Loch Sween and the Faery Isles.

Graham and I had been planning to do a trip on the northern part of Loch Lomond however as the time approached it became increasingly obvious that the weather forecast wasn't looking well suited to that particular trip. Although it was to be fine the winds were to be light or non-existent so at the last minute we decided to change venues.
Late on Friday afternoon I met Graham in a lay by just south of Luss on Loch Lomondside and we drove west through Inveraray and down to Lochgilphead. Here we stopped and after a little searching managed to find a chippy that was open. We bought dinner and ate it while sitting on a bench overlooking Loch Gilp. This had the benefit of eliminating the need for us to cook for ourselves (whilst doing little for our cholesterol levels!) Suitably refreshed we set off again driving alongside the Crinan canal for a while before turning off towards Tayvallich. I knew (from a previous trip on my motorbike) that there were a couple of picnic areas on this stretch of road that would provide potential overnight stopping places at this time of year and after looking at them both we settled on one that had a nice level parking area.
We still had some daylight left and nothing else to do so we decided to take a walk down to Loch  Coille-Bharr in search of the elusive beavers (which were re-introduced to Scotland here in 2009).

There was little chance of actually seeing any as we were making so much noise chatting away catching up but we saw lots of bats and definite evidence of the presence of beavers.

 As we wandered on the last of the daylight faded leaving a beautiful still evening.

 We walked back up the road (preferring this to negotiating the path through the forest in the dark) and were soon back at the car park where we made a final brew before having an early night.

We got up early on Saturday morning and had a quick breakfast before hitting the road for the short drive to Tayvallich. We were at the slipway assembling our canoes by eight in the morning. 

We had to do a short shuttle with the vehicles to leave them in a car park but we were on the water by nine. We tacked out of the beautiful natural  harbour in a really nice Force 4 and enough chop to come over the bow of my heavily laden canoe. Unfortunately as soon as we cleared the harbour the wind dropped and while we were still making decent progress it wasn't the exhilarating sailing we'd just experienced. Still the air was warm and the sun was shining and the scenery was everything I'd been led to believe it would be, the Loch Sween area is really beautiful. Quite soon we sailed into an inlet to check out a potential campsite, it was really pretty and the bottom of the inlet was white sand and clearly visible through the clear water.

 We landed and had a wander about, a lot of the land was boggy but we found one area that looked like a real possibility. After some discussion we opted to carry on a bit further on the basis that we could always return to this spot later on. 

We rounded the point at Rubh'an Oib and sailed north into upper Loch Sween, the wind became really flukey, constantly shifting direction and varying between total calm and F4 gusts every few minutes. We ended up paddle sailing into an area I'd been dying to visit since I'd first read about and seen pictures of it in Douglas Wilcox's sea kayaking blogg a few years ago. The Faery Isles are a series of small islands contained in a tidal lagoon branching off the western edge of Loch Sween, ideally you visit at high tide as parts of the upper lagoon dry out as the tide drops.

 Loch Sween is unusual in that it has a strange double tide so there are effectively two high tides followed by two low tides. Unfortunately our visit corresponded with a low tide and whilst we were able to penetrate well into the lagoon, some of the upper area had dried out.   

 We pottered around for a while exploring in and out of the small islands and admiring the scenery.

After having a good look about we paddled out of the lagoon and raised our sails again before heading north to see if we could reach the head of Loch Sween. The sailing conditions had us alternating between frustration and fits of laughter as the wind constantly changed direction and we continued to paddle sail which at least allowed us to keep moving in the right direction. As we approached the head of the loch we were treated to a display of low flying by the RAF!

 Eventually we reached the head of Loch Sween and landed for the obligatory photo opportunity. 

 On the way up the loch we spotted a campsite that Stephen had tipped me off about so we decided to check it out on the way back down on the basis that if we didn't like it we could continue on to the spot we'd seen earlier. In the event we opted to set up camp in the spot Stephen had recommended.

