Bute

Sunny Bute

 We recently signed up for an SCA trip round Bute. We were all packed up, boats on the roof ready to leave at the crack of dawn the next morning when word came through that the trip was cancelled. The forecast was for wind, rain and more wind! That was a pity as the Forth was looking particularly stunning, sparkling in the sun, I was really looking forward to a trip like that.

Niall came round early on the Saturday morning and the 3 of us headed over to Wemyss Bay to catch the ferry across to Rothesay. We set off from Ardbeg point to cross the bay in lovely sheltered water, only to get a feel of what was to come as we came out of the bay. We paddled into the wind, before having a breather in Kerrycroy Bay.

Breather at a very uniform Kerrycroy

 Niall had decided before we set off that the distance we were travelling, we would be round the bottom point in a couple of hours - HA! he forgot we were in boats and not the car!  We cut across a very breezy Kilchatten Bay. Whilst we were having yet another breather, we noticed another paddler paddling hard. We hung around to see who it was. Ramsay was another SCA trip paddler who had decided still to have a paddle. He was about to turn back at this point ( he had already paddled across from Wemyss Bay) but joined us to carry on round the island.

Last photo til after the bumpy water!

 The sea was beginning to pick up even more by the time we were passing the lighthouse at Glencallum Bay. We were heading towards Stravanan Bay for lunch - a late one! However as we were passing Barr Point, I was obliterated by a massive wave - no exaggeration! Of course it hit me from the "wrong" side meaning I set up on the wrong side and having had a couple of attempts at a roll and possibly taking in enough water to warrant declaring low tide, my deck had come off and I was out. I knew Hubby dear was right beside me for a rescue, but I just couldn't keep the boat "on" me anymore. It was literally pulled off me. Thanks to Niall for supporting me as I bailed out an oceans worth of water! Later on, Hubby dear was trying to "help" me analyse what had happened. I was somewhat happy with the fact it was such an impressive wave that got me and not a dinky ripple. However, thinking of it, I realised that I had coped with the wave in my mind reasonably well ( ! ). I had a very long, very fast side surf and had I been paying attention to the wave and not the wall of rocks that I was zoomed towards at alarming speed, I would have realised I had survived the wave and fallen off the back of it. It still wasn't into a dinky ripple, the water was a bit mashed up there with clapotis. Oh well, I was needing a stretch of the legs and it was good rescue practise for Hubby dear! We eventually got our much needed lunch/tea/almost supper.

Don't believe this pic, the seas were heaving!!!

Arran in the background

 We then carried on up to Ettrick Bay where we camped for the night.
That night the wind still blew, the rain sill chucked it down however at about 6 in the morning all went quiet. The morning was a bit grey and misty, but thankfully no wind, no rain. Roddy McDowell from Kayak Bute came over to walk his dog, have a chat and offer us coffee when we passed his house on the other side.

Looking down the Kyles of Bute

Passing Loch Ruel

 By the time we were out of the bay, the mist lifted and it was like a different day. What a gentle, peaceful paddle we had up the Kyles of Bute, just a gentle breeze which gave Ramsay a chance to use his sail. We stopped for a sunny lunch on Burnt Islands.

Lunch on Burnt Islands

 Ramsay was going to get the ferry back, but decided just to paddle. We watched his sail get smaller until it was just a dot.
We decided against taking Roddy up on his kind offer. I think if we had stopped, we might still be sitting there! When we got back to the car, the elderly man from the house across the road came out to check we were OK. It seems he gets concerned about paddlers going out and not coming back. It's good to know folks still care. He also recommended a good ice cream shop without us even asking. I must have had that "I'm desperate for an ice cream" look about me.

Back round to Loch Striven

Paddling - the solution to all sorts of problems!

Glen Coe, don't know what I've done to the photo!

I recently had one of those weekends I dread, lots of paperwork to do for our club, another group I'm with, end of year tax "stuff" and a bit of a disaster of a house, well I do still have No3 son at home!

