Loch Ness

We got up early, for us, at 06:45am and it was a lovely summer’s morning. We had hoped to descend the staircase of four locks down to Loch Ness at 08:00 am. Unfortunately, the lock keeper decided to move two locks full of boats ascending the locks first. This took nearly 2 ¾ hours so it was 10:45 am before we entered the fist lock. As a group we were reasonably well organised and the complicated descent of the four locks, plus a swing bridge, was completed by 12:15. However, Ann found it quite tiring, largely because of the large number of spectators who all seemed to want to talk to her as she was trying to concentrate on handling Jomima’s ropes from the side of the locks.

After passing through the swing bridge, we began our journey across the full length of Loch Ness. The Loch is a very long and deep stretch of water. Our depth gauge stopped working at 180m. From our charts, I know that it exceeds 200m in many places – which is over twice as deep as the English Channel. There is more water in Loch Ness than all of the other British reservoirs put together. Much is made locally of the Loch Ness monster – which is obviously their biggest tourist attraction. Unfortunately, I failed to capture anything on camera and we were generally disappointed with Loch Ness. For us it was just a long trip between two relatively uninteresting mountainsides. Fortunately, the trip along the canal the other side made up for it.

Fort Augustus

After an overnight stop on Loch Oich, we arrived at Fort Augustus. Loch Oich is the highest point of the canal so we are now descending. This is easier than going up because you start of level with the top of the lock and can easily place the ropes over a bollard rather than having to throw a rope up to a lock keeper. We have been advised to moor at the top of the flight of four locks and will therefore pass through them later.

We walk down past the locks to the start of the famous Loch Ness. It stretches into the distance for twenty miles and a considerable swell reaches into the bottom moorings – which is why we are moored at the top. The small town itself is delightful with an interesting canal museum, post office and small super market. We take the opportunity to stock up with supplies because we may have to moor next time at a much more remote location.

In the evening, we visit the local pub, which is full of many nationalities. A number of boats from Finland and Holland are moored in the basin and we learn that there is a coach party, mainly of Australians, staying at a local hostel. The cosmopolitan crowd are good fun and everybody seems to be enjoying themselves.

We wake up in the morning to heavy rain and wind against us - if we decide to cross Loch Ness. It was an easy decision to stay here for another night.

Gairlochy

Now that we are safely in the Caledonian Canal, we do not have to hurry. Jomima has to be at Inverness, at the other end of the canal, by 31 July 2008 to await collection by truck. She will then be returned to Newark-on-Trent. Today we only completed 5.4 miles with one lock and two swing bridges. All of them are operated by staff from British Waterways so it is considerably easier than our passage through the Crinan Canal.

We found a beautiful mooring at Gairlochy, which is just before the start of Loch Lochy. The guide that we have indicates that the museum of the Cameron Clan is only 4km away. Therefore, we unloaded our bicycles and made our way along a picturesque road to the museum. Unfortunately, the guide gave an incorrect distance and it was more like 4 miles to the museum – particularly when you take into account the long driveway. However, the museum proved very interesting and supplied a lot of information about the Clan as well as the commandoes that trained in this area during World War II. Who knows, the Clan may even supply the next Prime Minister.

The Jacobite Steam Train

Ann, as you may know, is both a Harry Potter and steam train enthusiast. As a result, it was difficult to pass this way without having a ride on the steam train from Fort William to Mallaig – a distance of 41 miles. This is known as the Jacobite Train after the uprising that took place in these parts and it follows ‘The Road to The Isles’.

We left at 08:15 and caught the bus to Fort William and joined the queue for tickets. All of the pre-bookable tickets available had already been sold so we were pleased to be able to get two seats together. The ride did not disappoint Ann although she had obviously forgotten how sooty you could get riding in the carriage of a steam train with the window open.

It is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular and memorable rail journeys in the world with views of mountains, Lochs, seashore and Islands. We had lunch in the important fishing port of Mallaig (fish and chips for me and scallops for Ann). What a great day out.

Fort William

We left Oban at 08:15 to catch the remaining tide up to Fort William. It was fairly misty but clear enough not to need radar. Shortly after Fort William is the entrance to the Caledonian Canal with its sea lock and small ‘pepper pot’ lighthouse. We were now starting the last phase of our Scottish adventure and our journey, through the canal, to Inverness.

First opened in 1822, the Caledonian Canal was built to provide a short cut between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding the hazardous route around Scotland’s north coast. The majestic canal is 60 miles in length, of which approximately 1/3 is man-made cuttings and the remainder is formed by the waters of Lochs Lochy, Oich, Dochfour and Ness. The highest point is 32.3m above sea level and it has three flights of locks, the largest of which has eight locks and is known as ‘Neptune’s Staircase’ - which we negotiated today. In total, there are 29 locks and 10 swing bridges.