It was still only lunchtime so after having something to eat we elected to go back out for another sail. While we'd been setting up camp and eating the wind had picked up significantly so we thought the conditions would be much improved. As soon as we set off though it dropped off again and we were treated to similar calm spells interspersed with strong gusts that we'd experienced earlier. Just past the entrance to the Faery Isles Graham whistled to get my attention then pointed, I looked in the direction he indicated and saw this chap sitting on a rock.

 Once we approached the headland at Rubha na Marraidh we could see from the water state ahead that the wind was stronger and we were treated to an exciting reach for about half a mile here as we headed for Cala island.

We rounded Cala and headed back passing the entrance to the Faery Isles.

 We were fortunate enough to see an osprey flying just after this, I attempted to photograph it but sadly my skills (and my little camera) weren't up to the task of capturing it.
We arrived back at camp and collected some firewood (which was plentiful). Graham did his Ray Mears impersonation and started the fire using his firesteel and some dried grass so we could  cook dinner on it. He'd collected some mussels earlier and cooked them over the fire to have as a starter and they were delicious.

 After dinner he even produced a birthday cake for me complete with candles (it was my birthday the following day). Thanks Graham!  We chatted for a while then went to bed mindful of the fact that the clocks would be going forward overnight costing us an hour.
Sunday morning was beautiful. Despite the fact that we were up early again and that it was only March it was really mild. The sun came up over the loch treating us to a lovely sunrise.

As we cooked breakfast Graham spotted a bird of prey (he thought an eagle of some kind as it was bigger than an osprey) watching us.

After a while it took to the air and circled for a while before moving off.
We packed up and were on the water just after nine. The wind was very light and we feared that we'd have to paddle all the way back but as we got further up the loch it freshened and gave us a pleasant sail back towards Tayvallich.

 On the way we passed the entrance to Caol Scotnish which looked enticing with a little misty haze hanging over it in the morning sunshine. Exploring this would have to wait for another trip.

 We sailed back into Tayvallich harbour with the plan to drop our camping gear and shuttle the vehicles to the car park near the slipway then we could go back out for another sail unladen.

As it happened there was a cafe right next to the slipway overlooking the harbour and it would have been silly not to take the opportunity to have a cuppa and a scone!

After a quick break we set off again, we'd decided to stay close by in case the wind died  (potentially saving us a long paddle) however we ended up sailing back out round Cala island again.

 There were some cormorants perched on the island watching us as we drifted past.

Predictably the wind did in fact drop off again and after a quick look round the corner of Eilean Loain (where we disturbed some sunbathing  seals) we started back sometimes sailing, sometimes paddling and some of the time just enjoying the sunshine!

We made it back to Tayvallich just after lunchtime and packed up the boats then we had another cuppa in the cafe before setting off home.
Loch Sween is a beautiful place and there's plenty left to explore on further visits, in fact Graham and I have already hatched a plan for another trip there to see the western seaward end of the loch.




 

Barra video.

Two days, two lakes, two islands the video.

Two days, two lakes, two islands.

As I've been feeling better and am about to go back to work (and with the approval of my doctor) I've been trying to build up my activities and exercise more over the last couple of weeks. I was wondering when I'd be fit enough to get back out in my canoe again (it's one of the things I've been looking forward to the most). Last weekend I took the plunge and asked fellow OCSG members if any of them fancied a winter sail in the Lake District. I knew I could get Val to help me lift the canoe on the van at this end and thought if I could get a hand getting it on and off at the other end I'd be fine. I picked the Lakes as there are quite a few members in that area and I thought the chances of getting some company would be higher if made the effort to drive down there (plus I love the Lakes anyway). I was delighted to hear that Dave, Graham and Keith would be joining me on Saturday morning for a sail on Coniston.
I decided to leave later on Friday evening and drive down to the Lakes before finding a layby somewhere quiet where I could bed down in the van. I left Helensburgh at half eight and by midnight I was settled in a picnic area on the deserted western shore of Thirlmere. I didn't sleep too well and woke early so I decided to get up and drive the rest of the way to Coniston and have a leisurely breakfast there. It took me another half hour to get to Coniston so I was in the designated car park making bacon and egg rolls and tea by seven. After that I got the canoe off the van (easy with gravity helping me) and onto it's trolley before loading all the sailing paraphernalia into it and wheeling it down to the lake to rig up. The guys turned up one by one and it was nice to catch up with them again and we were also joined by Alastair who I'd not met before.

