A short detour around Arnamurchan then further ventures North

Having escaped the clutches of Arisaig, and after a brief Whatsapp conflab with co-conspirators in the Scottish detachment of the Slipper Sailing Club (a wonderful club in Emsworth of which we are absent members) we found ourselves unexpectedly, but happily heading South back around Ardnamurchan point, in order to effect a 3-boat RV in or near Loch na Droma Buidhe, which is near Tobermory on Mull. Departing Arisaig on the afternoon tide having gone for a run and cracked some logistics, the plan had been to break the passage with an overnight stop of Muck. Once underway however, with a brisk breeze and great progress being made, it quickly became apparent that if we tried hard we could make a good offing of the North end of Ardnamurchan, albeit we expected it to be tough going after four days of Southerly gales. 

Enjoying the late sunset - sailing  around Ardnamurchan at around 11pm

Departing as we did to sail the Irish Sea in March, we had always expected to encounter some tough weather. We prepared last year as best we could - thinking hard about reefing, jacklines (to enable us to ‘hook on’ and move around safely on deck), and testing and checking the basics carefully, particularly the engine. What has changed over time is our confidence to deliberately set out and sail in conditions which in the past, perhaps, we might have shied away from, particularly with only two of us on board. Some of this is about technique - we are much better at securing the boat well for sea (by 'we' he means me - having not spent my adult life at sea and being naturally untidy - Hazel), we prepare by having smaller sails rigged and ready on deck, and we have got pretty good at reefing (although need to get better at heaving-to). It is also about our understanding of (and faith in) Contour. She is a remarkably strong, sea-kindly boat and, whilst not especially fast, her design, weight, and configuration make her safe, predictable, and very dry in a blow. Given that the cockpit is completely open, getting any water onboard is remarkably rare and you have to try really quite hard to get the rail under the water (it is well past the sensible time to reef when this happens!). The range of smaller sails mean that we can usually balance the boat well and as a result we can keep the helm really light, even in a blow. Our passage South around Ardnamurchan was a good example of this. We went round close hauled into 19-25 kts, and into seas which resulted from three days of 40kt+ gales. We timed the tide carefully, but nonetheless it was a tough upwind sail - and it was fine. Nothing broke, the boat sailed fast, and we arrived into Tobermory at 2am in good order and not overly tired.

On our way around Ardnamurchan

Sunset over the Small Isles

Having topped up with food, water, high quality knitwear (Hazel bought a Norwegian jumper for the price of a small family car that she fell in love with on a trip to Mull some 20 years previously and was delighted to find still available in the chandlery!) and rum in Tobermory, we prepared for the short passage to the idyllic anchorage of Loch na Droma Buidhe. Walking back down the jetty we were surprised (and delighted!) to see the familiar form of a Seadog.  Our very lovely old boat, Black Dog, is a Sea Dog (currently having yet more loving care lavished on her by wonderful new owners).  Because owning a SeaDog is rather like a maritime version of being a Mason, we stopped to say hello to the crew who turned out to be Sam Llewellyn - author, novelist, editor of the very august Marine Quarterly (which should grace every decent boat bookshelf) and seadog sailor.  It was great to catch up with Sam who very kindly passed on an early electronic version of his entertaining journal. 

And so to Droma Buidhe where, after a brief exploration ashore, we met up with Shearwater of Langstone and the very impressive Henry, both owned by members of the Slipper.  Steve and Mary know Scottish waters well, having spent the last few summers cruising around up here, and have been a source of many tips for us, whilst Will, the owner of Henry, lives onboard when he is 'off watch' from being Captain of RRS Sir David Attenborough (which we are definitely not allowed to call Boaty McBoatface). It was a super (and fleeting) chance to meet up with good friends and compare plans, benefitting from Henry's abundant larder!  Mary impressively proved that cakes can indeed be baked in small boat stoves! Henry is heading North to Iceland, whereas Shearwater continues her cruise of the West Coast.

