Tobermory and onwards North

A quick update on progress, very limited Internet access so I don't think I can load any pictures at the moment. (Pictures added 6th Aug)

Since the last post we spent two days in Tobermory, which was very picturesque and had a decent supermarket so we could stock up with fresh goods.  We even managed a night out and saw RM Hubbert at the Tobermory arts centre, a lung busting venue up a steep hill overlooking the harbour.  The music was great, see http://www.chemikal.co.uk/artists/rm-hubbert/ for more info.

We then moved on to the Treshnich Isles about four hours from Tobermory on the West of Mull.  Anchoring off Lunga we took the dinghy ashore for amazing Puffin spotting, you can walk right up to their burrows and they happily hop around only an arms reach away. The anchorage was a bit exposed so we sailed onto the island of Coll for the night.

Thursday we sailed onto the island of Rum and anchored in Loch Scresort bay, en route we saw basking sharks, minke whales, dolphins and seals.

Today, we motored across the Hebridean Sea to the outer Hebrides, and are on a mooring buoy in Lochboilsdale.  Not much here but the scenery is spectacular and it's very peaceful.

The weather has been incredible this last week, hot and sunny every day.  Not quite enough wind but we'll take sun and no wind over wind and rain any day.

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Jura to Loch Aline

Sorry, it's been a few days since our last post.  This is in part due to poor Internet access and part because we had a visit from our good friends Chris and Vicky.  So we had been busy scouting the area and cleaning Bathia for visitors.

Bathia at anchor off Oronsay

Since leaving Jura last Friday we passed through the Sound of Islay (a strip of water separating Islay from Jura) and onto a small anchorage off Oronsay (a small island to the south of Colonsay).  We took the dinghy ashore to walk on empty white beaches (apart from grazing sheep).  We spent the night there which was a little uncomfortable when the tide turned and a small swell caused Bathia to sway.

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The next day began quite well, an improvement on the forecast, but by late afternoon the rain started and put us off the next planned anchorage stop and we decided to push on to Oban in search of a fixed pontoon and hot shower. Unfortunately we arrived at the start of the West Highlands Yachting Week and Oban was full - another 90 minutes motoring in the rain led us to Dunstaffnage Marina where we spent a few days catching up on laundry and dodging the showers. Monday was a very wet day, we took the bus into Oban, peeped out from under our hoods and stocked up at the supermarket - this was the first real road traffic and proper shops we had seen for a few weeks.

Our guests arrived on Thursday evening, Friday we set sail for Kingairloch, a large estate against a Loch with wild Deer and a small restaurant specialising in seafood and venison.  It was a fantastic setting and a great meal - a real treat.  We were the only boat in the Loch there were seals swimming nearby and at dusk several large stags made an appearance (almost made us feel guilty for our venison supper).

Kingairloch Mooring

G&T's

Boathouse Restaurant

We then sailed to Port Appin for another fine meal at the Pierhouse Hotel followed by a damp misty night before dropping Chris and Vicky back to Dunstaffnage on Sunday afternoon to collect their hire car and head back for their return flight South. We took on fresh water, re-filled the diesel tank and headed up the Sound of Mull. Tonight we are in Loch Aline, which has a great new visitor pontoon and fast free wifi, tomorrow we're heading for Tobermory.

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Faith in mankind restored

After a perfect sail from Gigha to Jura, a good breeze, blue skies and sun shining we had a bit of a 'mare coming onto a mooring buoy. The wind really got up at this point and there was 20 Knots blowing across the bay, also the mooring buoys are tricky as you have to thread a line though the top of the buoy from the bow of the boat, not easy in a strong wind. (Other mooring buoys have a large rope loop attached to the buoy which you can scoop up with a boat hook and attach your mooring lines to this, rather than having to reach down and thread a line).

Anyhow, after we managed to fix ourselves to the buoy and could relax we became aware of a chap on another yacht shouting to us and pointing out to sea. After much further shouting we realised what he was saying - during the effort to grapple with the buoy our dinghy line had been chopped by our propeller and the dinghy was rapidly disappearing out of the bay.

Our spirits sunk, we were going to have to release the mooring buoy we had such a problem catching and head off at pace to rescue the dinghy, otherwise no trips ashore and an expensive trip back to the mainland to buy a replacement.  At this point another yacht, who was just about to leave shouted across and said they would go and fetch our dinghy and sure enough they set off, collected it and brought it right back to us and disappeared off.  We were extremely grateful and warmed to see the effort a fellow sailor made for us.

After a good nights sleep today has been a very hot day and the bay is very calm and still, nothing like yesterday. We visited the Jura distillery and much prefer a less peaty whisky - so much so that we bought a couple of bottles - just for medicinal purposes.

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Tour de Gigha

In recognition of the cycle race we hired bikes for a circuit of Gigha.

When I say circuit, that's a bit of an impossibility as there is only one road that runs north to south.  So we headed north to the tip with fantastic views across to Jura (our next destination), and then south with even better views across to Islay (where we've just come from).

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A great seafood diner at the Boathhouse (thanks Mark for the recommendation).

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Peaty Whisky

We left Crinan (an unexpectedly small 'town' - no shops, one hotel) to a worsening weather forecast and decided to head to a sheltered marina (Ardfern) about an hour away. The weather forecast was correct, Friday was truly awful with very heavy rain most of the day. The prediction for Saturday was better and we woke to sunshine and mostly clear sky and decided to make the trip to Islay, 45 miles to the south.  A mixture of motor-sailing and sailing and a favourable tide allowed us to make good time and were tided up on the 22 berth self-service pontoon at Port Ellen on the South East Coast of Islay by 6pm.

Leaving Ardfern, Loch Craignish

Islay is famous for its single malt whisky distilleries and today we took a hike to visit a couple of them within walking distance along the coast from Port Ellen. At Laphroaig we took the distillery tour, which we both enjoyed, although the strong peaty product is an acquired taste we're yet to relish, still there are plenty more drams to sample on the other islands.

The pictures show Port Ellen harbour, Ardbeg Distillery and Laphroaig. (Second to last snap shows a 1978 whisky barrel signed by Prince Charles in 1994).

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Weather permitting, off to Gigha tomorrow.

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Crinan Canal

There was some trepidation about the Canal - we had heard that it would be a challenge 'two-up'.  Our plan had been to pay for an assisted passage but Scottish Waterways have stopped doing this so we were on our own, or so we thought...  

There are 15 locks in total only 3 of which are mechanised, after some instruction at the entrance we prepared ourselves for a couple of days of hard work.  Katie will have it that she did all the work for the entire canal but that wouldn't  be strictly true, although she did get stuck in and was happy to stay on land and manage the locks while Rob handled the boat.  Katie has had some management experience and first there was one gentleman happy to help her open the gates, at the next lock she appeared to have a lady helper and then the Canal team were helping.  For the last four locks we were buddied up with another boat and were lucky enough to have their assistance.  

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We had heard about he prospect of seeing beavers in Knapdale Forest halfway along the canal (www.scottishbeavers.org.uk) so after a long hike we waited, and waited.  We saw evidence of the beavers below, but the beaver responsible was nowhere to be seen.  

It was a very different experience in the canal peaceful, still and very enjoyable.  Now it's off to the islands of Gigha, Islay and Jura for some Whisky tasting.

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