 Dave was sailing his new canoe for the first time and ironically Alastair sails the first canoe Dave built. Once we were all ready we set off down the lake to see how far we could get, it was chilly and overcast with a light wind but it was great to be out sailing again.

All the others had sails of at least 44sq ft (compared to my 35sq ft) which meant I was struggling to keep pace so they kindly reefed to slow themselves down. Dave seemed to be liking his new boat and it looked absolutely stunning on the water, I can't wait until I'm sailing something similar! Unfortunately my camera batteries all died (I need to replace them as they're no longer holding charge) so the pictures I have are all from my video camera and not very good quality.

 Keith and Graham sailing south. 

We decided to head for Peel Island and eventually made it there around lunchtime. Everyone was feeling the cold as we landed in a bay just around the corner from the island and it was nice to get ashore and stretch the legs and warm up the extremeties. We had a picnic in the woods before launching once more and heading back up the lake. As we were sailing downwind it was easier and quicker than the outward leg.

Dave in the new boat (left) and Alastair sailing north.

We stopped off at the National Trust cafe at Brantwood (from previous experience we knew there'd be an open fire there) and had delicious cakes and hot drinks and warmed ourselves up for a while then it was back on the water for the final leg back to the car park. 

Alastair, Dave and Keith all live nearby so they packed up and after saying cheerio headed home. Graham and I drove the short distance to the National Trust campsite in Langdale (which is open all year). By the time we arrived the reception was closed and it was getting dark so we picked a spot and Graham set up his tent while I elected to sleep in my van again. The campsite was surprisingly busy with climbers and hillwalkers (who are a hardier breed than your average camper). I put up my tarp as it had started to drizzle and we cooked dinner under it's shelter before walking the few hundred yards up the road to the Old Dungeon Ghyll Hotel (which has a well known climbers bar) for a few pints of very good OP. Needless to say the walk back to the campsite seemed much shorter! I was pretty tired from my poor night on Friday so slept well only waking for my alarm at eight. 

We cooked breakfast, paid the campsite and discussed our options for the day. The forecast was for even lighter winds on Sunday so we thought it might be a paddle rather than a sail and elected to drive over Kirkstone Pass to Ullswater to check out conditions there. We parked just south of the Outwardbound centre in a layby Graham had used before and met some guys from the Song of the paddle canoe forum who were packing up from a wild camping trip. After chatting briefly with them our attention turned to the lake which looked quite promising. There was a nice steady F3/4 blowing down the lake so we quickly assembled our boats and changed into drysuits ready to go.

 Once out on the water the conditions were good with some stronger gusts making for good sailing as we headed south down the lake. 

The wind picked up as we sailed south and by the time we were past Aira Force there were white horses and a good F4 which was great. Although the wind was nice it was cold again so we decided to set Norfolk Island as our turning point.

As ever the run back down wind was a lot quicker (despite the wind dropping off again) and we were soon back to the car park. Here we met Jasper who turned out to be a former OCSG member who has now turned to sailing a 22ft Drascombe. He'd been out for a paddle in his sea kayak and we chatted with him while he kindly helped us to pack up our boats. He asked us to pass on his regards to any OCSG members who may remember him.Once we'd packed up Graham and I drove up to the Rheged Centre near Penrith for a cuppa and some food before parting ways as Graham headed south and me north on the M6.

It was fantastic to be back in my canoe sailing again and although I felt pretty sore and stiff after the unaccustomed exercise I can already feel that it did me good. Thanks so much to the guys for braving the cold and accompanying me.

It's really starting to drag now!

