Rataganadingdan

Low tide

Half way there!

Back at the beginning of September, a group from FSKC met up at Ratagan youth hostel. 

It was great to meet some new faces and also to get out with folks I've paddled before with. A first time back in a youth hostel since I was a youth (quite some time ago now!), Hubby dear's first time altogether. 

 

Coral beach lunch spot

On Saturday we had a lovely paddle, putting in at Plockton, and then coming under the Skye bridge before a long paddle back to Dornie via Eilean Donan. We stopped on our way to pick a large bag of the biggest mussels I've seen, which meant we then had to stop off and buy wine to cook them in, which then meant we had to drink what  wine we didn't use for cooking. They were the best, biggest, juiciest mussels I've ever had, delicious!

Our afternoon paddle

Tea and cake!

Heading for a pot of gold

Eilean Donan castle

Sunday saw various groups go their merry ways. David and Lorna went to clamber up some Forking (?) ridge, Fran and Jonathon had a leisurely (!!!) pedal up the hill behind the hostel, over the ferry at Glenelg before cycling via the Skye bridge back to the hostel

 

. More went down to Sandaig, either walking or paddling.

Hubby dear thinks he can stop the flow!

 

 

 

Hubby dear, David M, Jeff and I went for a play down at Kylerhea.

 We started off ferrygliding back and forth with quite a blustery wind, then down round the corner for elevenses where we saw evidence of a very recent otter visit. Back on the water, we spotted the tail end of the otter just as it dived down. By the time we crossed back over to the other side, it was lunchtime.

This is the moment I spotted an ENORMOUS red Lions Main jellyfish swooshing through the flow

A selfie taken on the wave!

We stopped for a while as the tide had changed direction and we were waiting for it to pick up to its 6 knot flow. This gave us a chance to practice edging and cutting in and out of the flow. We then popped over to the other side to try it over there, otherwise, we’d only be good on one side resulting in us paddling forever more in continuous circles! Then back again to watch the wave develop.

 

 

After playing for ages on the wave, exhausted, we decided to call it a day. All great fun.

A truly wonderful weekend.

Grabbing a coffee in what must be the smallest coffee shop around!