Report: The trip was rescheduled to fit with the weather forecast, a decision wonderfully rewarded. The location was almost random; we were heading for Loch Eck but Loch Fyne looked good and we were passing easy launching and parking. Memories of a grey and boring trip were ditched; Upper Loch Fyne is worth canoeing.
Our launch site was St Catherines where there is a jetty , unloading straight on to the beach and parking. From there we headed north east towards the top of the Loch, our target being the Loch Fyne Oyster Bar. Being unprepared we had no idea of the distance. The paddle was beautiful
Our first stop was on the beach in front of Ardkinglas House.
The house was built for the Noble family in 1907 and is regarded as a masterpiece of Edwardian architecture. The gardens are open daily and tours of the house are available on Fridays ( see http://www.ardkinglas.com/).
After an early lunch and some sunbathing we pushed on up the loch past a new style fish farm to the head of the loch. The farm is now a bio-secure land based operation; the lice ridden open cages are no more. At the head of the loch we decided a slog over the beach to the oyster bar was not worth it and turned east down the Argyll shore.
This is a classic small castle beautifully maintained with a number of superb bronze figures and animals around it.
After our second lunch we headed for Inverary for our ice cream. By now the tide was well out but we found an excellent landing spot on a gravel bank at the head of the pier. Sadly the temporary fencing at the foot of the pier to prevent public entry also prevented exit, so we had to descend on to the beach and then climb a broken ladder to get into the village. The Orkney Ice Cream was delicious.
Inverary from St Catherines
The final leg back over the loch was stunning and we arrived back at St Catherine’s just before 4pm having taken some 5hrs 30mins to cover the 25km with 3 stops.
Report: The journey to Colintraive featured a lot of damp as we passed through cloud en route at the Rest. At Colintraive the normal old jetty was blocked off to build a new large ferry car park so we headed on towards the church, eventually parking on a lay-by adjacent to the beach. Although gloomy the scene still had beauty
After passing through the Burnt Islands we rounded the point and travelled along Bute’s unknown north west coast
Our first stop was at a small beach almost opposite Kames/Tignabruich
Lunch over we then headed for Kames hoping to see an ice-cream sign but sadly none were viewed so we headed north again. A short on-water break in the natural harbour and then west to the marked fort on the most northerly of the islands. When we arrived at the islet we were met by a cacophony of gull cries and the sight of large furry chicks scuttling across the rocks. With no “fort” apparent we decided to leave the birds in peace and headed for a beach on the mainland. On the beach were some model houses in concrete and the statue of a small boy.
Just off the beach was a small cottage with two large heads made of wire and some tiles; it slowly dawned that we had stumbled upon the Caol Ruadh Sculpture Park (http://www.scottishsculpturepark.com/about.php) . Some of the exhibits were wonderful, others such as a pile of rocks and timber in the middle of the lawn, were problematic. The argument on the nature of art was encapsulated on a debate about a blue and white hammock just on the shore.
From the park we headed on down through the narrows back to our start. Despite the weather it had been a beautiful, calm, relaxing paddle, thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Report: John and Gordon had organised this first river trip for a number of months and conditions could hardly have been bettered. A lot of rain from the past couple of weeks meant a fast and exciting ride with John getting the less experienced used to the idea of “playing” in the river; diving behind rocks etc. The entry point at the meadows car park in Callendar is near perfect.
The first “white water” came almost immediately and continued with little respite down the whole river.
Despite numerous opportunities everybody coped extremely well. Stewart managed to fall in on exiting from behind a rock into the main stream but otherwise all of us survived if, on occasions a little wet as we crashed through.A video of Chris playing in the river can be found at https://youtu.be/09TuvB4HmIY
The Torrie Falls are the only significant rapids on the river. They are shot on the left of the river and, on this occasion were very bouncy.