The Caledonian Canal is twinned with both the Gota Canal in Sweden, which was also designed by Thomas Telford, and the Rideau Canal in Canada.

On The Move Again

The weather forecast last night had promised an improvement, with less wind. We have been trapped here for a week by very poor weather. I awoke at 5:00 am to the unusual sound of nothing. No wind, no rain and no waves splashing against the hull. It was dawn and I took the above photograph, from the window, without actually getting out of bed. I went to sleep again hoping that by the time the tide turned south (essential for passage through the narrow strip of water called Kyle Rhea) the wind would still be resting.

We left at 8:00 am, fuelled up at the fish quay in Kyle of Lochalsh, and headed south again. I had plotted about six places that we could shelter if the weather decided to do its worst again. In the mean time, we kept going as fast as the conditions would allow – which was a maximum of 16 knots with periods at 8-9 knots. We passed four of my planned stopping places and headed for Ardnamurchan Point. The wind was rising but the tide was with us so we kept going. We arrived near Tobermory and the weather report from the Coast Guards suggested that the wind would get up soon and tomorrow would continue windy again, so we kept going.

As we crossed the Firth of Lorne to Oban, shortly after passing the glowering form of Castle Duart, the wind increased and the sea began to make life uncomfortable for us. By the time we reached Oban Marina, after a journey of nearly 80 nautical miles, we were in a sudden squall. We were directed to moor on our port side in a vacant double berth. Ann jumped onto the pontoon and started to moor the front of Jomima. The wind caught the back of the boat and spun us diagonally across the mooring. With difficulty, I began to get her back to the mooring but then decided that it would be easier to moor down wind on the starboard side to mooring. Ann changed sides and then, with the help of a yachtsman from Newcastle (he called Ann ‘pet’) we managed to tie Jomima to the pontoon with double the usual number of warps. Civilisation at last. Next stop Tesco, to rebuild the larder.

Plockton

One of the places that we intended to visit while in Skye was Plockton – which is actually on the mainland just north of the Skye Bridge. Unfortunately, the wind is still blowing a force 5 to 7 and this would have made for a most uncomfortable journey. We therefore decided to let the train take the strain and we caught the small diesel train from Kyle of Lochalsh. It is a single-track line, cut out of solid rock, and runs along the coast. We were treated to splendid views of Loch Carron on the way. Then, after a 15-minute walk, we arrived at Plockton in time for lunch. The sun managed to shine briefly and the village was sheltered from the wind so the day proved pleasurable.

Out in the Car

Yet again, the day has begun with the clouds sitting half way down the mountains. The visibility was very poor and by the time it improved, the tides would have been against us. However, we still had the car and so we drove along the south coast of Skye; unfortunately many places were shut. Since the Skye bridge was built ferry places like Armadale have become less popular.

One thing that was open, in Armadale, was a museum dedicated to the Clan Donald. It was modern, well laid out and generally excellent. I can only assume that the vast clan of the Donalds (which includes the MacDonalds which means son of Donald), throughout the world, all chipped in to cover the cost.

Isle of Skye

The wind and rain looks set to continue for some time. I therefore decided to hire a car for a couple of days so that we could explore the Island. The first stop was a visit to the Talisker distillery on the far side of the island. We were concerned that they would be busy the following day because a group of 50 yachts were due to arrive on an organised tour. However, that morning, only about 12 had arrived and it was likely that they would be short of numbers because many would have found the journey from Oban difficult because of the rough seas.

The distillery tour proved very well organised. Talisker is a medal winning whisky and consequently one of the best whiskies available. Their 18 year old is particularly good but at the prices they were charging for it we only added a small bottle to our collection.

The lunch stop proved to be a particularly good find. Loch Bay Seafood is in the small village of Stein. I had Cullen Skink (smoked haddock, onion and potato soup), followed by very, very fresh halibut. Sadly, I was driving so this had to be washed down with bottled water.

Kyleakin, Isle of Skye

We awoke, after a night disturbed by waves, to a morning mist and could only just see the edges of the Loch. The weather forecast was threatening high winds and heavy rain. Therefore, despite the ‘mist’ we opted to leave and head for Skye. This was probably the correct decision but I had to make use of Jomima’s technology to get there. The mist turned into fog and we were unable to see the surrounding shoreline or easily see any other boats. Fortunately, we have radar and this was the first time that I have used it for navigation and safety. The chart plotter was able to show us where we were and the radar confirmed this by showing the shape of the shoreline as well as helping us to avoid stray yachts.

As we got closer to our intended destination of Kyleakin, a sheltered harbour with a secure pontoon, we had to pass through the narrow channel of the Sound of Sleat. Again, we had to make sure that the potentially strong tides were in our favour. We were both very pleased to arrive safely in the harbour.

