallaig on Sunday 7th May, returning on Thursday 11th May.

So what on earth were we doing loading kayaks at Carsaig Bay in Argyll on Sunday morning- some 120 km south of Mallaig ?!

Well, 24 hours prior to setting out, the forecast position of the ridge of high pressure had altered subtly.  The revised forecasts indicated strengthening winds around the top of the "high" in the northwest, with much lighter winds and sunshine now forecast further south.  After a re-evaluation we changed our plan for a trip to the islands of Jura and Colonsay.

This area is well known for remote coasts and very fast tidal streams - I was very grateful that Douglas was able to undertake the revised tidal planning as I was in the middle of a journey home from the south of England when we agreed the new plan.  Jura had made a lasting impression on me during a previous trip and I was very keen to visit Colonsay - so despite a busy evening of packing and another long drive to Carsaig on Sunday morning, I simply couldn't wait to get going!

We packed our boats for a five day trip in very warm sunshine under brilliant blue skies - there was hardly a breath of wind.  Our flexibility in changing seemed to have worked out- and this was later confirmed when we heard from one friend who experienced very windy conditions in the Small Isles and another who was on a club meet in the far northwest in cold NE'ly winds of F5 which effectively restricted their outings to the sea lochs rather than the open coast.


You'll be able to follow our journey to Jura, Oronsay and Colonsay in "Sea Kayak Stereovision" by reading Douglas' blog, starting here....   :o)

Our  trip would involve four significant crossings - the first of which was right at the outset, heading over from Carsaig to the east coast of Jura.  Our boats were well laden with supplies and kit, and each of us carried a trolley on the back deck.

A tiny breeze soon died away and we paddled out into the Sound of Jura on a mirror sea reflecting the intense blue of a Spring sky - sea kayaking heaven!

Tidal streams in this part of the Sound reach up to 3.5 knots (7km/h) so any crossing needs to take account of this.  As it happened, our crossing would neatly span the turn of the tidal stream, so we were able to aim straight for our destination and allow the tide to move us first one way then the other, pretty much cancelling out the drift.

We reached Tarbert Bay on Jura's east coast at mid afternoon, just after high water.  The last time Douglas and I had been in this bay it had collected a deep barrier of rotting weed which had decayed to a stinking slime.  We approached with trepidation, but to our relief the beach was clean sand.  The place name "Tarbert" is quite common on the west coast of Scotland and indicates a narrow neck of land between tow bodies of water.  It derives from Old Norse and means "draw boat" - literally a place where longboats could be pulled overland.

In the hot afternoon sun, our portage promised to be hard work.  We helped each other lift the kayaks onto their trolleys and set out.....

...on the track which leads across the island of Jura.  Our boats were at the heaviest they'd be for the whole trip - packed with food and water (plus sports recovery drinks) so the climb up to the summit of the portage was taken at a steady pace; our ages ranged from late twenties to mid-seventies, and we were in no particular rush.  At the top - 40 metres above sea level - there was a glimpse ahead to West Loch Tarbert.

The descent was a little easier, but the track is everywhere rough and stony - it's a notorious test for sea kayak trolleys.  Happily all survived - most of us were using the KCS Expedition trolley which has been proved across this portage before.  A shoulder strap definitely helps on these longer portages, whether a bespoke item or improvised with a strap and sling/Karabiner.  Having now done this portage both ways - it seems to me that the east-west direction is slightly less strenuous as the ascent isn't as steep.  It may only be 1.6Km with 40 metres of ascent - but it's a fair pull!

We got back onto the water at 1715 with three hours until sunset.  The ebb tide was now pouring out of the inner part of West Loch Tarbert and a breeze had started up, both of which would assist us.  If our plan to circumnavigate Colonsay was to be realised, we needed to put ourselves in the best possible position to cross from Jura the following morning....we still had some distance to go before camp.