My solution to all those problems was - make a piece, fill a flask and go paddling - problem sorted!
Hubby dear and I set off early on the Saturday morning and met up with Ray and Eck under the Ballachulish bridge.

Looking down Loch Linnhe

 

 

 

 

Dare I say it was a lovely spring day. The last time I had paddled in this stretch of water was when I was sitting my 4* sea assessment in completely different conditions! They had even cancelled the ferries as the conditions were so bad, a bit big and bumpy, but what a great days paddling we had, even though we were being assessed.

I headed down the Loch Linnhe, glad to be away from all the stuff still sitting at home. Ray was full of cheer - and the snuffles, possibly man -'flu! As we paddled and nattered, he would recall previous paddling trips, telling us about one of the paddlers who he hadn't seen for a while and declared "He might be deid!" Cheery! Then onto another story about someone who was quite old when Ray declared "He might be deid too!"  Further down the Loch it was mentioned that we'd be passing a cemetery soon when Ray suggested if his cold didn't improve, we could just leave him there (we've got a bit of a theme running here!), however Hubby dear preferred the option of just dumping him on one of the sporadic wild fires which were still burning, less hassle!

We landed on Eilean Balnagowan for a noisy lunch along with lots of geese.

Snowy Ben Nevis

Rain clouds didn't catch up!

It was great just on a day trip, but feeling so far away from my "stuff." Looking in one direction at the snow capped mountains on Mull and a very white Ben Nevis in the other direction.

We headed back up the loch with a nice breeze helping us along giving some good wee surf waves. It wasn't long before we were back at Ballachulish, thankfully with Ray still intact!

Heading home

By the way, I have since got on top of most of my paper work!

Why porpoises are like buses.

We recently had our annual Easter egg hunt, I'm saying hunt, but as I bought the eggs, I didn't see why I should go searching them out as well!

The trip was originally well signed up for, but as usual folks started dropping out, as can happen. Then, although I had previously announced that "Spring has arrived!", it certainly didn't hang around for long resulting in more paddlers giving feeble excuses like - it's too cold! Can I point out we stay in Scotland, it's not that cold, maybe cool and a tad breezy at times!

Thank goodness for hats!

By now we were down to 3 for the trip. Me being one, Hubby dear being another and Niall (who must be willing to do anything for a Cadbury's creme egg). Just as we were wondering whether to cancel the trip and just sit somewhere cosy and dry - but still eat the eggs, Iain signed up. With his wee trip round Scotland planned, he was needing to get in some "training". He did realise it was only out from Aberdour, round Inchcolm and back, breaking himself in gently to his strict training regime.
By the time we left Aberdour, there were a few waves, round the corner they picked up a wee bit, when Hubby dear shouted "porpoise". As the saying goes, you can wait for ages on a bus, then three come along all at once, a bit like the porpoises out in the Forth. Years of paddling with no sightings, then 3 one week and another on this trip - brill! Hopefully that wasn't the last of them.
After reaching Inchcolm and scoffing our eggs, it was back to Silversands in the dusk. I was glad it's not completely dark as there was quite a drift and swell by now.

Lovely sunset colours

Back to the May at last!

Leaving Anstruther

After promising ourselves a trip back out to the Isle of May, we eventually made it. We met up with Young Trevor at Anstruther harbour, a busy wee place as a group from FSKC were also launching from there, heading round the coast a bit to Fifeness.

About half way there

Waiting for a higher tide?

We set off on yet another lovely day and didn't take too long to get to the island. After playing around in some of the caves, some being seal occupied, and cutting through areas that the low tide allowed, we arrived at the harbour only to find out that we weren't first there that day.

Fabby coloured seas

Long way up

Going through a cut

Lining up for target practise?

 A large group of kayaks were already there. As we cut through the surf and trying to figure out who it could be, all we heard was "It's Ken and Sarah!" (our Sunday names!). It was Dave and a group from Lothian Sea Kayak Club who had paddled over from "the other side"! - North Berwick. It was a busy place, with the tide being so low, there was a long humph with the boats - us coming in and them leaving.

