We left our home in Hordle on Saturday 1 April after a hectic week of, trips to London, seeing friends and family, settling mum into her new home and putting her apartment on the market, packing up the house for our summer guests and ensuring that all the necessaries for our next 6 month adventure would fit into our trusty Qashqai.
We arrived in Ardfern, Whimbrel’s winter berth to find her a little desolate – no sails, no ropes, no sprayhood or boom or stackpack. However, within a couple of days she began to look like a sailing yacht again and all the beautifully cleaned sails and ropes were reattached and tested. This took about 10 days and in the meantime poor Nick encountered a series of technical hitches. His computer just stopped working, his 4G connection did not connect and even the drone had a tetchy moment. Of course being the Easter weekend everything took a little longer to sort out, so with the early spring sunshine we made the most of the beautiful countryside and walked miles. Along the Craignish peninsula we spotted otters and an osprey and on a venture slightly further afield we followed the beaver trail at the Argyll Beaver Centre at Knapdale, where beavers had been released to the wild 19 years ago. There is now a thriving lodge of beavers at the west end of the loch although they needed a bit of genetic assistance as the original pair could still reproduce but the offspring were reluctant to help! The nineteen years of scientifically collected data will help with rewilding further areas where beavers are welcome.
Whimbrel on the remotely operated crane for a quick scrub off
Island Macaskin from the mainland
Hello - Im enjoying the spring sunshine
Are you still watching me?
Looking north towards Ardfern
Abundant lichen
Spring moss
Definitely a beaver chew stop
Beaver Lodge
And another
A rather damp Nick watching the beavers
Ardfern
Trips to Oban and Lochgilphead to complete the provisioning (well for a week or 2) saw us leave Ardfern to catch the slack at the Dorus Mor on Thursday 13 April before heading up the Sound of Luing to Puilladobhrain to anchor for our first night. It was a chilly trip with snow on the surrounding hills but the sun glinted off the hills and made the water dance and sparkle. It was so good to be on the move again.
Leaving Puilladobhrain the next morning, in the rain, we set sail for the Sound of Mull and into Loch Aline. Anchoring at the head of the Loch, we had some stunning views of the sun setting behind Mull and as Nick bravely flew his drone (now behaving itself) from the stern of Whimbrel we were touched by the golden light settling over the black waters of the loch. Studying the weather forecast that evening gave us an opportunity to rethink our original plan of pootling around Mull and back into Ardfern to collect Nick’s errant computer. The winds were due from the East, the sun was promised for at least the next few days and although cold we could not resist the temptation of completely changing our plans and tackling the Caledonian Canal out of season, heading to the Orkney Isles from the east and revisiting the Outer Hebrides before maybe heading South again.
Fladda Lighthouse
Wet start in Puilladhobrain
Castle Duart
a golden moment captured by the drone
Chilly start to Loch Linnhe
Perhaps I should be skiing?
0630 saw us leave the frosty shores of Loch Aline and head into Loch Linnhe. It was a beautiful flat calm day, not a ripple on the water and the sun shone from a blue sky. We motored up the loch and headed through the Corrin Narrows on a sideways shuffle at an impressive 8 kts. Arriving at Fort William we used the newly laid Community pontoons for a couple of nights stay before heading up to Corpach and entering the Canal. Our stay in Fort William allowed us to sample the delicious Black Isles beers and the best fresh pizzas I’ve ever tasted outside of Naples. It was a great pub, all locally sourced ingredients, organic fairtrade wine and 19 beers from the Black Isles brewery – we didn’t sample them all! Having walked the Cow trail earlier in the day around the hill that obscures Ben Nevis from Fort William we felt we had earned our pizza. Although, as this is the end point for those walking the West Highland Way, we were not as foot weary as many in this adventure capital of the Highlands.
The Caledonian Canal
So we entered the Canal at Corpach sealock on 17 April – it was the day before Princess Anne opened the new marina at Corpach named after Thomas Telford, the architect and inspiration for the Caledonian Canal. Built over 200 years ago it is an amazing feat of engineering. Utilising the Geological fault of the Great Glen that runs NE/SW through the heart of Scotland, it links the 3 lochs of Loch Lochy, Loch Oich and Loch Ness. Loch Oich is the summit of the canal reaching a height of 32mtrs above sea level. It also supplies 43 million gallons of fresh water daily to keep the canal and locks in constant use. The canal is 60 miles long of which 22 miles are manmade. There are 29 locks and 10 swing bridges on the route through this stunning countryside. The main road bridges at Banavie, Fort Augustus, Tomnachurich and Muirtown cross the main arterial road routes so opening times fit with the daily rush hours and of course are closed for lunch! So a fair bit of planning was required to ensure we motored through the canal within our 7 day licence fee allowance.
