After lots of summers spent cruising around the Scottish islands with paid guests on board, this year of 2012 I decided to have some time to myself and so chose three weeks in June to do so. The west coast of Ireland was my first choice and I was very excited when the charts and pilot books for that area arrived through the post from Imray my suppliers. I kept them on hold, rather like waiting to open Christmas presents but finally on one Kilda trip I pulled them out and began to plan!
As I read through the pilots I began to realise that the west coast of Ireland was very different from the lovely part of the world I live in. Although there were plenty of nooks and crannies, loughs and harbours, they all seemed to have houses and dwellings – civilisation!!! A quick look on Google earth confirmed my worst fears and speaking to Conan and Annie (who live aboard the yacht Hollandia and have a home in the north west of Ireland they agreed that that the area was probably not to my taste. It looks a fine cruising area if you want to sail from harbour to harbour and enjoy the undisputed hospitality of the Irish but not for me. I prefer isolation and watching wildlife in peace.
So Plan “B” – better make one! Well why not cruise where I know, stay as long or as little as I like and go out in whatever weather suits me! Great – Charts etc for Ireland in the locker – none needed for where I’m going but still a full set in the chart drawer. Fuel up (slow business just now at Dunstaffnage despite the very friendly and helpful staff) stores on board – hope to catch some fish, and away!
As might be expected no wind!! B******!! Still principles out of the window and engine on up the sound of Mull, and into Sanna bay for the first night. No swell - kind wind – sunny evening – lovely. There are three obvious hills above Sanna and I determined to climb them all and explore.
Due to the rocks being from the Tertiary volcanic system that comprises the Ardnamurchan peninsula, there are loads of boiler plate granite slabs so an interesting scramble up the hills can be made by choosing the right route. Apart from my walking stick being a pain on the steeper bits it was great fun with memories of my previous passion for hard rock climbing. Recently I heard that dreaded term “wild” in reference to climbing. In this day and age playing around on climbing walls in towns and cities counts as more than training, and now you progress to “wild climbing” possibly at your peril. Bit like “wild swimming” ie not in a swimming pool. Lochs, rivers and the sea were all I knew in my youth but not thought of as particularly “wild” just free and available.
Back at Sanna I was surprised at how many fragrant orchids were in bloom on the hillside. Usually uncommon rather than rare there were certainly plenty on those hills. Bending down to sniff their beautiful perfume you are given visions of elderly and much loved Aunts with their 1950’s pomades.
The tide was due to run north in the morning till about 0730 and since once again, there was to be little wind, I got an early start at 0300. A beautiful fresh morning and of course as bright as can be at this time of year in northerly latitudes. I wondered at the reaction of guests if I’d suggested this time to leave, perhaps I would be surprised as most are pretty hardy. I did manage to sail for about an hour but once more the wind died away and the engine was required. Lots of shearwaters were flying around the boat and a few gannets could be seen diving in the distance – I was watching them through the binoculars when a glistening and dark back came into view. Not only the gannets were feeding but also a couple of minke whales. I stopped the yacht and watched their antics for half an hour – welcome friends back for the summer. Hope they don’t get pestered by too many “whale watching” boats especially the fast RIBS which I think should be banned from such activities.
With the weather being so settled I took the opportunity to anchor in Tarbert Bay on Canna – usually there is too much swell from the Atlantic and it is either too uncomfortable or just downright dangerous as a place to stay. I dropped the hook onto bright clean sand in 5 metres of water, stopped the engine and just looked. There are few places on this very planet which could be said to be more beautiful than that place at that time and I make no apologies for putting more than my usual one or two images for anyone to look at.
I turned in for a couple of hours to catch up on my lost sleep and then rowed the dinghy ashore for a walk. I’d decided to take the outboard motor off the wee boat while I was on this trip and it was much nicer to row quietly ashore – a luxury I can’t manage when I have a full dinghy!
The sun was out, shirt off and I made a sedate pace along the sea cliff to the west. Looking down on all the exposed reefs and at the shapes of the columns of basalt that made up the cliffs was a treat, with the lovely soft brown of the rocks contrasting with the almost black of the weed interspersed with patches of bright green seaweed and golden shades of the sand. Rum looked magnificent in the distance capped with a brilliant white cloud set against a blue, blue sky.
