3 – 4 : Lismore

The trip started with some car juggling to get to our launch spot as a couple of huge trucks had temporarily taken up the lay-by.

Once on the water we headed SW and stopped off at Eilean nan Caorach. We decided to go down the SE coast of Lismore which gave us some shelter from the NW wind and swell.

We passed the ferry at the Lismore jetty then on past an interesting modern house just before the broch, almost invisible above us.

Progress was good despite the occasional strong gust and we stopped at Achnacroish for another lunch.

At the south end of the island winds got a little stronger and despite being there in the past we couldn’t initially see the landing point.  A little further on it emerged and we landed and set up camp and we were joined by another 3 paddlers with the same idea.

The next morning seemed fine to continue round the island by heading up the NW side but once on the water there were some bigger waves at the corner and further out numerous white horses. Not too inviting. It was decided to return the way we had come. This gave lovely views to the mountains in the north.

The wind was strongly against us and we progressed at only half the speed of the day before. We stopped to take shelter at Miller’s Port and at Achnacroish where we met another group of 6 paddlers heading SW. After another stop at Achuaran we decided to cross to Port Appin where those who wanted to drop out could.

We finally made Port Appin paddling, with some towing for one paddler, into a strong wind and with everyone tired no one was keen to continue. A taxi was called and we were taken to our cars.

It wasn’t over yet as one of our cars could not be started but with another bit of car juggling we managed to find an alternative battery to power up the electronics.

It was a long day.

Distance paddled on Saturday 22km and on Sunday17km

 

Paddlers : Joan, Sheila, Elizabeth, Karin, Elvire and Bill

17 : 21 Summer Cruise: Treshnish Isles and Staffa

TThe Club’s annual week-long Summer Cruise took place from the 17 ^th May, at the tail end of the long spell of hot, dry weather.

The destination was Mull, and with a settled forecast it was decided to head to the Treshnish Isles and Staffa – a trip which for many years has featured on the Club’s touring calendar and had always been thwarted by bad weather!

Seven paddlers set off from Loch na Keal, exploring Inch Kenneth en route to a camping spot on the southern coast of Ulva where we stayed for two nights. The second day, with strong winds forecast for the afternoon, was spent exploring the south coasts of Ulva and Gometra, including a visit to a ruined mill where two mill stones can still be seen. The following day we set off for the northernmost of the Treshnish Isles in light winds, and met not one but two groups of paddlers offshore just as we arrived. In the first was former club member Giles Trussell, and in the second, an acquaintance from the Fife club! After a good chat they all sped off south, while we landed on Cairn na Burgh More to explore the ruins on top of the flat-topped island and take in the panoramic views of Coll, Tiree, the Small Isles, Mull and the Treshnish chain. Paddling southwest with increasing numbers of seabirds for company, we drifted through the skerries and past the northern tip of Lunga, and were awed by the vast numbers of puffins, guillemots and razorbills filling the sky and rafted up on the sea.

The only down side was finding very large cruise ships anchored offshore, shuttling endless numbers of visitors to Lunga via RIBs. Treshnish is an absolute haven for local birdlife – and we saw very few birds elsewhere around the coast of Mull – and this vast increase in visitor numbers to these precious islands can surely only add to the pressures on our threatened seabird populations. The noise and pollution caused by the RIBs – and in one case, the stupidity of the skipper, steering straight into rafts of birds and forcing them to take flight – horrified us.

Once the last of the day trippers had departed, we quietly set up camp on Lunga and spent the evening puffin-watching and visiting the guillemot colony on Harp Rock. With so many seabirds calling (and Corncrake and Snipe too) it was an incredible (but not the quietest) place to sleep!

The next morning we continued on to the southern tip of Lunga before crossing to Staffa. Despite some swell it was possible to paddle in to Fingal’s Cave – an ambition for many! – and admire the basalt columns and tessellated roof. After lunch on a beach on the eastern side, we crossed back to Ulva to camp for the night on a good turfy spot beside a lovely sandy beach. Happy and relaxed, everyone was feeling good about having had perfect conditions for paddling out to the islands, and we enjoyed being able to sit out and cook together and share food, as we did throughout the trip.

With the fine weather continuing, we paddled back to our vehicles the next day via an excellent lunch stop at The Boathouse cafe on Ulva. Back on Mull, Kate headed home to look after her garden and the rest of us drove on to Fidden campsite for the final two nights of the trip – with sub-zero temperatures overnight! The last full day was spent circumnavigating Iona, with some time spent exploring the village and the beautiful sandy beaches. After packing up on the Friday, and a brief walk at Kintra to look back over to the islands we’d explored, we headed for home, just as the much-needed rain began to fall.

 

Paddlers: Petra, Peter, Chris, Jill, Kate, Mike, Kirsty

28th : Loch Sunart

With remarkable foresight, the date selected turned out to be the only suitable day for paddling in the week.  Very lucky!  And the wind dropped too but with sufficient breeze to deter the migdes. 

Bill, Elvire, Elizabeth, Joan and Ruth met at Ardery on Loch Sunart with the intention of paddling west to Glencripesdale.  It was still quite windy, so we headed to the south side of Loch Sunart for some shelter.  We were barely on the water when we noticed a large bird – a sea eagle – being harried by a couple of smaller birds.  Another sea eagle appeared from the south shore and we spent some time watching them before reluctantly paddling in the opposite direction.  Once we rounded the point at Rubhan Aird Earnaich, we were paddling into the wind but there was the promise of wind assistance on the way back.  We stopped for lunch at Camas na Mullach and were treated to a low fly-over by another sea eagle (smaller and probably male).  On to the jetty (formed by a wrecked cargo boat) at Glencripesdale, we left our boats and went to explore the area by the old house and the river.  There is no obvious sign of the 20 bedroomed mansion blown up in 1963, but other signs of past times, including a dry dock.  All very interesting.  The views up and down Loch Sunart were lovely.

We had a wind and tide assisted paddle back to Ardery and our cars. 

Total distance paddled: 21km