Nichola / overcast yesterday, sunny today
07/02/2011, Loch Scavaig, Skye to Loch Harport, Skye: 24nm travelled

Looking down to Loch Harport, Emerald is a speck in the middle of the picture with the Cuillins to the right.

Yesterday we left Loch Scavaig just before 5pm, much more confident of our exit route than we'd been on the way in. The wind had dropped and a low, flat cloud had settled in. We motored out past some seals with their pups and out past Soay Island. The sea was almost completely flat, just a small swell disturbing the surface.

With no wind we had to motor along past the tall, dramatic cliffs on the west of Skye that were pretty much straight up and down, in places it looked like someone had dripped tar down their surface.

I'd just gone below to cook tea when the swell built and we were rolly-rolly. We'd come out from behind the shelter of Rhum and Canna and was meeting the Atlantic swell once again. Turning into Loch Bracadale we were able to surf with the following swell and turning again into Loch Harport the swell disappeared.

We tried anchoring to the north of the Talisker distillery, but there were small boat moorings there (not in the guide book) and it was quite deep still close into shore. So we upped anchor and moved to the south of the distillery. The thick black mud that came up with the anchor is now decorating the deck of the boat.

This morning we got up and rowed across to the little shop in Carbost to stock up on a few things. It was pretty well stocked with a good selection of fresh veg and plenty of Saturday newspapers (the shop is for sale if anyone fancies a change of career). At this point we were still planning on heading to the Outer Hebrides today so rushed in to the distillery to taste and buy some Talisker. At which point we decided to stop rushing around and spend the day here instead as it was forecast to be light winds anyway - maybe it was the drop of whisky in our blood slowing us down.

The day was warm and sunny so off we went for a walk. As we passed through Carbost we noticed lots of scarecrows in various guises - Dr Who by the doctor's surgery, a kayaker, Bob Marley, Davy Jones and loads more. My favourite was these 2 campers where they'd even gone to the trouble of building a pretend fire and complete with a packet of jammy dodgers - and they're wearing midge head nets! They are all part of a festival called Tattie Bogal.

We walked for about 3 miles along the road to Loch Brittle, to get a closer up view of the Cuillins; having got to a point where the trees started to block the view we turned back. As we stepped in for a car to pass, the driver stopped and offered us a lift. We gratefully took it as a 3 mile trudge back along the road didn't appeal and meant we now had time to visit the pub!

I've just got back from another scarecrow spotting mission and found 5 more - they go on for miles more along the road. We watched a beautiful sunset that made the Cuillins glow pink. Let's hope its shepherds delight for tomorrow's sail to Loch Skipport on South Uist.

2011: Around the UK

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skip, no wind
07/01/2011, Inverie to Loch Scavaig; 24nm travelled

Hi all, well as Doctor John would say, what a night! Party at the Old Forge in Inverie, we splashed out on a meal out, with local venison, and seafood, it was fabulous! Then we nursed a few beers until the band, led by Theo Bard (google him), tuned up, and got the place grooving. The pub was jam packed and a lot of the locals appeared with fiddles, bodhrans, a beat box! and whistles and proceeded to sit in with the band. A proper jam session which was great. Having had a few more beers, we retired to Mark's cockpit on Little Orca via Emerald for a bottle of Speyside malt (Glen Moray) from the whisky locker. This was polished off with great aplomb, though perhpas that was the reason that the crew of Emerald were rather tardy on leaving next morning.


By the time we left little Orca it was starting to get light again and the pub appeared to be still jumpin!

We had planned a long day (isn't that always the way) and headed out of Loch Nevis to round the point of Sleat at the bottom of Skye, the wind filled in a little so we got the sails out (slowly!) and drifted towards the craggy peaks of the Cullin Range. There is a little anchorage right in the head of the Loch and we managed to squeeze our way in, and get the hook to set, in the gusty conditions. It wasn't windy but williwaws roll off the cliffs and can make it rather too exciting, especially after too much whisky the night before. We had intended to stop there for lunch, but we were four hours late (well it was a good party). Therefore we got the dinghy in and Nichola rowed ashore for a quick look around.
We didn't want to stay the night in such an exposed place, so got under way again at 5pm to head off round the west coast of Skye with their high black imposing cliffs, a beautiful but remote part of the world heading towards Loch Harport and the Tallisker Distillery.....don't mention more whisky!

Slainte
skip
PS photo is of Emerald dwarfed by the small ridge of the Cullins at Loch Scavaig.

2011: Around the UK

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Nichola / Fair
06/30/2011, Arisaig to Inverie, Loch Nevis: 16nm travelled

It was a choice between an early start or a late start for leaving Arisaig to allow for enough water in the entrance channel. Given we'd had 3 pints of homemade cider each the night before the late start was preferrable - although when we did wake there was no hangover :-)

So a morning of filling up with water, a bit of tidying the boat and some admin and by 3pm we were ready for off. A big rain cloud was looming in the distance so we pushed it to get out of the narrow channel before any gusts arrived.

The rain missed us and we went for a genny sail with the wind off the back quarter setting rolling us along in the swell. We managed to sail to within a mile of the moorings at Inverie, bimbling along at about 4kt which was very pleasant, especially when the sun came out.

There was much confusion about which of the moorings at Inverie belonged to the Old Forge Inn - one guide said they were marked with the pub name, one said they all had red pickups, but there was a complete mishmash of different mooring buoy shapes and colours when we arrived. There were quite a few boats in so we didn't have much choice and went for one that wasn't marked but had a red pickup. Nobody has moved us on so far....

The Old Forge is the remotest pub in mainland Britain - the only way to get here is either by boat or by walking in over a couple of Munroes. We launched the dinghy and rowed ashore to check out the bar and book in for a meal tonight for a treat. There's a band on tonight too so it looks like I'm going to get to finally hear some live local music.

2011: Around the UK

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