Scottish Sea Kayaking Photo Gallery

Sea kayaking in the Sound of Jura.

A 30.5Km paddle from Carsaig Bay across the Sound of Jura to Tarbert on the east coast of Jura and back, 23/05/04. Alternatively, there is a perfectly good pair of ferries!

We left Glasgow at 0600 and arrived at Carsaig Bay at 0830. We were on the water at 0920.

Conditions on the day:

23/05/04

Valid for 6 hours from 0600 GMT Sunday
Wind: SW, Force 3 or 4 ( 8 - 13 mph)
Weather Bright or sunny spells
Sea State Slight
Visibility 10 miles

Valid for 6 hours from 1200 GMT Sunday
Wind: WSW, Force 3 or 4 ( 10 - 16 mph)
Weather Bright or sunny spells
Sea State Slight
Visibility 10 miles

tide times (BST) at Oban were HW 08:56, LW 15:11, HW 20:26 (springs).

Tidal constants with respect to Oban:

Carsaig Bay: -0045 Oban.
Sound of Jura flood (N) +0545 Oban; ebb (S) -0015 Oban. Rate is 3-4 knots in the central region of the Sound between Skervuile and Ruadh Sgeir.

Forecast and tide tables:

BBC 5 day forecast Lochgilphead.
BBC 5 day forecast Oban.
BBC inshore waters forecast.
Online weather 4 day sailing forecast for Firth of Lorne.
BBC 6 day tide times Carsaig Bay. Note, there is another Carsaig Bay on Mull.
BBC 6 day tide times for Craighouse (Jura)
BBC 6 day tide times Oban. Please hit browser refresh button to ensure current date/times.
Times of Maritime Safety Information broadcasts by HM Coastguard on VHF. Initial announcement on Channel 16 advises which channel will be used for broadcast.
- MRSC Clyde: every 4 hours starting at 00:20
- MRSC Stornoway: every 4 hours starting at 01:10
BBC Radio Scotland (94 to 95 FM, 810 MW) Outdoors conditions forecasts are broadcast 18.58 Monday-Friday, 06.58 and 18.58 Saturday and 06.58 and 19.58 Sunday.
BBC Radio 4 Shipping forecast (LW: 198, FM: 92.4 to 95.8) 05:35 LW/FM (includes inshore forecast), 12:00 LW, 17:54 LW/FM, 00:48 LW/FM

Hazards:

Don't try to paddle against spring tides in the Sound of Jura. A Counter eddy flows off Carsaig Bay. Overfalls at the entrance of Carsaig Bay on both the flood and the ebb and off Eilean nan Coinean on the flood.

References:

The Yachtsman's Pilot Clyde to Colonsay, Martin Lawrence.
Scottish West Coast Pilot, Mark Brackenby.
Clyde Cruising Club Sailing Directions West Coast of Scotland.
Admiralty Tidal Stream Atlas, NP218.
Imray Chart C64.
OS Landranger Sheet 55 and for the rounding of Dana Sheet 62.

Common sense:

The information here is given in good faith and is believed to be correct but it is every sea user's responsibility to check original data sources and conditions on the day before deciding if their experience is sufficient for a safe voyage.

GPS track

09:24 Leaving Carsaig Bay, with the Paps of Jura in the background.

09:28

09:34 The channel inshore of Eilean Dubh, note that the tidal flow here is counter to the direction of flow out in the Sound.

09:42 Passing Eilean nan Coinean on our way out into the Sound.

09:42

09:43 Eilean nan Coinean

09:43

09:47 Mute Swans

10:02 Crossing the Sound of Jura towards the Paps of Jura, we were on an ebb tide and a SW wind about the top end of a force 4 got up. The wind against tide was quite choppy so there are no more photographs until the shelter of Jura. Nonetheless, we made the crossing before a 35 foot yacht which left Carsaig Bay at the same time as us under diesel power. They went straight across the Sound then followed the coast of Jura SW to Tarbert Bay.

11:23 Arriving at Tarbert Bay, Jura.

11:30 Tarbert Bay

11:52 Tarbert Bay

13:02 Standing Stone (megalith) at beside the road at Tarbert (NR606822). This is thought to date from the Bronze Age (2,500 to 600BC). The hills of Arran can be seen in the distance.

13:31We walked across the isthmus to West Loch Tarbert. There was a cold Force 5 westerly blowing but we found shelter behind rocks and lay in the warm sun for several hours in the wilderness waiting for the tide in the Sound of Jura to turn..

13:56 Red deer are everywhere on Jura. There was a golden eagle overhead as well.

No photos for a while we had a force 4 to 5 tailwind , following seas and a fair tide, we averaged 10.5Km/hr on the return but photography was not possible.

On the flood there are overfalls about 500m to the west of Leth Sgeir and Eilean nan Coinean. We got pushed into them and it really was rough. Random head high pyramids of water. The the race between Eilean nan Coinean and Eilean Dubh pushed us out and we had to paddle very hard to get between them. It was worth it though as we saw porpoises playing in waves along one of the eddy lines.