Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo GalleryScottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery
We left Glasgow at 06:40am on Sunday 25/04/04. We arrived at Clachan Bridge at 09:10 and as the water was already ebbing southwards under the bridge we got ready in record time and were on the water by 09:40. We returned at 1605 and started the drive south at 16:50 and were back in Glasgow at 19:30. We launched from the car park of the Tigh-An-Truish Inn just over the Clachan Bridge
Conditions on the day:
GPS
track of route: 24.3Km, paddling time 4hrs 53minutes, average speed 5.0km/hr,
maximum speed 14.4 km/hr. We launched from the car park of the Tigh-An-Truish
Inn just over the Clachan Bridge and enjoyed a drink there on the return.
09:36
Clachan Sound, although it was not yet high water, the ebb had already started to
run strongly under Clachan Bridge. Paddling strongly against the current we made
our way slowly under the bridge but the current soon eased further up the Sound.
09:51At
the north end of Seil, Puilladobhrain, the pool of the otters, is a popular
anchorage. It is supposed to be one off the most beautiful on the west coast but
I suspect its popularity lies more with the length of the short walk over the
isthmus to the Tigh-An-Truish
Inn.
09:59
Leaving Puilladobhrain between Eilean nam Beathach and Eilean nam Freumha we
headed straight into the teeth of a gusty southwesterly on our way to Ardencaple.
I had first sat in a kayak here in 1967 at a really superb Scout camp.
Everything seemed smaller!
10:14
Looking north east to Kerrera from the Skerries of Ardencaple.
10:21Entering
the Firth of Lorne round Rubha Garbh Airde.
10:33
Heading south west down the Sound of Insh with the island of Insh offshore. The
water conditions became quite awkward as the ebb tide was running into a force 3
to 4 wind from the SW and there was the remains of a big swell from a previous
wind. Add to this clapotis from the cliffs and sad to say, there are no photos
of a geologically most interesting coastline until....
10:53
The Bishop of Lorne (NM745179), shaped like a bishop's hat, is a great basalt dyke that has
intruded through the slate.
10:54
The Bishop of Lorne
11:03
Rounding Rubha Mhic Mharcuis into the more sheltered waters of Easdale Sound.
The village of Ellenabeich nestles below Dun Mor.
11:12
Easdale Sound with Insh and Dun Mor behind.
11:39 Cuan Sound. The ebb
started at 07:59 so we went through 3 hours and 40 minutes after the start.
After some overfalls at the north end, we enjoyed a fast transit at 14.4 km/hr.
11:52 Grey seal on
Sgeirr a' Bhodaich (the old man's rock), Torsa Beag and Luing in the background.
11:52 Entering the narrow
channel between Torsa Beag and Luing which leads through to Ardinamir Bay. It
was like a river, 2 hrs 8 mins after HW Oban and 3hrs 50minutes after the start
of the ebb in Cuan sound.
12:02 Entering Ardinamir
Bay. 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.
12:07 Highland cattle on the
south end of Torsa. Lapwings were flying overhead.
12:08 Heron on Torsa.
12:20
Lunch stop on Bagh Lachlainn, Luing, looking west into Loch Melfort.
12:22 On Luing.
13:33
Luing, looking north north east, past Torsa to the Sound of seil.
13:34
Luing looking west to Loch Melfort.
13:56
Crossing the Sound of Seil to Dun Crutagain.
14:00
Fair speed up the Sound of Seil with a following wind and swell.
14:12
Luing and Scarba.
14:36
The wooded SE corner of Seil with Dun Mor and the hills of Mull behind.
14:46
Black guillemots.
14:56
Cormorants.
14:58
Approaching Ardmaddy.
15:10
Looking SW down Seil Sound over Luing to Cruach Scarba.
15:53
Clachan Bridge.
15:59
Clachan ducks (mallard).
Forecast and tide tables:
Tidal constants with respect to Oban:
Hazards:
References:
Common sense:
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Site editor: Douglas E Wilcox (D.E.Wilcox@clinmed.gla.ac.uk
)
Last edited 31/03/06
Created 18/07/04