Slipper gathering onboard Henry

From Droma Buidhe, nursing slightly tender heads, we departed into a slightly wallowy rounding of Ardnamurchan in light winds, collected errant mail in Arisaig and then headed past Mallaig into Loch Nevis, with the aim of seeing something of Knoydart.  Unfortunately the weather was not suitable for a visit to Inverie with the associated mountain walking, so we headed further East into a remote bay on the Nevis estate known as Tarbert.  We had somewhat sketch directions for this hidden gem ("call Norman on VHF 10") but as is often the case, we had stumbled on a real delight.  

Loch Morar

About a foot in diameter, this chap made swimming a very unappealing prospect!

Tarbert Bay and Loch Nevis looking West.

Upper Loch Nevis (Loch Nibheis in Gaelic - apparently meaning 'Heaven')

Loch Nevis, Tarbert Bay, and the house of Cameron Mackintosh on the headland.

Once close enough to be past the intervening lumps of Scottish Granite, Norman very kindly offered us a mooring and information about landing and exploring this remote spot. We were able to walk North to view the spectacular inner loch, inland to see Loch Morar, a huge expanse of fresh water, and South (over a rather sketch route) to check out what appeared to be a large whale we had seen on the beach on the way past - it turns out this is the creation of the adventurer Tom McLean and is a large seagoing boat that has circumnavigated the UK, beached at a very remote outdoor centre. (Apparently it is for sale if anyone fancies a change of scene!). Whilst gusty, we had been very sheltered in Tarbert from another round of gales passing through (bit of a theme emerging here!); the plan from here would take us North via Applecross, to Plockton then Torridon before heading on towards the Outer Hebrides.

A very unexpected whale boat 

Food.

For those interested, we thought we'd include a bit about eating on a boat. Neither of us are enthusiastic cooks, but we have muddled through and actually been moderately successful in maintaining a healthy and varied diet over the last few months.

An early consideration for us when planning the trip was provisioning the boat so that, as much as possible, we would be able to stay away from towns and then, as we moved further North, not have to rely on increasingly sparse shops or waste time buying food. Luckily Hazel has previous here - as the doctor on South Georgia she had the additional task of ordering and managing 12 months-worth of food for the base - she would describe this as the most stressful job she has ever had! Contour has lots of good, cool storage lockers, no freezer (or the power to run one) but a reasonably sized refrigerator which we can run 24/7 with wind and solar power. Neither of us are gourmet cooks, so we (well, Hazel) set out a food plan based on a set regime of meals that we could adapt easily, and supplement with fresh food when available. This has worked (really) well, and our only failing has been that we should have simply bought more of some of the staples as, with a month to go, we have had to do some big re-stocks. 

We have found that some tinned vegetables are excellent (and others execrable!). Alongside the usual tinned tomatoes (of which we use loads), stuff that works well includes tinned mushrooms, potatoes and sweetcorn. UHT has improved no-end, and we use very little fresh milk but filled a large part of our bilge carefully with MANY cartons of UHT.  The fridge space we do have is used for butter, cheese, and keeping open / cooked stuff fresh. An inventory proved vital, as did the simple trick of writing on the top of every tin what is in it in permanent marker - good when (as happens) the bilges get wet so the labels fall off, but also so we can see what is there without lifting the tin.  All our tins in the bilges are contained in stout plastic boxes to keep them tight and stop the rattling in rough seas.

The plan is roughly as follows: 

Breakfast. 

Cold oats (A mixture of decent (big/jumbo) Oats, mixed seeds / nuts, raisins, chia seeds, brown sugar or honey, cinnamon, and UHT milk left overnight). 

Occasional Eggs Benedict (brilliant Maille hollandaise sauce keeps well - if only we'd bought more, on toasted bread when we make it or crumpets). 

Juice 

Lunch 

Largely salad based, and made up from fresh stuff we have found that keeps well in a cool locker - iceberg or gem lettuce, celery, carrots, tomatoes and pre-cooked vacuum packed beetroot, beefed up with some combination of chorizo, feta, halloumi, olives, tinned tuna, mixed nuts and seeds, eaten with perhaps oatcakes or bread when we make it. When we ran short of green stuff (usually after 2 weeks from a good shop) we fell back on pasta salads supplemented with olives, pine nuts, etc. If sailing, tinned soups occasionally make an appearance. With kids on board, we would break out par-baked bread rolls with cheese and tomatoes. 