The Deanston Weir, however, is a more serious proposition and the normal advice is not to run it. The weir runs diagonally across the river. To the left is an overflow channel that was a mass of dangerous water with concrete blocks to ensure death. To the right is a fish ladder, a series of concrete steps not canoeable. The main flow runs down a shallow concrete ramp and over a small drop, but at the bottom on the right becomes a dangerous hole. On the left there are two steps where a jam is a real possibility. If one can keep the line right down the middle then there should be no problems but keeping that line looked problematic when scraping down the concrete slope. Going sideways over the lip, though small, looked uncomfortable. After thorough observation and much discussion it was decided to portage; a long and not very comfortable trudge.
The Exit point is about a km further on just before the bridge in Doune. On the left after a steep climb from the river there is the car park.
The logistics of the trip worked perfectly and everybody returned home looking for the next trip. Meanwhile Colin has turned up a report of kayakers being airlifted off the weir (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-15148778), rather confirming our judgement.
Map: (click on map to enlarge, left click to copy/download)
Report: Another late arranged paddle the main points of interest were the use of FlatEarth sails on Pete’s and Geoff’s kayaks in fairly breezy weather and the rather dodgy landing and re-entry at at our half way lunch stop just north of Cove Bay Sailing Club
Pete clear of the surf
Sue clears the surfSails up heading for Kilreggan Pier
Weather: Quite dull at first but brightening to a glorious afternoon. Wind southerly F3
Route:
Report: We parked at the car park on the green just before Cove itself. It is not very easy to get down and launch but easy parking and loading/unloading compensates. The basic objective was to explore Holy Loch more closely than possible from Helensburgh. When we started it was dull and the breeze from the south made the Loch Long crossing feel long. Tied up at Blairmore was a large catamaran picking up two coachloads of tourists. We carried on round Strone point and up the Loch looking for somewhere good to land. Sadly, like Loch Long north it is not the most wonderful coast for kayakers. We then turned and headed for the marina at Sandbank. This proved a good choice; 3 small Cal-Mac ferries were anchored up plus a large timber carrier was loading. The marina itself was not particularly attractive but has an excellent recommended coffee shop just above the main slip.
After a prolonged break in the warm sun we pushed on past Hunter’s Quay and Kirn, lunching on a beach just north of Dunoon centre.
Lunch Stop
Another prolonged sun bathe followed. We then paddled straight back across the Loch/Firth junction, marvelling at the beauty all around us and the absolute peace than can come with sea kayaking.
We got back around 4pm having covered around 20km in a leisurely 6 hours. Another wonderful day.
Paddlers: Adele, Kerry, Steve T., Colin, Innes, Geoff and Hugh
Weather: Blustery and sunny but with occasional heavy showers of rain and hail.
Route:
Double click on maps or photos to enlarge.
Report: The wind report was not favourable so it was decided to head for the sheltered waters of Moidart. This remote and stunningly beautiful area is deservedly popular with sea kayakers, the club having been here in 2012 and 2014 http://www.helensburghcc.org.uk/wp/2012/07/05/moidart-and-ardnumurchan-july-2012/and http://www.helensburghcc.org.uk/wp/2014/09/22/moidart-september-2014/). The journey up was something of a nightmare with heavy summer Saturday traffic and the legacy (10 miles of stop/start) of a lorry crash on the A82 north of Tarbet. Launch sites are difficult and the original plan was to come in from Glenuig, but the wind acted as a deterrent so we headed for the car park opposite Castle Tioram.
One problem with the loch is the extensive sand areas as the tide falls and at the car park we faced a substantial walk over the sand to reach the water. Instead we drove up the river to unload and then put the cars back in the car park. After the major delays en route we eventually put in at just after 3pm.
On the River Shiel
It was necessary to follow the river bed through the sand flats until we could turn west towards the sea. We paddled on with the wind, stopping at a lovely beach just at the exit of the loch.
A short break and then on along the north coast of Shona to the North Channel. This section was surprisingly quiet, with little wind or swell.
The North Channel is an impressive cut between Shona and the mainland that dries at low water. We traveled in on the tide and the causeway was well covered. Rounding the south east corner we headed for our favourite campsite on an islet just off Shona.
After dinner the wind was getting up and there was the odd shower of rain. Kerry found an excellent location for a fire, Hugh erected a nylon tarpaulin as a communal shelter and a pleasant relaxing evening was had by all
There was heavy rain and wind in the night but all survived unscathed. With the frisky wind(F4 and gusting) it was decided to simply explore the loch and then head back.