I walked steadily on until I came to be above the remains of the old Nunnery. This is on a basalt platform at the foot of very steep cliffs with an imposing very steep and narrow sheep track to negotiate to get down to it. There is also access via a loose and narrow gully; I have no idea which the Nuns preferred but certainly it would have been difficult to get to. Apart from the solitude I suppose hiding from visiting marauders (Vikings perhaps) would have been essential. The point on which the remains lie translates from the Gaelic into point of the “White Lady or Mother” which I presume refers to the Abbess! I’ve had some contemplative and other moments sat amongst the fallen walls of the chapel but not this time and I progressed onwards.
The going is very good, short grass and as it is so dry this year even the muddy bits are easily negotiated. At the far end I met a group of walkers, with perhaps a guide, the man seemed very knowledgeable, I wonder if that’s how I appear when I’m out with a group? He was considerably more respectably attired than I normally am, I probably look more like a tramp my group has befriended out of pity! The views from the cliffs were stunning and the visibility so good that the Western Isles could be seen in great detail, despite the distance.
On the walk back they alerted me to a golden eagle which was being hassled by a hoodie and which eventually took off in the direction of Rum. Otherwise there were few birds about – a kestrel hovering being about it apart from the usual pipits and skylarks. Loads of rabbits though!
Back at Tarbert Bay I had been joined by another boat, a converted fishing smack, rather lovingly done up. I caught the forecast and decided to make a move across the Sea of the Hebrides and head for Loch Skiport, leaving the friendly couple on board to enjoy some solitude as I had earlier in the day. As I passed by the reefs to the south of Canna I spotted the first basking sharks I’ve seen this season, they were feeding where the incoming tide was flowing over the shallow water and concentrating the plankton.
The passage across was very quiet, I did see a large flock of gannets diving and diverting over once again found them sharing a mackerel shoal this time with a group of white beaked dolphins. This year is certainly proving to be very good for cetaceans and other wildlife.
I did see a couple of large East coast trawlers pulling the twin trawl rig behind them. Fishermen tend to be quite nomadic but in this day and age some involvement in control of local stocks by local is surely essential. What would a farmer in Kent say if a farmer from Sussex came along and took his crop as he’d not managed his own farm well and there was no worthwhile crops left back in Sussex. It goes right back to the early 1900’s when there was a wonderful herring fishery here in the west of Scotland, with catches made by drift netting – a technique that allows small fish to swim straight through the nets. Done at night it was very labour intensive and whole families were involved. It’s said that when the small drift netters were in harbour you could cross from one side to the other, from boat to boat in places like Castlebay, Port Mhor (Eriskay) and Stornoway. Then trawlers arrived from other waters and started to scoop up the fish, trawling along the sea bed and destroying the breeding grounds; within a few years the herring were gone, as was the living for very many families.
Today most of the fish are finished, the prawns (nephrops or langoustines) being the major source of income. It might be possible for the fish to recover but nowadays the breeding areas are scoured by the most invasive and destructive means of fishing – the scallop dredger. It is probably not possible to invent a more short termed destructive means of taking clams then dredging and yet it goes on even by local boats. As the scallops get scarcer then the fishery should become uneconomic and cease leaving the ground to recover. But the shortage causes the price for the product to increases and it once again becomes profitable catching the reduced amount of clams but for a much inflated price. Should anyone in authority want to seriously left the west coast fishery recover then the first item should be to totally ban scallop dredging and the second introduce local control. Never happen!!
Anyway, into Loch Skiport, Caolas Mor to be precise. Skiport has several pools where it is possible to anchor, one being the famous “Wizard Pool” – no idea where the name came from other than I can imagine some posh yachtie on entering this lovely anchorage, turning to his lady wife and remarking “This is absolutely wizard Doris!” and since they were probably members of the Clyde Cruising club, then the name stuck. However it is absolutely wizard as are the rest of the sheltered pools. The next day I was up fairly early in the hope of seeing otters (no luck) but got myself organised with salmon and horseradish sandwiches and a flask of raspberry tea and set off up Hecla the big hill that overlooks Skiport and is the second highest hill on south Uist
By this time there was a brisk and slightly chilly easterly breeze which got stronger as I ascended. Keeping up a fast pace I was however grateful for the cooling effect and really enjoyed walking up the long east ridge to the summit where the views were just amazing.
It was still quite chilly, being only 12 feet short of 2000 (so not quite a Corbett) and as I looked towards Rum and Skye I could see that wispy clouds were beginning to form beneath me!