Supper 

This is where we tried harder for variation, but again drew largely on tinned and preserved foods, with only a little meat (hard to keep). We cooked many bean stews, (probably a couple a week), mushroom, pepper, and chorizo risotto, home made fishcakes (possible from tinned potatoes, tinned fish, egg and breadcrumbs), pasta / pesto concoctions, curries (again, tinned potatoes - wonderful stuff! or lentils), and the occasional spanish omelette. 

Hazel discovered that, even as a very reluctant baker, oatcakes and cheese scones can be mastered on a boat and we usually keep a decent supply of cheese onboard making both a good option for snacking; Marcus is an episodic baker but makes the occasional decent loaf of bread (often when the engine had been on as the engine bay is a great warm spot to prove dough) - the only problem with this stuff is it is so damn nice it vanishes frighteningly fast!

On of (many) lockers - our inventory was essential

We had thought that we would enjoy stir-fries but they use up a lot of fresh veg that can be used better elsewhere.  Meat is problematic - we had fantastic venison burgers from Rona, occasionally sausages as a treat, and got through yards of chorizo in lunches and suppers but in general, meat = refrigeration or freezing and we just don't have the fridge space.

Follow our progress here.

Climbing mountains on Rum and sunset walk on Muck

The area North of Ardnamurchan around the Small Isles is riddled with lochs, bays, and islands to explore. We had a few days planned with friends joining us, so sailed from Arisaig back to Loch Moidart, the tricky entrance to which is always repaid by sensational views in this intricate and varied sea-loch.  Sun and warm breezes made our further explorations all the more pleasant, albeit the sailing rather slow; the profusion of hills, mountains to climb and open wilderness had whet our collective appetites to cover some miles ashore. 

The yoga deck, Loch Moidart

The first expedition started at the improbably beautiful ruins of Castle Tioram before heading up into the hills above Moidart, a tremendously varied landscape bursting with history, and the remains of several old settlements. After saying a sad farewell to Ella, we were keen to further explore Rum, in particular the impressive-looking Cuillin Ridge, to make the most of the incredible weather we were having (not to be confused with the considerably more arduous Cuillin Ridge on Skye). We enjoyed a gentle sail back over to Rum - an excellent way to persuade our somewhat reluctant new crew member Claire that sailing doesn't necessarily need to equate with vomiting!

Further exploration of Loch Moidart hills with Ella and Claire

Loch Blain above Moidart

With Marcus rather laid low by hideous lurgy, Claire and Hazel headed off to tackle the ridge in glorious sunshine. Although certainly a much less daunting proposition than its Skye neighbour, the route still makes for a long day, but with interesting scrambling and incredible views along the way. The hot shower at the Rum Bunk House and dinner waiting on board Contour was extremely welcome after some 10 hours on the hill!

Kinloch Castle on Rum - slowly falling into a state of disrepair

One of the many ups on the Rum Cuillen Ridge 

Claire finding the hardest possible route to ascend by

The Bothy at Dibidil on Rum

Further explorations of Rum included a run/walk out to the other side of the island to check out the bothy at Guirdel Bay. Having rather optimistically assumed there would be a linking path between the two footpaths actually marked on the map, it is perhaps not surprising that the middle section of the route turned out to be an 'interesting' foray through heather, bracken and loose rock! However, Guirdel Bay was a wonderful place to explore and hopefully somewhere we'll get back to in the future with provisions for an overnight stay.

Bothy at Guirdel Bay

Looking down over Guirdel Bay

On a still evening we left Rum to motor South to the Bay of Laig on Eigg, to revisit this spectacular end of the island.  About half-way across we noticed a great line of trails in the water which turned out to be a 'super-pod' of common dolphins making their way North a few hundred yards away.  Before we knew it they were playing around the boat, leaping free of the flat sea, and generally showing off.  Having seen dolphins reasonably frequently, this was no normal sighting - they swam with, around, and under Contour for the best part of an hour, providing a spectacle surpassing anything we had seen before!  We eventually turned back towards Eigg to anchor just in time to enjoy a spectacular sunset behind Rum.