It was now high tide so we headed for the memorial to the Seven Men of Moidart, prominently identified on the OS Map. We landed twice near the bottom end of the loch but both landings required a 0.5 km walk to a cairn. Unbeknownst to us we could clearly see the seven men (or at least two of them), a row of Beech trees planted to commemorate the seven men who landed in Moidart with Bonny Prince Charlie in 1745. Fuller information with photos is given at https://www.moidart.com/history-moidart/seven-men-of-moidart .
Because were worried about the loch drying we got back in the boats and retreated, landing at a small rocky beach marked as Port Bhata for our first lunch. Much to our surprise there was a number of ruined cottages, field walls etc in a location with apparently little natural resource.
From Port Bhata we headed for Castle Tioram, a spectacular island ruin at the end of a causeway that dries at low tide.
You can still get inside the castle through a small gate marked “extremely dangerous”. As noted in the latest condition report this rather exaggerates the dangers and it is worth entering to admire the various rooms and ante-chambers that still survive. Comprehensive information on design and history with lots of photos including aerial shots can be found at https://canmore.org.uk/site/22511/castle-tioram.
From the castle we paddled back to our launch site, reloaded the cars and headed back to the car park for our second lunch. The sunny, warm, windless beautiful location was complemented by a wonderful Sea Eagle sweeping and swirling around the castle. Sadly the power steering fluid in Hugh’s car decided to exit the vehicle for reasons currently unknown.
The journey back via the Corran ferry was fast and unhindered, although the weather across Rannoch Moor was as bad as anything I can remember, with lashing rain driven by storm force winds. Just a reminder of what we might have got into if we had not been prepared.
Was it worth the drive? Undoubtedly. Moidart is spectacularly beautiful even by west of Scotland standards. The camp site is close to perfect and the company was excellent. A great weekend.
Paddlers: Vonna, John, Colin, Steve, Mark, Geoff, Allan, Gordon
Weather: Dry, clear, light breeze from west.
Route: (included so that the paddlers know where they went!)
Report: There was a good turnout of club members most of whom had never had the pleasure of a night paddle. As expected from the forecasts, as Friday progressed the weather got much better; the wind dropped and the clouds disappeared. An almost perfect night except that it was moonless. The darkness made navigating in the complex of islands problematic as the “gaps” between them could not be identified. We left Luss around 20:45, when it was still light. By the time we got to the narrows little light was left and it disappeared completely as we headed west along the south coast of Inchmoan. At the south east corner a decision was needed and we decided to head across to the island in the distance, which we mistakenly believed was Inchcailloch and turned out to be Inchfad. The light breeze seemed to be growing and the temperature was, by now, dropping quickly so we decided to abort and head for the jetty and beach on Inchcruin. Although the navigation was nigh on perfect we nearly paddled straight past the beach; it was simply impossible to see any further than 5m (unless brightly lit).
Enhanced Photo with Duck Bay in distance
After an increasingly cold break we headed north west into the breeze, guided by the bright lights of The Lodge on the Loch. Apart from colliding with the odd pile of rocks/islet never noticed before, this final section was simply relaxing, dead quiet and, in its way beautiful, with the dark sky dominated by the bulk of Beinn Dubh. We arrived back at 23.45 having what had, all agreed, been a memorable paddle.
Report: This midweek paddle is included for completeness. Standard route from Craigendoran to Cove Sailing Club with prolonged stop at the coffee shop at Kilcreggan and on Camsail Beach for lunch. Lots of seals on Green Island and a fresh westerly throughout an excellent trip
Weather: Cold and windy and mostly overcast. Any sunny periods were matched by an equal number of rain showers
Route:
Report: The wind forecastwas a steady F4 from the west and because this had been the case for the last 7 days it was felt that the planned Oban-Dunstaffnage-Lismore trip would be untenable. The chosen alternative was Loch Venachar in the Trossachs; chosen not for any obvious merit but because it had not been done by any of the paddlers. Parking and Launching was excellent, right at the start of the Loch on the minor road from Callander.