For the first night, I was forced to moor among the local fishing boats. Again, it proved a long night with Jomima having to take the weight of four boats moored up alongside.

Arisaig

From Tobermory, to head north towards the Isle of Skye, you have to head around Ardnamurchan Point. This is the most westerly point on the British mainland and, needless to say, it has a light house and potentially strong winds and tides. I had timed the passage for neaps tides i.e. the weakest tides and also we left when I had calculated that the tide would be heading north to assist our passage. We decided to head firstly for the small harbour of Arisaig; this consisted of a small(ish) loch with buoys for mooring. The entrance channel was very narrow and shallow and required a fair degree of concentration with Ann reading off the instructions from the Clyde Cruising Club sailing directions and me doing my best not to end up on one of the many rocks.

The photograph shows the lucky heather that you are supposed to fix to your boats bow when you have passed Ardnamurchan Point.

Tobermory

The weather has been a little unkind and kept us here longer than expected. We have now explored the island of Mull and Ann went for a walk to explore Tobermory its self. From a high advantage point, she took the photograph shown. This clearly shows the multi-coloured houses that are part of the well-known frontage at Tobermory. If the forecast is correct, we hope to head further north tomorrow.

Puffins on Staffa

The captain of the boat had suggested that, after visiting the cave, we should walk to the other end of the island and sit down on the grass on the headland. This took about 15 minutes but it was a pleasant walk. After sitting down for 5 minutes Puffins started to arrive only a few yards from us. They were quite happy to sit with us and, we were told, we supplied them with protection from the sea gulls. They normally stay at sea until it gets dark because the gulls would otherwise attach them. However, they have learnt that the gulls will not attack them if there are humans near by. It was a truly magical experience to be able to sit on the grass with the Puffins arriving and departing so close by.

After collecting us, the boatman returned us to the mainland and we finished the best day so far by driving around the rest of the island of Mull.

Fingal’s Cave, Staffa

Instead of going back on the ferry to Mull, I had been able to arrange for us to go by local boat to the island of Staffa. Staffa is a beautiful, uninhabited island, home to hundreds of sea birds and set within waters teeming with marine life. But the island is best known for its magnificent basalt columns – not unlike the ‘Giants Causeway’ in Ireland. The captain of the boat had to ram it against the stone pier so that we could land to visit Fingal’s Cave (Musical Cave).

We had to walk along a cliff face, with only a handrail to stop us falling into the wild sea. Needless to say, the boat we came on had notices warning that we did so at our own risk! However, the tricky journey was well worthwhile because we were able to climb into the cave itself, which was an amazing experience.

Iona

Most people have heard of the Island of Iona. It attracts tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. Columba, an Irish prince accompanied by twelve companions, arrived in 563. During the next thirty-four years, he founded a monastery and turned Iona into a place of pilgrimage and Christian learning, which was renowned throughout Europe.

Getting there was a challenge. There are no marinas or public moorings near Iona and the only anchorage has a fast tidal stream running through it. With the excellent help of the local Tourist Information office, we decided to hire a car (£25 + petrol) for the day. The drive was challenging with most of the 40-mile journey being on single-track roads with passing places. After a short ferry crossing we arrived on the island and visited the recently restored monastery. After an interesting look around, we progressed to the local hotel for an excellent, mostly home grown, lunch.

Tobermory Distillery

In the afternoon, we had a tour of the Tobermory distillery. We have now visited several distilleries so it is interesting to compare both the quality of the whisky and also the tour and distillery itself. The Tobermory whisky is mainly used in blends on the mainland and very little of the output is stored on Mull. We had a tasting but it had very little character and is not one that caused us sufficient interest to want to buy the end result.

Torosay Gardens

Buses are a very useful means of transport around island like Mull. We chose to visit Torosay Gardens at the southeast corner of Mull. The journey took us along the coast overlooking the sound that we had travelled along yesterday. The view was breath taking and we could see the yachts sailing up towards Tobermory.

The gardens were slightly disappointing because they were neglected. They probably get insufficient visitors to justify the high cost of upkeep. We stopped for tea in their coffee shop and were waited on by an excellent Polish waitress. She was obviously a long way from home and I find it strange that local people are not more willing to do these jobs in an area that can’t have a surplus of jobs.

We were able to sit outside and before we had finished our tea and carrot cake, we noticed that we were getting attention from the local finch population. These birds were so tame that they would sit at your feet for crumbs and even raided your plate if you sat still for a while.

Leaving Oban Marina

We have had a lot of rain since we arrived back in Scotland. However, we had been told that Kerrera Islands has had insufficient rain and now have a water shortage! As a result, we were unable to fill our water tanks and therefore chose to leave today and move on to Tobermory, Mull.