So I'm sitting here waiting in vain for someone to post something interesting on Facebook or on one of my favourite forums, ho hum. 
It's now eight weeks since I had my surgery and I'm really starting to get bored with the inactivity. Following the Dakar Rally online kept me occupied for the first two weeks in January then Shuzzy's trip to Barra was a nice break from the grind and I attended a RYA VHF radio course  on Sunday (qualifying me to use a marine radio) which was productive (if a little dull). The thing is I feel pretty good now (apart from the amount of weight I've put on) so sitting around doing nothing or going for a gentle walk is becoming increasingly hard to handle. I see the specialist/surgeon again next week and hopefully he'll give me the okay to start getting back to normal. The worst thing is the doubt about whether I can do things without ending up back at square one again, I now feel as if I could cope with going for a paddle or a proper hillwalk but it's just that uncertainty as to when I'll be up to full strength again. I initially thought I'd be fine after six weeks but talking to others who've had a hernia fixed has forced me to reassess that and my GP also urged caution and extended my sick line beyond eight weeks so I suppose I should stick with the boring inaction for another week or two. I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually looking forward to going back to work!
On a positive note I phoned Solway Dory last week and had a chat with Dave Stubbs. They're busy with the group canoe that they're building for an outdoor centre at the moment but once that's finished they plan to build Gavin's (OCSG member) new canoe and after that mine and Andy's. Dave still hasn't had chance to test sail his prototype and wants to do that (and carry out capsize recovery testing) before they start building the new boats for other people. That makes good sense and hopefully by the time they get around to building mine and Andy's boats they should have any glitches ironed out. The new boat is to be called the Petrel incidentally (in keeping with Solway Dory's tradition of naming their canoes after sea birds) so I can stop referring to it as the new Shearwater (although they share the same hull). Although Dave wasn't too specific about dates he said I should have my new boat by spring (which is fine). Here's a picture of Dave's prototype that I stole from their FB page.

 

Escape to Barra.

I knew that after having surgery at the start of December I'd have to remain inactive for a while to recuperate. For the first few weeks this wasn't really much of a chore as I was still  in a bit of pain and didn't really feel like doing much. After that it was the festive period with the inevitable bustle that entails but by early January I was starting to feel good. I've been warned repeatedly that feeling better wasn't carte blanche to get back to normal, I have to be patient and allow my body to return to full strength and doing too much too soon could be a recipe for disaster.
Last week my good friend Shuzz phoned and asked if I'd fancy joining him on a trip to the Isle of Barra as he had work to do there. It sounded like a great opportunity to escape from the house for a while and Val encouraged me to go as well.
I've harboured a desire to visit Barra for a while and one of my future aspirations is to tour the Outer Hebrides (whether by motorbike, cycling, camper van or canoe isn't yet clear). This was an opportunity to have a quick look and see what the southernmost of the main chain of islands has to offer.
We arrived at Oban to catch the ferry in good time and decided to get fish and chips for lunch in the hope that they'd be better than the fare onboard. This turned out to be a good decision and the fish and chips were delicious. Next it was the short drive to the docks to queue for the ferry. We've both been here before (to catch the ferry to Tiree) but it's always been in summer when the ferry terminal has been crowded with tourists, surfers and windsurfers heading for the big swells, strong winds and pristine beaches that Tiree has to offer. This time in the depths of winter things were much quieter. The ferry was the Clansman (which was also familiar) and as darkness fell we drove aboard to start the five hour journey to Barra. The first part of the journey is familiar enough to us as it's the same as the route taken to Tiree but the second part would be new and crosses the Sea of the Hebrides which promised to be quite rough in the strong winds forecast. If the journey had been done in daylight and good visibility it would have been interesting to see the west side of Coll and Ardnamurchan point but that wasn't to be on this occasion. There wasn't much to do except snooze but despite the heavy weather the journey passed uneventfully.
At about 8:15 PM we drove off the Clansman into lashing rain and gale force winds on Barra. We quickly located our accommodation, the Castlebay Hotel and booked in then we headed to the bar for a few beers. A week or so before I'd watched a programme on BBC Alba (gaelic TV channel) about a folk band from the island called the Vatersay Boys and lo and behold the bands' accordian player (and local Postie) Michael Campbell was in the bar playing pool and enjoying the craic!
The next morning the wind was still howling (literally) but the rain had abated as Shuzz sorted the kit he needed for the jobs he had to do. I took the opportunity to snap a few piccies of Castlebay and the area.

 Castlebay pier (where the ferry lands) and Kismul castle.