This rather prompted a swift retreat from the summit and I plunged straight down the rocky hillside enjoying what was a more adventurous descent than the long slog up! I managed to startle two hinds which were the only deer I saw on the hill. The horseflies were trying to get a meal from me but I only suffered a couple of bites and there was no sign at all of midges. Boat to boat was just under four hours including a lot of perambulating about looking at possible fishing lochs, so after a short rest on Gypsy I got the fly fishing gear together and set off back up the hill to try my luck in Loch Spotail. Not a thing moving other than a couple of red-throated divers so after an hour I gave up and walked back home for a peaceful evening.
Another yacht had come in and after unsuccessfully trying to anchor on the other side of the pool, came across to try next to me. The place I normally anchor is very close to where and old fish farm used to be and the bottom is foul with old bits of chain. I told them this and encouraged them to move elsewhere (the wizard) which they did but afterwards I did feel a bit selfish and felt I could have been more helpful. Late on in the evening another two yachts arrived but they both successfully anchored on the other side which was good.
Next morning the forecast was all over the place so I got away with a fair tide north and when the wind freshened managed a great sail all the way to Loch Eport. Once again there were lots of gannets actively diving and feeding, and as I got closer I realised that a lot of the splashes were not from the birds but from a large group of common dolphins. There must have been upwards of a hundred feeding ferociously but they didn’t approach the yacht as is their normal behaviour –must have been too interested in the mackerel! As I approached the entrance Mark on the motor vessel Hyalma Byorge came out. I called him up and we compared notes on the great wildlife to be seen this season. For anyone wanting a motor cruise he is the one I would recommend especially out to the far off isles like Kilda and North Rona which was on his agenda this trip – there was too much east in the forecast for visiting St Kilda.
Into the anchorage, anchor down, more sandwiches and herby tea and off up Eaval, this time the highest hill on north Uist! I walked around the perimeter of Loch Obisary taking the path for a change and seeing the odd fish rise. I spotted a disturbance in the distance and quietly creeping over a small rise I found myself not twenty feet from an otter eating a huge eel! Not moving allowed me to remain unnoticed and with the sun at my back no doubt the otter was blinded in my direction. Anyway after some twenty minutes he finished his lunch and took off into the distance. I was sorely tempted to get my camera out but I’m sure the movement would have spooked him, better to watch and see him leave totally unaware of my presence, very satisfying.
Meanwhile on this walk the horseflies were making themselves noticed in a big way. As soon as I was out of the wind I was attacked but only bitten a couple of times before I reached the ridge up to the summit and a very welcome breeze. I had my head down determined to make a good time to the summit and walked straight past a couple having lunch near to the path – I only noticed them when I was pat and looking back at the view, friendly enough though.
On the top, once again the view was stunning, Hirta, Boreray and both Stac Lee and Stac an Armin could be seen clearly in the distance. The Monachs looked tiny, hard to believe they are such a lovely and extensive area to explore when seen from on top. Loch Obisary, which lies at the foot of the hill gets its name because it connects directly to the sea and on high tides the salt water flows straight into the loch resulting in a unique and complicated ecosystem It also means not only are big trout as well as seas trout and salmon are in the loch but also sea fish such as small cod, Pollack, and even some skate! When viewed from on high the Uists show their true character of being far more water than land with lots of shallow passages between the Atlantic and the Minch although none are navigable.
Back down I took a small diversion over the hill which overlooks the anchorage finding a couple of good scrambling bits on excellent rock before walking round a couple of the lochs looking for rising fish (None!!) and back to the yacht. Forecast is for rain tomorrow so I decided to do a few jobs
As expected the rain has arrived and the skies darkened. Wind is fresh but Ok for sailing however I have decided to do the varnishing and heated the yacht up to suit. Another yacht a Westerly Riviera 38ft deck saloon arrived last evening and is also still staying here – it’s not very inviting to go outside but at least the garden will be getting watered!
Next day all changed. I set up for the west and was making good progress through the sound of Harris and towards the west side of Lewis when with a very loud “bang!!!!” the starboard backstay fitting sheared!! A quick tack whilst I examined the damage but after lots of thought (especially about my ruined holiday) I decided the only safe option was to return to Dunstaffnage for repairs. The wind being favourable and not too strong, I was able to sail for Rum where I anchored overnight (as usual it was chucking it down in Loch Scresort – what a wet place that is!). Next day home and off to get the offending article made by a local engineer – Alu-Tec of Barcaldine.
So now waiting for the 9th July when once again we’re off on our travels around the Western Isles. Thinking positively at least I’ve been out on my bike and got some fishing done!!
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