The 30 hour adventure - a wild night out

After leaving Skipness we continued our journey south along the Kintyre coast past the ferry terminal at Claonaig, where the small public road veers away from the shoreline. The ferry terminal is essentially an unattended slipway with a passenger shelter, but it does have toilet facilities if required.

Insomuch as we had a "plan", the general thought was to continue for a further ten or so kilometres to where a series of beaches offer potential camping spots.  By this time however, a sneaky headwind had got up and slowed us somewhat - it was also approaching dinner time!  We didn't want to be arriving at a camp mid-evening and not be able to enjoy the situation, so we started looking for potential spots some 5 kilometres short of our "planned" area.  We hoped to find a good spot, and on the sheltered side of a small point we spied a raised shingle beach backed by a platform of turf - a very pleasant site.

The only slight issue was the carry from the water to the high water mark.  A feature of the tidal regime around the Clyde is that at Springs, high water occurs around midday and midnight.  Therefore, arriving at a campsite late afternoon/early evening and leaving in the early morning at Springs will mean a long carry.  If you're a solo kayaker in this area it's something to factor in to your planning.

Douglas had foreseen the possibility of having to carry boats a bit of a distance and had brought along a Karitek Portage Strap.  Normally used as two straps with four paddlers moving one boat at a time, we found that one strap used by two of us behind the cockpit with one of us carrying the bow of a boat worked very well, even when moving fully laden boats up a beach.  The access to this beach was a carry of 75 metres and included a narrow gully.  Nevertheless, it was a fine campsite and we soon had our tents up and hot drinks on the go.

Whilst we cooked and ate dinner we were able to start to absorb and appreciate our surroundings.  the wind had dropped, but at this time of year there are no biting midges so we could sit in comfort to enjoy the hazy view across Kilbrannan Sound to Arran.  Dinner commenced with some of Douglas' fine home-made soup.  As our planning for this small trip had consisted of two texts and one phone call the previous evening, the dinner menu was restrained compared to our usual fare.  Not that we resorted to packet food you understand - just that we hadn't had time to pre-prepare our usual fare!

Dry driftwood was plentiful; five minutes collecting from the tideline and ten minutes with a folding saw produced, with the aid of the "Wilcox Failsafe Ignition Aid" (TM), the basics of a good fire placed below the highest waterline.  We don't build fire-rings of stones, finding them unnecessary and unsightly.  The next big tide will have removed all traces of this fire; we aided the process by dispersing the remnants the following morning.

Regular readers of our blogs will note that we subscribe to the restorative and performance enhancing benefits of a particular sports recovery drink.  Despite the short notice, we all managed to pack an eerily similar amount of this......  Purists can relax; the apparent proximity of the container to the fire is a telephoto effect - no sports recovery drink was harmed in making of this image.

As the evening wore on our eyes and ears became more attuned to the spot we were in.  Earlier in the day we'd heard the first Cuckoo of the Spring, and there were two calling from the wooded hillside behind the beach.  The air was alive with the cadenced song of Willow Warblers and from the shoreline the prevalent bird sounds were the trilling calls of Common Sandpipers and the occasional wild, bubbling call of a Curlew.  We sipped and compared small drams of Dalmore and Dalwhinnie whisky, both 15 year old expressions - declaring both to be worthy accompaniment to the final course of our dinner, baked potatoes from the fire with salted butter.

With the air and sea completely still, there was no natural "white noise" and we heard an Otter swimming right by the bay before we saw it.  Absolutely unconcerned, it continued to feed in close proximity to the shore.

There are many ways to have a wild night out.  Our evening had good food and drink, good company, a great venue and a fantastic floor-show.  A different take on "birds and booze"!

We awoke to a misty morning.  The first sounds were the Cuckoos of the previous evening, and then at close hand from the mist, the spine-tingling calls of a Black Throated Diver (Gavia arctica) - the call echoing across the still water.