The journey took us along the Sound of Mull and, unusually, the weather was fine. To enter the sound we had to go past Duart Point and the famous castle. The castle, high up on the cliff, is creepy enough. However, the tide was coming out of the sound and swirling over underwater mountains that caused the surface to eddy in small whirlpools. The journey along the sound itself was magnificent and we passed one of the Caledonian MacBrayne ferries, which travel between the many islands off the west coast of Scotland. The harbour, which is featured in many children’s TV programs, is very attractive with its multicoloured houses. We were able to find a pontoon berth and they seemed to have plenty of water on Mull so we gratefully filled our water tank.

Oban Marina

To get from the marina into Oban town requires a trip on their water taxi. This worked quite well but only ran every hour; sometimes it was full so it was necessary to wait for the boat to make another round trip of 20 minutes. Fortunately, the sun has made a rare appearance and blessed us with its presence. While in Oban, we managed to find time to complete a tour of the Oban distillery. Not the best we have tried but Ann managed to find another of that group’s brands (Dalwhinnie) so we did not return empty handed.

That evening we dined in the marina’s restaurant and enjoyed some excellent seafood. My fish platter contained a wonderful array with virtually no space left on the plate for veg.

Oban Bound

Finally, the wind subsided a little but the black clouds remained. We therefore decided that it was time to leave and, after much boat shuffling, we squeezed into the sea lock and left the safe calm waters of the canal. There was a sailing race going on as we left the lock and this meant that, as powerboats, we had to give way to sail. However, it would have been a brave person that tried to cross the path of the heavy wooden sailing boats that were making maximum use of the remaining wind.

The journey to Oban Marina, which is actually on the Island of Kerrera opposite Oban, took us though some magnificent scenery. We firstly headed towards Jura and then turned to starboard (right) up Shuna Sound. When we reached Seil Island, we travelled through the narrow Cuan Sound channel and into the Firth of Lorn. We were then able to see the impressive coast of Mull as we again turned to starboard and headed up Kerrera Sound to the marina.

Crinan Basin

High winds and intermittent rain prevented us from heading to Oban today so we hope that the weather will improve tomorrow. We are now entering the Western Isles and telephone reception is notoriously patchy, so please do not expect daily updates to the blog.

Crinan Canal

Today we were very pleased that we had paid £50 for a pilot. His job is to assist you through the locks and he was well worth every penny. He and his young mate arrived at 0830 this morning and they had already set up the first three locks so that we were able to pass through them quite quickly. The two boats were an extremely close fit. They would only go into the locks if the boats overlapped and almost touched each other. Care when opening the sluice gates was then necessary to prevent any damage to the boats. The locks were very old and water often poured over the tops of the gates, which made for an interesting photograph.

By lunchtime, we had reached Crinan and we were able to moor together in the canal basin. In Crinan Harbour, they had a meeting of wooden boats – some of which were out racing when we arrived. In the evening, they all assembled and we were able to admire the high quality varnishing that must have taken many, many loving hours to complete. As part of their entertainment a whisky tasting had been arranged for the evening and I am sure you will not be surprised to learn that Ann and I were able to arrange to join in. This consisted of the chance to try four different Bruichladdich, Islay whiskies supplied free of charge by an excellent host who explained the history of this Victorian distillery how it was rescued in December 2000.

Tarbert and the Start of the Crinan Canal

The wind has at last dropped and we have been able to start our journey to the Western Isles of Scotland. We have been fortunate in being able to join Morrison and Margaret, who also have a Broom 38, for this journey. Their house overlooks the Clyde and they are very familiar with the area so we will be able to benefit from their many years of knowledge.

The first step was to head for the Crinan Canal, via Tarbert to refuel. The Crinan is a short cut between the Sound of Jura and Loch Fyne and saves coastal shipping a 100 mile journey around the sometimes dangerous long finger of the Kintyre Peninsular. The canal is 9 miles long and has 15 locks. Today we entered from Loch Fyne and reached Cairnbaan, where the two boats moored together. As you will see from the photograph, Ann managed to get back to her normally relaxed locking procedure very quickly.

Back to Scotland

The start of the second part of our Scottish cruise this year was unfortunately delayed by two days of high winds. We drove back to Inverkip on Monday and had planned to set off on Tuesday. However, two days of high winds and heavy rain meant that I had no excuse and had to tackle one of the indoor jobs: repairing the heads. For those of you not familiar with boating terms, the heads are the toilets. We had a leaking pipe and this turned out to be a split in the 4 metre long by 1.5 inch diameter plastic pipe. I appreciate that I have mixed metric and imperial dimensions here but that is how you have to buy it.

No photographs, but I can report that after a three hour struggle we now have a new pipe and normal operation has been resumed.