The view across Castlebay towards Vatersay.

Home sweet home for our visit.
Once Shuzz had sorted his kit we set off for the first site he had to fix. We drove out of Castlebay on the Vatersay road and stopped to take a few pictures and take in the view from the war memorial that overlooks Castlebay.

Then it was time to park up and set off to walk up the hill to the site. This was the first time I'd done anything this strenuous since my op so I was a little concerned about how I'd cope.

Part way up we stopped to allow a crofter to herd his sheep through a gate. He stopped to talk to us for a while and revealed he was sixty seven years old. He told us how he had been in the merchant navy and had lived in Glasgow for years before moving back to Barra when he retired and said how much he loved island life. After chatting for a while he went on his way and we continued up the hill to the mast. The view was spectacular and I happily took photos and admired the views while Shuzz slaved away.

The east and west coasts were both visible from our vantage point and the contrast between the sheltered east and exposed west were obvious.

Once Shuzz had finished we set off back down the hill. It was fairly steep and in places slippery. I began to wonder if I'd made a mistake and was relieved to make it back to the van relatively unscathed (although a little sore). Next we headed north and I reluctantly decided I should stay in the van this time while Shuzz hiked out to the next site he had to fix. This actually worked out well as we had no option to but to park in a turning circle and it meant I could move the van if anyone needed to turn. The final site to be visited was perched on a high cliff overlooking the wild Atlantic. Access was via an exposed track which wound it's way above the cliffs. By now it was pitch dark and it was fortunate that this site had vehicular access. By the time Shuzz had finished it was after 5 PM so we headed back to the hotel for the evening.
The next day was again very windy but mostly dry. We had to return to two of the masts so that Shuzz could do some more work there but we had a bit more free time to see the sites of Barra and Vatersay. The ferry only visits the island every third day in winter so we were stuck on the island for another day in any event. We drove up to the very northern tip of Barra , on the way passing the famous airport where planes land on the beach at low tide. We stopped at a narrow isthmus where the coast had been reinforced with flood defences to hold back the winter storms.

Next we drove south down the western side of the island, stopping to admire the wild seas and beautiful beaches that dotted the coast.

Finally we drove down to Vatersay which is actually a seperate island connected to Barra by a causeway. Here we stopped and walked out to a beach on the west coast where the wind was so strong Shuzz could lean against it!

About 200 metres in the other direction was another beach on the east coast which had beautiful white shell sand and turquoise water.

This picture is taken from the dunes above the west beach looking east.

Here's me standing on the sheltered east beach.

On the road heading back to Barra we spotted a memorial to the crew members of a WW2 Catalina flying boat that had crashed on Vatersay in 1944 while on a training mission from Oban.

Parts of the plane are still strewn about the area, a very poignant sight.

In between sightseeing Shuzz finished all the other jobs he had to do and we made it back to the hotel before dark this time.
The ferry was scheduled to arrive that night from Oban, remain overnight and sail on the return journey in the morning at 8:30 AM. We were booked onto this return trip. Due to the wild conditions though the ferry had been postponed and would arrive at noon the next day and return at 12:30 PM. This meant we could have a lie in the next morning and have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel before boarding at lunchtime. It also freed us up for a few beers that night as well, an opportunity we didn't pass up!
Next morning we were away from the hotel by 10 AM  so we drove round to the west coast for a stroll on the beach before getting the ferry. The waves were still rolling in and the weather wasn't as good with low cloud and drizzle but we saw some otter tracks on the beach.

We boarded the ferry on time and set off home once more harbouring hopes of seeing the westward facing side of Coll and Ardnamurchan point in daylight but unfortunately very low cloud and drizzle obscured any views. By early evening we were back on the mainland and driving home.
The trip was a great change from sitting at home and gave myself and Shuzz some ideas for future trips. We made a loose agreement that we'll be cycle touring the whole chain of the Outer Hebrides in the future. I had wondered about the possibilities for exploring by sailing canoe as well but seeing the full force of the Atlantic on the west coast left me with some doubts about this.
Many thanks to Shuzz for letting me tag along on a memorable trip.