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...

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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...

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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...

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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). A great seafood diner at the...

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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...

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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...

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