Eggs for breakfast on the return from Eigg

Mike and I woke after a muggy and warm night to a soft focus morning at our camp on the Sound of Arisaig.  The midges were also up and about so we didn't hang around sorting out our gear, having a cup of tea and repacking the boats.

The tide was quite high meaning that there wasn't far to move our boats for launching.  The previous night's high water mark was obvious on the stones; we'd parked the boats on the flat patch where our blue bags are in this image.  If there had been any swell at all they'd have gone quite a lot higher!  The steep slope of the beach is clear in this image; if the weather is from the south or south south west this place can make a tricky launching and landing place. 

We headed out onto the Sound of Arisaig and into a gorgeous summer morning.  The sun was burning away the early mist and creating some lovely lighting effects.  Being out early like this I often feel as if I'm gaining something, and it's such a good time for scenic effect and for wildlife encounters.

There wasn't a breath of wind and the only sound was the rhythmic dip of our paddles as we made our way steadily across the Sound.  The view to the east was one of silhouettes........

...and to the west, Mike's boat was lit against the palest of blue in the morning sky; the horizon just becoming visible as the last of the mist burned away.

Our crossing to Glenuig was a little over six kilometres and took just over an hour.  Our plan for an early start was rewarded by an arrival at Glenuig just a couple of minutes before high water on a Spring tide. We landed right outside the Glenuig Inn; from where it's just fifty paces to the door......

...and the second element of our plan - breakfast!  We tucked in to cereal and fruit juice, and ordered coffee and - of course - scrambled eggs on our return from Eigg.

This was a very fine end to our trip, during which we'd kayaked from Glenuig out to Eigg, paddled around the island and climbed to the highest point at An Sgurr before paddling back via the Sound of Arisaig.  We took three days and a few hours to do the 92 kilometre journey (including the climb of An Sgurr), a leisurely pace which very much suited the nature of the trip.