Easy Easdale? I don't think so!

Rainbow over Mull

 We set off with a mad dash up the road in order to get to the Oyster Bar in Ellenabeich before we were too late for supper. Andy, Alan and Moira were already there, with Alice and Ansgar arriving just behind us.

Setting off for our night paddle!

Good food and a great natter was the start to the weekend, it was now time for our night time, open crossing all the way over to Easedale. We set off in the pitch dark and headed for a light ( thought it was possibly the light from the pub drawing us in), a bit closer to the island and after Alice had managed to bump into the only thing between the 2 patches of land, a big buoy, we found out the light was Alan blinding us with a big torch.

Safely ashore, we set off for Andy's to stay the night.

 

 

Hubby dear collecting juicy Brambles

Next morning the weather was mingin', it was blowing a hooley!

We opted for a wee walk up the hill on Easdale to have a better look. As we looked at all the whitehorses, it was decided if we could get over to Cuan Sound, we'd then get a bit of shelter. After a bit more humming and hawing, the sudden gust that nearly blew us off the top of the hill decided for us, that another cup of coffee was needed before we made any rash decisions like going out paddling!

Back down at Andy's, after watching a yacht struggle to get from Easdale down to Cuan, we thought we could do a shuttle down to Cuan and launch from there. Decision made, we set about loading the boats to get back over to the other side to where the cars were. Once in our boats, we reckoned we were just as well keeking round the corner to see how it was. It had calmed down a bit, so we decided just to head down and through Cuan Sound. The waves were fairly big, but really more swell than breakers.

 

Ansgar catching a lift in Andy's back hatch!

 

We stopped for a bite of lunch in the shelter of Ardinamir Bay before we headed down between Luing and Shuna. Another quick stop before battling into the wind again and across to Scarba, where yet another wee stretch of the legs was required.

Down by Luing

Crossing to Scarba

Sssstrettttccchhhhh!!!!

Next we headed north and past the opening of the Grey Dogs, not somewhere to get sucked into, it was boiling mad! We carried on up the side of Lunga and on towards Belnahua with it's crazy currents. Just as we were a few meters from landing, I realised I was paddling like blazes and still going backwards! I wasn't quite sure where I would end up or whether I would just paddle right round the island and come in from the other side, somehow I don't think it would be that easy. A last minute burst of energy gave me the oomph to cross the current and safely land.

Grey Dogs from a distance

Heading to Belnahua

Once there, tents up, we went off for a wee chat with the owners of the island who were busy working on one of the houses. They were quite happy with us taking bushes from the pile they had accumulated for our fire, really friendly folks. At least the breeze was keeping the midges at bay!

Next morning, Alan and Moira decided to head back home whilst the rest of us set off for the Garvellachs. We paddled down the outside of the chain as we hadn't managed the year before due to bumpy waters.

Hubby dear with a Mull behind

2 posers!

Bubble baths

The way through

Ansgar on the other side

Me, made it!

We cut through the rocks at the bottom of the chain, where the water was fairly lumpy once again. We rounded the corner and were back in the shelter of the bay below the monastery.

After lunch, we set back off with a gentle swell pushing us back towards the Grey Dogs, but not before we spotted a couple of dolphins. Thankfully the Grey Dogs were in a better mood today, more like little puppies!

Approaching the Grey Dogs again

Once again we headed back up the side of Lunga, deciding to have a wee visit to Fladda.

 When we arrived, there was another small group of kayakers there. We had a wee wander around and met and had a nice chat with a young gentleman, who, it seems was staying on the island doing a bit of work. We were enjoying a seat in the sunshine and another blether, when the gentleman's brother appeared (not the owner of the island), asking us quite brusquely to leave the island. There were no signs to say anywhere was private, we hadn't even realise anyone actually stayed on the island until we spoke to the first brother. We explained we were just having a rest before heading on and wouldn't be long. Off he went to tell the other group to move, coming back to us to ask why we were still there!

Belnahua

 We were only a few hundred meters from where we had started out that morning. On Belnahua, the reception was completely different, very friendly and chatty, unlike the nasty, unreasonable bloke on Fladda!

Heading back to Easdale

A fairly speedy paddle / surf back up to Easdale finished off yet another excellent weekends paddling, with as usual, great company and a great laugh as well!