From the launch point we paddled along the south of the loch grabbing any shelter from the strong and very cold continuous wind. Most interesting feature was a large new respite centre/hopsice for cancer patients at West Dullater.
One and a half hours in we had covered just 4km. We landed at the Invertrossachs Scout Centre for a nose around, drink and some nibbles. The centre has improved dramatically over the years and was rather impressive. From there we carried on to the head of the loch and made our way up Black Water hoping that we might get to Loch Acray. Sadly after less than 1km the open water simply disappeared into reed. Not wishing to wade through soft slimy mud we decided to retreat towards the cafe which we had been informed lay on the north side of the loch.
This downwind leg was fast and we quickly arrive at a small beach adjacent to the cafe. The food and drink is expensive but very good. Thoroughly recommended as a stop. Whilst we were in the warm (and windproof), the wind strengthened half a notch running at a low F5. In addition the sun came out so the final leg only took less than 30 mins for the 3km.
In summary the dominating memory was the wind with the outstanding feature of the Loch being the cafe. Worth doing if only for the excellent launch point.
Paddlers; Jeannette, Francis, Gordon, Colin & Hugh
Route:
Report: First overnight trip of the year and the marginal wind forced a change of venue from Loch Moidart to the secondary consideration of Loch Sunart. After a couple of hurdles in way of departure, not least a long abandoned lunch box containing some foul, greasy substance had mixed with leaked seawater and coated the entire day compartment on a Tempest with what appeared to be the contents of a soil pipe. Thanks to whoever left it for someone else to find! Anyway, we got away about an hour late but having already decided on the alternative plan based on the Saturday morning forecast, it did not impact on the day. We crossed to Morvern on the Corran ferry and headed to Resipole on the N side of Sunart where there is a good launch beach. The slip and road are private but we were allowed to use it and park in the caravan site for £2 per car – pretty fair. The forecast for Loch Sunart was 15mph (mean) gusting 26mph (max) from the NW hence the run down the loch to the SE was without fetch and relatively benign as intended. Two harbour porpoises were spotted en route. Rounding the Point of Dun Ghallain we headed for the N end of Carna but now exposed to the wind and a short chop on the water it was a strength sapping slog and when the wind went up a notch it was decided to turn SW for the E entry channel to Loch Teacuis where it was intended to camp at a known site in any case after rounding Carna. On the way in to the E narrows two otters were spotted with one venturing fairy close to a kayak in curiosity. For a wild campsite at Drochaid Charna is far from habitation with a clean fresh water stream and ample firewood (axe and saw recommended). Nearest life was on Carna where there is a group of fish farm/holiday cottages served by a small jetty and a boat. The sound of children’s voices drifted across the water to us in the early evening so could be estate run away from it all holiday accommodation.
The fire got going courtesy of Colin’s proprietary log but the cool breeze from the NW took the edge of absolute comfort and so a dram and chocolate, nuts etc had to compensate.
Sunday was scheduled to be a better day and so it was with Gordon seeing otters playing in the channel in the early morning. Leaving close to HW and after a quick look up Loch Teacuis we headed out the narrow channel W of Carna and through the passage into Loch na Droma Buidhe known as the Doirlinn, only open to kayaks at HW it is worth the effort and gives easy access to the island of Oronsay that forms the safe anchorage (for yachts) of the loch, giving quiet alternative to the night life of Tobermory.
Heading up the W side of Carna gave a scenic view of Ardnamurchan with the red sandstone ramparts of Glenborrodale Castle at the centre some 2k away. A quick stop on Carna for a shared snack of mini hot cross buns, cashew nuts, dates, pickled chillies and more chocolate (included for information Geoff) followed by a non-stop breeze assisted paddle up the S side of Sunart in pleasant sunshine and back to our starting point by early afternoon.
Total distance 17.33Nm (32k). Although classified as a training expedition due to mandatory equipment requirements, all participants demonstrated their value to an expedition and indeed the potential to lead a sea exped in due course should they wish to. Pics are courtesy of Gordon since my camera decided not to play.