Breakfast was a leisurely affair and varied according to taste.  I prefer something quite light, but Douglas' healthy option of dry-cure bacon, free range egg, tomato and cheese in a wholemeal wrap with coffee and orange juice looked very, very good!  Mike had even brought along half a dozen eggs from his own hens - you don't get food much more local than that!

We'd chatted the previous evening about the amazing wildlife we'd seen and heard less than 50 miles in a straight line from the centre of Glasgow, and speculated on what might be next.  We hoped perhaps to see an eagle, but what we actually saw next was on an altogether different scale.  while preparing for the day, my eye was drawn to an unmistakable triple outline on the surface of the glassy water - a large Basking Shark just a couple of hundred metres offshore.  None of us have seen these summer visitors quite so early in the year - perhaps a good sign for a warm summer?  Douglas managed a photo of the shark before it disappeared into the mist.

The shark wasn't the only thing to have disappeared into the mist - so had the Isle of Arran!  We took bearings to Loch Ranza and worked out the likely effect of the flood tide on our transit before heading out into Kilbrannan Sound.

The weather forecast was for any early mist to clear and leave a bright day.  The next hour of our journey was to be an unforgettable one......

The 30 hour adventure - Skipness; symbols in stone

We continued south along the Kintyre coast under a now overcast sky, passing through a channel in the rocks of Skipness Point.  We landed on a sandy beach and made our way up to the rather fine ruins of.....

.......Skipness Chapel.   Built in the 13th or early 14th century and dedicated to St Brendan, it replaced a nearby (and even older) chapel dedicated to St Columba.  The chapel was built by the MacDonalds (also known as Clan Somhairle at that time) after their take-over of Kintyre following their forcing out of the naturalised Norsemen, the Mac Sweens (Sweinsons).  Later again, Kintyre came under the control of the MacDonalds bitter rivals the Campbells.

The chapel is under the care of Historic Scotland and is a fascinating place to explore.  Stopping to walk around places such as this rather than simply cranking out the kilometres really adds to a trip for us.

The interior of the chapel is quite large.  The sandstone details around the windows and entrance arches are quite unusual and probably were later additions to the original stonework.

There are two mediaeval grave-slabs protected in wooden frames; this one is inside the chapel itself...

.....while this very finely carved slab is just outside in the graveyard; the intricate decoration is really quite striking.  The dark specks at either end of the slab are the droppings of bats which seem to have roosted inside the wooden lidded frame - rather appropriate for a graveyard!

One of the 16th century gravestonesis that of an Archibald Johnston (sailor) and his wife Agnes McMilen.  Their initials are on the left hand panel, while the right hand panel bears a skull and crossbones symbol.

The nearby Skipness Castle has a 13th century curtain wall which may be one of the oldest ruins of its type in Scotland, while one corner contains the tall tower house built by the Campbell earls in the 16th century.  The original 13th century MacSween castle was one of a pair protecting Kilbrannan Sound - the other is Lochranza Castle on Arran.  Control of this important seaway would have given the half-norse Mac Sweens real power here as overlordship was contessted between Scotland and Norway - the castle a symbol of power made in stone.

Near to the chapel is an altogether newer form of symbol in stone (well, concrete anyway). It also had a warlike purpose which you can read about on Douglas' blog here.  The arrow points directly down the Kilbrannan Sound and gave us a gentle hint that our campsite for the night lay some way in this direction....

The 30 hour adventure - beach life

 The beach on which we'd landed for first luncheon was composed of fine shingle and small pebbles, glistening in the sunshine.  The terraces of stones stepping up the beach and onto the turf above showed the power of the winter storms which had lashed all of Britain recently. 

A closer look at the shore showed lots of quartzite pebbles, giving the beach the pale glint visible from many miles away.  We found comfortable spots to sit in the warm sun and enjoyed first luncheon; already we'd settled into the rhythm of our small adventure.

The bedrock here is a schistose type with intricate layers and swirls within the tilted planes....

.....some of the folded patterns were quite exquisite.

