Paddlers: Gordon, Stuart and Norrie
Winds: F3-4 SW to NW
Total Distance 36km
Neap tides and relatively low winds made trip round Gigha look attractive. Fairly late start on Saturday from the beach just South of the ferry terminal at Tayinloan. Plenty of parking (although this is apparently not always the case) and easy access for launching.
Saturdays paddle took us across the sound of Gigha to Eilean Liath and then South with the last of the ebb tide inside Gigalum Island and to the West of Cara Island for a late lunch stop. Here we were meant to ask permission to land from the island’s ghosts. However, they appeared to have smiled on us anyway as when Gordon got back into his boat he realised that he had paddled from Tayinloan with his car keys on his deck!
We went round the Mull of Cara and into the more exposed West side of Cara and headed North to Cuddyport beach where we set up camp for night in a delightful spot after just over 15km of paddling. Gordon’s son was first mate on Provident, a Brixham Trawler celebrating its 100th anniversary and en route from Dublin to Oban. As luck would have it, they were anchored in Ardminish Bay so we walked over and were treated to a tour of what is a wonderful boat.
We hadn’t seen much marine life during the day, but in the Garden of the Gigha Hotel we did see a very bold hedgehog. The hotel is currently closed but hopefully will be refurbished in the not too distant future. In the meantime there is a horsebox bar in the garden.
On Sunday we paddled North with the last of the flood tide up the stunning West side of Gigha – the tide timings allowed for a very leisurely start. We stopped of in a small bay with an old mill – now converted into a house and with a couple of other We arrived with the end of the tide at Bagh na Dorlinne for lunch and then paddled round the North End and South with the ebb tide. A final crossing back from South of Arminish Bay back to Tayinloan completed just over 20km for the day and a very enjoyable trip.