We left Glasgow at 5:53am on Saturday 14/02/034and dawn broke revealing thick low mist pouring over the shoulders of Ben Lomond. We arrived at Arduaine at 08:10 and were on the water an hour later. The best place to park is on the broad approach road to the pier. The campsite is now closed. There is no public toilet so it is a good idea to stop at Loch Gilphead (toilets are on the left just before the roundabout to the A816 Oban road). We finished paddling at 16:15.
Conditions on the day:
Forecast and tide tables:
Tidal constants with respect to Oban:
Hazards:
References:
Common sense:
GPS
track of route. Total distance was 27.8 km, paddling time 5hrs 27 minutes,
average speed 5.1 km/hr, max speed 10.3 km/hr.
09:15
Dawn breaks over Eilean Arsa and the distant Paps of Jura from Arduaine.
09:21Leaving
Arduaine.
09:30
A Campbeltown lobster boat heads north for Seil Sound.
09:34
Passing Eilean Gamhna at the mouth of Loch Melfort. Barnacle geese were
squabbling here.
09:41Kilchoan
Bay, Loch Melfort.
09:50
Looking south to Shuna.
10:21
Looking NW through the Cuan Sound. We cut through the narrows at the back of
Ardinamir Bay. Although the tide was predicted to turn at 10:16, it was already
ebbing strongly past Torsa Beag and a fierce paddle was required. Those who have
read An Island Odyssey by Hamish Haswell-Smith will know of a fearsome cat
called McElvie that haunted the precincts of Ardinamir Bay.
10:21
telephoto shot through the Cuan Sound showing standing waves forming 5 minutes
after the turn of the tide.
10:22
Looking back to the Narrow channel through to Ardinamir bay.
10:38
Fladda Lighthouse with Eiean Dubh Mor and Eilean Dubh Beag behind,
10:39
Lunga, Islay in the distance, Fladda Lighthouse, Eiean Dubh Mor, Belnahua
(Dutchman's Cap), and the Garvellachs behind.
10:57
NE to Seil and Easdale.
10:57
SSW to Scarba
10:57
Sound of Luing, Scarba and Lunga.
10:57
Lunga and the Dubh Sgeir light.
11:10
Scarba
11:24
Sound of Luing, we were making 10.5km/hr with little paddling effort.
11:32
N to Fladda with Mull behind.
11:32
N up the Sound of Luing with Mull in the distance.
11:49
Black Mill Bay. A swan guarded the boats while we were ashore.
12:13
Lunch.
12:17
Bottlenose dolphin. Three pods, each of about 12 to 15 adults and juveniles,
passed us going north up the sound against the tide.
12:17
12:18
12:22
I thought these were buzzards until they started a dive-bombing display typical
of immature golden eagles' winter/spring display.
12:36
Para Handy.
13:15
Looking out through the Grey Dogs passage between Scarba and Lunga
13:15
Grey Dogs.
13:43
North up the Sound of Luing to Mull.
13:44
A
sheltered inlet at the south end of Aird Luing. Heron, cormorants, shags,
curlews an oyster catchers were hereabouts.
14:04
The wooded shores of Shuna across Shuna Sound
14:11
North up Shuna Sound.
14:11Shuna
across Shuna sound..
14:19
Bottlenose dolphins. We heard them coming round Rubh Aird Luing. We stopped
paddling and drifted in the tide. We were lying about 200 metres off their track
but as soon as they saw us, all three pods came over for a closer look. We were
surrounded.
14:20
14:20
14:20
These two adults, each about about 650kg, came towards me at high speed (they
can travel at up to 30 km/hr). They barrel rolled just under the kayak and one
after the other, I saw its eye looking up at me then its pale belly then its
tail. The second just brushed the bottom of the kayak. Awesome.
14:21
15:05
Shuna
Shuna
lichen colonies, hundreds of years old.
15:27
Leaving Shuna to the pip pip pip of oystercatchers.
15:36
Crossing Loch Shuna.
15:53
Approaching Arduaine.
17:05
Sunset, looking down Loch Shuna to the distant Paps of Jura.
17:07
Sunset behind Scarba and Luing.
17:07
Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery Main Menu.
Scottish Mountain Photo Gallery Main Menu
Site editor: Douglas E Wilcox (D.E.Wilcox@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
)
Last edited 19/02/04
Created 18/02/04