Schist breaks down readily to fertile soils, in cracks between the bedding planes Thrift (Armeria maritima) was well established; the flowers just about to open.  This remarkable plant seems to thrive in the harshest of environments, being found on seashore, cliffs and right to the tops of the mountains across Scotland.

Above the beach was an area of Birch and Willow wood.  The whole slope was studded with one of the iconic springtime flowers of the west coast, Primroses (Primula vulgaris).  The pale yellow flowers are a great spring sight on sunny banks and in woodland clearings, so welcome after the muted winter colours.

After a leisurely lunch, accompanied by a very small sip of 15 year-old Dalwhinnie, it was time to move on.  Our route now continued south west along the Kintyre coast past other small shingle beaches, towards Skipness Point.

The 30 hour adventure - commuters

Sea kayaking expeditions can involve paddling in remote and distant locations, require detailed planning and long preparation, then lengthy journeying to reach the starting point. But what if this could be found much closer to hand? OK, so for those living in the UK there's always the north west Highlands or the Hebrides.

Perhaps something even closer might be possible? Surely you can't have adventure, wilderness and stunning wildlife encounters within 50 km of one of the UK's most populous cities....can you?

We think that you can - and what's more that an adventure needn't involve a long trip. Mike, Douglas and I set out on a small journey which would start and finish just 55km from the very centre of Glasgow. Our "planning" was essentially two texts and a phone call on a Sunday evening; we arranged to meet on the Isle of Bute on Monday morning at a time when many commuters would be arriving at work.

You will also be able to follow our journey on Douglas' blog here

I was already on Bute visiting relatives (with a kayak and kit of course!) and after meeting the commuters off the ferry we headed over to the west of the island, a mere 10 minute drive from the ferry terminal, and got ready to launch at Kildavanan.  The morning was overcast but pleasantly warm and the forecast was for similar conditions to last through the day.

The "Kil" prefix suggests that a place is associated with one of the early Columban churchmen - it means Cill or "cell".  So here may have been the place where a monk named Davan or Davanan made his home.  Nearby is St Colmac, probably indicating another churchman, there's a stone cross near the farm of the same name.  Even older sites are nearby too, a stone circle and an ancient earthwork.  We would certainly not be the first to commute to and from this shingle beach.

Getting on the water didn't take long and the simple rhythm of paddling was easy to re-aquire even after a long lay-off due to work.  We headed out to the Ardlamont buoy, hoping to meet "Kylie", a female dolphin which can often be seen near the buoy.  Today there was no sign of her; the sea was flat calm and we certainly would have noticed if she was around.  We thought perhaps that she was away on a commute of her own....

We decided that the ferry journey, drive and crossing from Bute had qualified us as overdue for second breakfast, and accordingly headed for a small shingle beach just to the west of Ardlamont Point.  There was almost no noise apart from the gentle movement of water on the shingle and the gentle mastication of three rather contented sea kayakers.

Our route would next take us across the mouth of Loch Fyne to the the shores of the Kintyre peninsula.  This stretch of water is notorious for rough seas and ferocious wind which can be funnelled out of the length of Loch Fyne making passage here a serious affair.

No such issues today though.  As we paddled colours, which up until now had been muted in the overcast conditions, bcame more vibrant and then.....

...we were in full, glorious Spring sunshine and on glassy calm sea. It was a truly great morning to be out on the water.

We occasionally stopped paddling to simply drift and enjoy being in this place, close in distance to a huge city but a million miles away in atmosphere.  As we drifted, a pod of Common Dolphins streaked ahead of us - moving fast and direct as they hunted for fish.  We hadn't seen Kylie, but here were some of her kin on a fast commuter route from Loch Fyne.

We took a rather slower paced journey to another small piece of heaven; a sparkling white beach fringed with turquoise water.  The vote was unanimous - first luncheon (*) was called!

* There's a subtle but simple distinction between second breakfasts and first luncheons on our trips

Small hill, wide skies

 Ahead, Lord Arthur's Hill is a swelling heather dome.  Paths go to both the north and south sides of the hill so there's normally an option to stay sheltered from any adverse weather on the short climb.  The ascent from the general level of the Correen Hills ridge is just 80 metres and at a gentle angle.

