Steel Pulse’s ‘Round Scotland’ Log 2006
Cont from Week 2
At the end of Week 2 we had got as far as Kylakin on the Isle of Skye, principally because the forecast was not too nice and the east coast of Skye would provide good shelter …….
Week 3 Map
Rather than tour around by boat in the forecast damp wind conditions, we hired a car from Lochalsh and went exploring the north of Skye by road. We set off about 11:00 by the time the car was cleaned and delivered, and headed up the east coast for Portree. It was a mizzly day and the higher ground was in the clouds. At Portree we stopped for lunch and a quick look around the harbour area and then the shops and afterwards set off again on the scenic road north. Stopping at the tourist sites enroute we continued down the west coast via Uig out to the Waternish Peninsula, with stops at a knitting centre for Maggie and a quick visit to a local tannery. By this stage the roads were single file with passing places and kamikaze sheep wandering along the roadside, which took more concentration than I’m used to.
We left the car back at Lochalsh, caught the bus over the Skye Bridge (now toll-free) and dined in ‘Saucy Mary’s’, named after a Viking lady who resided in the local castle.
North Skye cliffs
On Tuesday 18th the forecast was much better, so we decided to head back out to the Small Isles and then over to Barra in the Hebrides, if the weather continued to stay settled. To catch the tide down through the Kyles of Rhea necessitated an early start and we departed at 0540, reaching the Kyles at 0620. The previous days mizzle had left patches of fog and the section through the Kyles was thick fog – thank goodness for a chart plotter and radar! Once through the Kyles, the fog thinned out and we were out of the Sound of Sleat and heading over to Canna by 1000 in sunshine.
Crossing to Rhum and then Canna the sea was glassy smooth and so we decided to skip Canna and motor onwards through the afternoon to Barra, whilst the conditions were so benign.
We passed Canna around lunchtime and whilst I was below cooking some bacon, Maggie spotted some ‘black fins’. They turned out to be Basking Sharks swimming along just below the surface with their dorsal fin and tail showing. We circled around trying to get a good look at one of them, whilst the bacon crispened!
Basking Shark
Ten minutes later there were another 2, 15 minutes later 6 more and within an hour we had seen a total of 17. Having not seen any for years, it was amazing to see so many in such a short period.
Later in the afternoon we sighted some camera-shy Bottle-nosed dolphins, but nearing Barra a very large pod of Common dolphins came charging over to great us and gave a spectacular display of jumping and bow-riding.
Common Dolphins – bow-riding
We came into Castle Bay on Barra and picked up a visitor’s mooring and sat back with a sun-downer thinking what a special day it had been.
Castle Bay, showing typical expanse of bare rock up hills
On Wednesday 19th we went ashore to explore Castle Bay, stock up with milk, etc and suss out diesel and water. First stop was at the Co-op, but we found several smaller shops later as well. Water was available from the ferry pier – from a fire hose and (marine) diesel was available from the fuel pumps on the High Street. We also discovered showers in the toilets adjacent to the CalMac office. So the afternoon passed with trips back and forth in the dinghy with fuel drums, water containers and wash bags. In the evening we ate ashore in a small ‘Indian’ café.
Kisimul Castle, Castle Bay
The following day we made the relatively short passage (21nm), past Eriskay to Lockboisdale on S. Uist – arriving there about lunchtime. Enroute we saw two more Basking Sharks and some Bottle-nosed dolphins.
We made use of the available visitor’s moorings again and were surprised when we went ashore to find more shops than indicated in the guide, as well as a toilet/shower block.
On Friday 21st we continued northwards, departing at 0850 just ahead of the Oban ferry. Another day of light winds and a bit of sun, but not the heatwave the rest of the UK seemed to be enjoying according to the BBC news. We motored up the coast leaving S. Uist, passing Benbecula and up to Lochmaddy in N.Uist.
We arrived off Lochmaddy at lunchtime, so decided to stop at the entrance for a spot of fishing for bait for the lobster-pot. Caught a reasonably-sized saithe and several mackerel, so set the lobster-pot off a headland out by the entrance and proceeded in to pick up one of the visitor’s mooring adjacent to the ferry berth. Our intention was to have a look around and then move to a bay further away that had 2 visitor’s moorings; however by the time we returned aboard they had been taken by 2 other boats.
Ashore Lockmaddy disappointed initially, until we found that the village was actually centred around another bay - rather then around the newer ferry terminal.
During the night the wind increased from the NE and one of the two boats that had anchored outside of the visitor’s moorings had to move as her anchor was dragging.
Ferry at Lochmaddy
On Saturday we departed from the mooring and went to retrieve the lobster pot. The wind was still a fresh NE’ly, which made picking up the lobster pot a bit of a challenge, even from the dinghy, as it was an on-shore breeze and the lobster pot was close in on the NE side of a headland. However the pot was lifted with about 12 velvet swimming crabs and an undersized eating crab. Getting the outboard and dinghy aboard would have been difficult in these conditions, so we motored over to the N-side of the inlet and into a sheltered bay. Once everything was back aboard and well lashed down, we rounded the headland and headed into the wind up to East Loch Tarbert on the border between S and N Harris.
The attraction of Tarbert was a claim in the Pilot Guide that the Harris Hotel did laundry! So we anchored off the ferry terminal and rowed ashore with two bags of dirty clothes, towels and duvet covers. They promised to have them done by the following morning, so we strolled around the town and then decided to check out the harbour at Scalpay as an overnight anchorage, rather than adjacent to the ferry terminal.
The following day we lifted anchor at 0945 at a very sleepy Scalpay and motored back up to East Loch Tarbert to collect the laundry. A fresh breeze was blowing into the anchorage, so we anchored and Maggie went ashore on her own, whilst I ‘boat sat’ to make sure we didn’t drag. After a bit of a delay, whilst the final load was removed from the dryer, Maggie returned back aboard and we set off at 1030 back down to Scalpay and under the road bridge over to Scalpay. The bridge clearance was 22m and we reckoned the top of our mast was 18.5m, so we lined the boat up with the highest part of the bridge, Maggie disappeared below to avoid watching and we crept slowly under the bridge … and started breathing again!
Once out of Scalpay Sound up went the sails and we were able to sail the whole way up to and into Stornaway harbour. The wind was a reasonably steady F5 on the stern quarter, with a gybe required after Loch Odhairn.
As we approached the dock, there were 7 yachts rafted up on the Esplanade Quay, so we assumed (correctly as it turned out) that the yacht marina must be full and we rafted up outside a yacht that had come in about an hour before us.
So the end of Week 3 saw us tied up in Stornaway, having travelled up the eastern side of the Hebrides.
Rafted up at Stornaway
Cont to Week 4