Places we stopped:
17 April Corpach Loch
18 April completed Corpach double loch in the morning and then Neptune Staircase in the afternoon – a magnificent set of 8 locks that were initially built with hand operated lock gates but now thankfully have electrically operated gates. We motored up past Gairlochy double set of locks and moored on their pontoons overnight. There was warm sunshine and chatty, friendly lock keepers all day and an excellent laundry! Nicks shorts got an airing – the first time in 2 years – for just 10 minutes!
19 April we left around 1300 just as the breeze was turning chilly and motored up Loch Lochy, through the Laggan Lochs and swingbridge into Loch Oich. Stayed overnight at Ardrishaig a little spit of land with some rickety pontoons as the Aberchalder bridge was broken.
20 April – Nick breakfasted like a King from a little takeaway hut called the Well of 7 Heads. A Scottish bap with egg, lorne sausage, bacon, black pudding and haggis. He was mighty happy. The bridge remained broken until late afternoon when we were called through and a pleasant motor along the riverside brought us to Kytra locks for the night.
Although spring was just beginning to show its face, the hills around us were still snow-capped and the biting easterly winds kept us hidden behind our sprayhood.
21 April – we overnighted at Fort Augustus as Nick had ordered new ships batteries from a dealer in the Midlands who assured us they could deliver them. The whole canal knew we were awaiting these batteries and sure enough when we arrived in Fort Augustus they were not there. However the next morning they arrived as promised and we spent some of the day fitting them and as they worked beautifully felt entitled to sup some of the local beer at one of the many hostelries there.
22 April saw us leave Fort Augustus at 0830 and step down the 5 locks into Loch Ness. We were hoping to sail in the loch but the wind was on our nose the whole way. Dark and lowering skies, a cold Easterly breeze of 20kts and a wind chill air temp of 2 degrees played a major part in us wearing 4 layers of fleeces, padded warm trousers, ski gloves and hats and of course our trusty foulies. That was a long cold, miserable motor but we eventually made it to Dochgarroch lock and once through tied up for a very welcoming and warming rum and early supper.
23/24/25 April After spending 3 nights at Seaport Marina we exited the canal and headed into the Inverness Marina to await tide and weather to continue our sailing journey East and North. It was a super experience and I am so in awe of the engineers, miners and diggers who created this waterway through the highlands of Scotland.
Neptune's staircase looking North
Looking South West to Fort William
Lowest step for Neptune's Staircase
Anochmoor ski area - perhaps another day!
Ben Nevis
Looking north up Loch Lochy
Shorts n Tshirt????
Peacock butterfly
Kytra Lock
Clachnaharry Sea Lock - the last on the Canal
29 April – we left Inverness and motorsailed to Lossiemouth – a lovely old-fashioned harbour on the south coast of the Moray Firth. On arrival we were buzzed by the RAF flying our latest version of the long range maritime patrol craft – the Poseidon MRA1. It was an impressive-looking aircraft. It’s a tricky entrance to the harbour from the East and we were thankful for all the marker buoys showing the treacherous low-lying Halliman skerries off the coast. There had been a violent storm in 1826 resulting in the loss of 16 open topped fishing vessels and their crew - all members from nearly every family in Lossiemouth itself. This led to the Covesea lighthouse being built by 1846, ensuring a much safer passage to all vessels transiting these somewhat difficult waters.
The harbour staff were so pleasant and helpful and provided the cleanest and warmest showers and loos we have visited! On Monday we took a long walk East from Lossiemouth along the stunning coastal path passing beautiful white sandy beaches and looking in awe at the stacks and cliff geology.
Back on board, we started planning our next move across the Moray Firth skirting the largest and deepest set wind farm in the UK, to reach Wick – our last port of call before heading round the notorious Duncansby Head to Orkney. Light drizzle and little wind escorted us out of Lossiemouth and we motorsailed most of the way across to Wick on a northerly heading. A big swell greeted us on the last couple of miles into Wick and we saw many folk lining the cliffs and staring out to sea. Sure they were not there to greet us, and concentrating on keeping Whimbrel on course we found out later that a pod of Orcas had passed the entrance to Wick just minutes before our arrival…..and we didn’t even see them.
However, the obliging harbour staff let us know that they were en route again about 3pm the next day and sure enough we were lucky to see their passage from East to West out of the Firth swimming slowly as they had fed on their way in! What a treat. We spent 3 nights in Wick and a weather and tide window opened up for us to sail north on 3 May. Constantly complaining about the bitterly cold winds and low temperatures it was a bit of a wonder we decided to continue north but we just could not pass up the opportunity to visit Orkney and experience for ourselves the wonders these islands hold.
Stacks in the Old Sandstone on the Moray Firth
Caves
Waiting for the Orcas
Why did you build your castle there?
And finally, a fair way out but unmistakeable