Young Trevor, always smiling!

LSKC going back "to the other side"

Isle of May Lighthouse

Frothy seas

 We had a nice lazy lunch stop watching masses of rabbits, but no puffins yet.
There was quite a large swell coming from the east which we had to cut back through, but once out it was fine. We  were accompanied as usual by seals until about half way back.

All downhill?

Arriving back in Anstruther harbour, we could see the paddlers from FSKC had just returned in front of us, either that or they hadn't actually left the harbour!
A quick load of the boats, then it was across the road for some well deserved yummy icecream!
Great times!

RNLB Kingdom of Fife

Loch Rannoch and the Kayakey Kid!

Loch Rannoch

Well, it was that time of year again, Loch Rannoch time of year that is. I always consider our wee jaunt up to Loch Rannoch as a peaceful, lazy (if we want it to be)well chilled out week, one that we always look forward to - except this year Hubby dear suggested taking the Kayakey Kid for a few days - so much for chilled out peace!

Red deer

Our first day there, we went for a walk up the hill past Craiganour Lodge, hoping to get as far as the wee bridge, quite a step considering, the Kayakey Kid just has short legs. He kept himself going by serenading the Highland coos and playing on every tiny patch of snow he could find. Once at the bridge, we had our picnic whilst watching a herd of Red deer, however, the burn was much more fun, chucking stones in it.

Next day, we made our way along to Rannoch station to get the train up to Fort William. It must be the prettiest train journey I've been on, up over the moors and down past Loch Treig.  We had a walk along the waterside, where surprisingly the Kayakey Kid managed to rearrange the shoreline of Loch Linnhe.

Rearranging Loch Linnhe

On the Sunday, we had decided to go for a paddle.

Hubby dear and the Kayakey Kid

Solo paddling?

 We took the car down to the carpark next to the Rannoch power station where we launched the boats. I took the old Mystic whilst Hubby dear took my red boat,  with the Kayakey kid fitting in the front hatch - minus the hatch cover.  The water was beautifully calm. We headed out and past the crannog Eilean nam Faoileag to the other side, a bit of a paddle around before going back to the crannog for lunch - oh and to rearrange the island shoreline. In the afternoon, it was over to Pitlochry to meet up with No.2 son so he could collect the Kayakey Kid - peace at last!

Full moon over Loch Tummel

Don't get me wrong, it's great having our grandson around, I'm just not sure where little people get all their energy from, but the next day was a lazy recuperating day!

Chilly Dall burn

Tuesday was when we went for a walk round the Black Wood with our walking buddies. One of them was Tracey who we've met on previous holidays. She was telling us about her previous paddling trip, Canoeing down the Yukon. Her next planned trip, paddling along the Mexican coast. Was I a little jealous? not at all - I was enormously jealous!

Even the ducks found the paddling hard

Tracey had tried to hire a kayak on Loch Rannoch, but to no avail, so the next day the three of us headed back down to the carpark where Tracey took the Mystic, pogies and Hubby dear's yelly wellies (a first paddling in wellies!)  and I was back in my own boat. Hubby dear was off for a wander with his camera. Our plan was to head west along the Loch to Bridge of Gaur, paddle under the bridge and round where the barracks are, a really pretty area. Once on the loch, we soon had to change our plans. The water was even calmer if that was possible - and frozen! We made our way along the edge of the ice to the opposite side, had a bit of a paddle around, the back to the crannog and generally pottered around putting in a bit of time before heading over to Crosscraig where Hubby dear was meeting us with lunch.


Checking out the ice edge

Our UFO!

Because the day was so nice, after the pair of them had, had a stone chucking play, Tracey and I decided to paddle back home.
It was a fair paddle back, but the miles went by quite quickly as we discussed important things such as UFO's which turned out to be a big foil balloon, and our shared love of ice cream, chocolate, beer and which good whiskies would be at that evening's tasting session.

Our wee selection of rather fine whiskies