A huge thanks to Andy once again.

Easdale - I think!

It was on our St Kilda trip that Mike was telling us about the SCA trip out to the Garvellachs and Grey dogs. It's an area we've never been to before so it was a great opportunity to have an organised paddle there.
After a few emails, we decided to travel up to Easdale on the Friday evening so we could have dinner in the Puffin Bar with some of the other paddlers on the trip.
It can sometimes be a bit daunting going for a paddle with folk you've never met in an area that is new, but I was still looking forward to it. As we travelled up past the Green Welly and headed over to Oban, the weather wasn't exactly great. By the time we had driven over the Clachan Bridge, it was like pea soup. We arrived in the village of Easdale, found the harbour and unloaded the boats. We were to paddle over to the island of Easdale, except we weren't sure where it was! The fog was that thick. As we were packing the boats, there was a slight gap in the fog, long enough for us to see a couple of kayaks sitting beside the pier on what we presumed was Easdale. That crossing must have been our shortest paddle ever.

A Fair Puggled Skinny Blonde

Easter Island?

Meeting everyone

We found the Puffin Bar where we met Andy and some of the other paddlers. Deciding on what to drink wasn't hard. I've always wanted to be a bit slimmer, so Skinny Blonde beer seemed the right choice. It was rather good, so a second bottle ensued, hence the reason (or 1 of them!) as to why I'm not a Skinny blonde. The beer mat was probably more appropriate for me - Fair Puggled!
Next morning, we did the massive crossing back over to Seil to meet up with the rest of the group, before heading off south. The views were terrific, slightly further than the end of our boats.

Fladda Lighthouse

 We eventually made out the misty shape of the lighthouse on Fladda. The fog was beginning to lift slightly. We made our way down the side of Lunga before stopping for a bite of lunch in the large bay near the bottom.

Lorna, Clair and myself

I have no idea where we are!

Lunch No.1

There's that lovely hill

 We had a wee keek at the Grey Dogs before rounding Scarba with Christabel promising me there is a lovely hill on the island - somewhere. Just round the corner we spotted the first of our Porpoises. Then a Golden Eagle, then some Red Deer. Our next area to paddle through was the Corryvrecken.

Alan and Ansgar

Turning into the Gulf

Hubby dear going with the flow

 Never having been here before, only having heard of the whirlpool and Andy and Alan's stories from the evening before, I was a bit apprehensive as to what to expect. The speed we came through the Corryvreckan was quite amazing with very little paddling. Although we were going through on a nice slow tide, it was easy to imagine how a slight change in weather could result in completely different conditions. Getting stuck in whirlypools isn't always my idea of fun, I have enough practise on our Friday evening paddles up at Stanley! This was where we saw the Sea eagles and more porpoises.

Ansgar at the start of the Grey Dogs

Hubby dear looking for a wave to play on

After another lunch, we were now making our way up the side of Scarba back towards the Grey Dogs. I'd had great fun the week before playing in Kylerhea and was quite looking forward to this area, however we all just seemed to zoom through this bit. The playing part of me is possibly also the river paddler part of me. We carried on back up the west side of Lunga being able to see it now that the fog had cleared.

Belnahua drying rack

Belnahua quarry

 We were making our way up to Belnahua for the night. It's a bit ironic that what is left of the  houses on the islands that roofed the world are all roofless shells. It was quite nice when a bit of a breeze picked up as it cleared the midges, however over night the breeze really picked up. Next morning instead of making our way over to the Garvellachs which was the original plan, we broke camp and headed back to Easdale. The forecast was for fairly strong winds and it was already picking up the seas a bit.

Heading back to Easdale

Easdale with Mull beyond

This earlier finish meant we could pop into Oban for an icecream - a double one. This time it was white chocolate and Ferrero Roche. It should be fairly non fattening as I ate it quite quickly, almost as quick as I was at buying a second hand plastic seaboat from Stuart at Oban seakayaks. I'm hoping to use it for rock hopping and practising rough landings which I tend to shy away from in case I bash my good boat.
Thanks to Andy for organising my thoroughly enjoyable first SCA trip with a great bunch of fellow paddlers, I'd love to come back to this area again especially for a wee play in the Grey Dogs. I'm looking forward to seeing what's on the next SCA calendar.