The Gorse is in full bloom even up here on the exposed hillside; the distinctive coconut smell of the flowers quite strong in the sunshine.

On the short climb, the view across the valley of the River Don is to Coiliochbhar Hill, the last hill I climbed prior to a long spell at work.

From the summit shelter on Lord Arthur's Hill the view is much wider than the modest height of 518m (1699 ft) woulod suggest.  The view to the east extends alll the way to the North Sea near Aberdeen.  Closer to hand, my route home lies down the curving heather ridge; the house just beyond the spur above the green fields.

Looking back along the afternoon's walk, the full ridge can be seen.  I'd emerged from the forest just on the skyline and followed the ridge right to left.  The Correen Hills play a subtle optical trick in that distances look very long but reel off with little effort.  I consider myself very fortunate to have these super hills right on my doorstep.

Marking the view on the Correen Hills

Just a short way from home, the Correen Hills give the opportunity for a variety of hillwaking routes with spacious views.  This particular route doesn't start with much of a view except for ahead and astern though! 

The morning was damp and misty with light rain, but it cleared to give quite pleasant conditions by lunchtime.  The beauty of having this on the doorstep is that a hillwalking trip can be planned in a couple of minutes with little more effort than puttting a few bits in a rucsac and pulling on boots.  I cheated a bit and got dropped off at the top of the Suie Hill road, meaning that the biggest ascent of the day was already done. A broad forest track heading west from the summit of the road is followed until it reaches a high point in the forest; then a much narrower and overgrown track leads gently uphill to emerge from the tree cover near to the summit of Badingair Hill.

A tiny pool nearby reflected the sky, but beneath the surface it was anything but still - tens of thousands of tiny Tadpoles newly emerged from spawn were crowding the edge of the water where it was slightly warmer.

The view to the north is largely dominated by the distinctive flattened cone of Tap o' Noth, the summit of which is a large hillfort.  This view has been altered substantially by the erection of three 81 metre high wind turbines at Cairnmore above the village of Rhynie. Planning permission for a further five turbines has recently been refused.  Many of the views from these hills are now altered by wind turbines - I was able to see four wind factories from this one viewpoint.

The walk southwest is on good ground for doing effortless distance, turf and cropped heather with a bit of a track.  Brux Hill and Edinbanchory Hill rise barely 20 metres above the general level of the broad ridge so the views stay wide and spacious.  Near to the point where the ridge arcs sharply to the southeast is a reminder that stamping a mark on the landscape is nothing new.  A Victorian boundary marker, one of several along the ridge, is incised with a large letter D, probably denoting the Deskie estate boundary.

Looking across to the east the view was marked on an altogether grander scale, the gentle spurs radiating from the Correen Hills ridge forming a series of contasting colours, the bright burnt orange of the sunlit heather backed by the purple of the ridge in cloud shadow followed by the rich green of the forest near Suie Hill.  Beyond is Bennachie, which is ever-present in this part of Aberdeenshire.

A herd of Red Deer were moving across the ground ahead of me, just visible in the heat haze shimmering off the ground in the spring sunshine.  I continued southeast towards the highest point of the day; though the ascent wouldn't be at all hard going.....

Spring in Aberdeenshire

 After the best part of five months spent away from home, it's good to be back.  Waking up to sunny and warm mornings has been a bonus; often there is lying snow at this point in April.  Spring is everywhere - the first sounds heard on waking are birdsong; the wild bubbling call of Curlews and the metallic "kleep" of Oystercatchers which come inland to breed on higher moors and farmland add to the more usual garden birdsong.

Spring flowers are much in evidence too...

The woods alongside the River Don are carpeted with beautiful drifts of Wood Anenomes (Anenome nemorosa)

By the riverbank and in the damper areas, Lesser Celandine (Ranunculus ficaria) makes a cheerful sight, the bright yellow flowers set against the glossy green of the leaves.

Amongst the banks of Celandines is a patch of Butterbur (Petasites hybridus), a plant found mostly near rivers and unusual in that the cone-shaped inflorescences develop well before the leaves, in fact it often seems to flower when everything else is dormant.

Back into the woods and the first of the Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is flowering in sunny open areas.  The leaves of this plant can be chewed to freshen the mouth, they have a pleasant lemon flavour.  Like the Wood Anenomes it's an early Spring flowering plant, taking advantage of the light before the spreading canopy of the trees puts the woodland floor into shade.

Wood Sorrel flowers are things of delicate beauty, and it has one of the loveliest and most descriptive of Gaelic names - Feada-Coille; "Candle of the Wood".

On sunlit banks, Speedwells are beginning to brighten the grass.......

......while above them, Birches in full sunlight are just starting to open brilliant jewel-green leaves less than a centimetre long from the buds which have blushed the wood with purple throughout the winter.

Returning along the riverside, a meadow area is covered with Cowslips (Primula veris), more common here than in many parts of Scotland where its close relative the Primrose is abundant.

Even our garden has small Spring flowers - Cuckooflower (Cardemine pratensis) - also known as Lady's Smock, has sprung up from newly cut grass.  Most years the snow shovel is a more useful garden tool than the lawnmower in mid April!

...and if the frosts stay away for a while, the abundant blossom on our Plum tree bodes well for late summer fruit.

There will no doubt be some harder weather to come before Spring moves into early Summer, but the new growth and life everywhere is so uplifting.

The remarkable plant communities of a Florida saltmarsh

Our journey through the saltmarsh channels around Dutton Island was full of interest, but perhaps the most fascinating aspect was the remarkable plants which inhabit this ecosystem.

Seb resting with the stern of his kayak in the Spartina grass (Spartina alterniflora).  The dense stands of this grass appear, at first glance, unremarkable......

 Our guide Matt is highly knowledgeable and has a real passion for this environment.  He explained that the Spartina Grass is a "keystone" species, one which actively alters its environment.  The development of a saltmarsh is dependent upon seeds of the grass floating to a place where it can take root.  It spreads asexually by rhizome systems and, over thousands of years, builds up a dense matrix of vegetable matter which in turn allows sediments and mud to build up, eventually forming areas of drying ground.

Any species in a coastal marsh has to be incredibly tough, tolerant to salt, wind and extremes of both moisture and temperature.  This colonising species allows the growth of other less tolerant plants and, eventually, dry land which can support stands of trees.  The trees provide nesting sites for many of the birds in the marsh as well as opportunities for land animals.

Below the water, the shelter and diminished flow allows the deposition of mud, perfect for the rich invertebrate life of the marsh and for Oysters.  The oyster beds filter the rich water and also provide a barrier to damaging storm surges.

All this from an unremarkable looking grass!

Along the edges of one of the man-made channels adjacent to the marsh the raising of the spoil banks has provided a leg-up for a surprising variety of trees, including Junipers adjacent to small Palms.

The trunk of a long-dead pine made a striking shape, and was drilled with holes drilled by a woodpecker, the standing dead wood still a valuable part of the whole ecosystem

Back out along the Intracoastal Waterway, we stopped on a tiny beach for a short break.  A fallen tree here gave us a close-up view of another remarkable plant which festoons trees, particularly Live Oaks all across north Florida - Spanish Moss (Tillandsia usneoides).

It isn't Spanish in origin, nor is it a moss.  Resembling "old man's beard" lichen found in norther boreal forests, it isn't a lichen either.  This fascinating flowering plant is an epiphytic species - it takes all its nutrients and moisture from the air and from rainfall. Related to Bromeliads, the plant forms hanging pendants up to 6 metres long and does particularly well in the high humidity of Florida.  It doesn't harm the host tree, merely using it as a frame on which to grow, though sometimes the weight of Spanish Moss pendants can break off branches from trees.

The saltmarsh of Florida is a superb environment, and home to some truly remarkable plant species.  I'm very grateful to Matt for sharing his deep passion for and knowledge of this special place.