Enjoying the sunset behind Rum from the Bay of Laig, Eigg.

As we were minding our own business at anchor a voice was heard astern; this turned out to be a chap in a Kayak.  Whilst on holiday in the nearby bothy, he had painted a scene of Contour at anchor in the Bay and had very kindly decided to paddle out and give us the picture!  Happily there was a frame in the guest cabin that we had yet to personalise and this very unexpected gift has therefore made a perfect addition to the boat. 

The next stop was Gallanach bay on the island of Muck; we enjoyed a smooth and quite fast reach South from Eigg and sailed to anchor in this shallow, confined but well sheltered bay.  By this point we were doing a reasonably good job of persuading Claire that sailing might not be so terrible after all! Exploration ashore enabled a late hill walk, a sunset swim and the discovery that there is an awful lot to like about this, the smallest of the Small Isles.

Gallanach Bay

Gallanach Bay - who needs the Bahamas?!

Aird nan Uan, the promontory West of Gallanach Bay

Beers in the evening sun (Marcus's beard is getting particularly out of control!)

Exploring Muck

Looking over Eigg from Muck

Evening at anchor in Gallanach Bay, Muck

Our (now really quite urgent) need for Diesel meant the next stop had to be Mallaig, a busy fishing town with a small marina to the North West of the Small Isles.  We enjoyed the fast down-sea reach past Eigg and got to Mallaig in no-time flat. However, in the back of our mind was the need to re-unite Claire with her car in Arisaig and the resultant requirement to bash our way back in to the wind to get there!  With fuel and an excellent Mallaig lunch obtained, we set out for a further fast and exhilarating sail South.  Marcus was unfortunately stuck to a keyboard for much of the afternoon having to deal with 'stuff' and grateful for his extremely tough stomach. As the wind started to regularly gust to 24 kts Marcus had to be disturbed to assist with the inconvenient task of reefing - Claire not particularly loving this part of the trip!  30kt wind against tide off the entrance to Arisaig was the final cherry on top of this rather less than idyllic sail, unfortunately undoing much of our hard work in persuading Claire that sailing is more than just a relatively inconvenient means of moving between mountains to climb!  There followed what has become somewhat of a practised routine of hiding in Arisaig whilst the weather cleared.

Claire being very polite about sailing

Follow our progress here.

Further explorations of Loch Moidart and the Small Isles

With Hektor joining us for the Half Term period, and other friends joining us for bits of the forthcoming month, we made the most of the time to explore more of a very varied area.  Having been struck by the beauty and wildness of Loch Moidart, our first sail was a gentle, sun-lit reach South to tackle again this tricky entrance and find a secluded anchorage as a base from which to explore.

Hektor enjoying the sunshine and a Terry Pratchett audiobook

After a comfortable sail, the entrance was made less than comfortable by residual swell left over from a week of howling South Westerlies.  Once tucked in, however, calm reasserted and we motored sedately up towards an anchorage off Tioram castle.

Anchorage in Loch Moidart

Tioram Castle Loch Moidart

Anchoring in the early evening, we took the dinghy ashore to explore the castle and surrounding area. The castle sits imposing on a large rocky outcrop, and must have presented a formidable obstacle to any siege. Unfortunately not open to explore, Tioram was a stronghold of Clanranald until it was burned by Allan, the 14th chief of Clanranald in the run up to the Jacobite rising in 1715.  As evening fell, our return to Contour was made more entertaining by a strong onshore breeze making re-launching the dingy a somewhat damp affair heading straight into a sharp chop. Cue slightly frantic paddling by Hazel with Marcus standing precariously in the dinghy to keep clear of the flailing paddles - entertaining to watch no doubt! 

Hektor took it upon himself to 'improve' the colour settings prior to this being taken (the Bath House at Tioram)

The following day we set off early to walk inland along the loch following the picturesque 'Silver Path'. An amazingly varied route cut from the face of the cliff in places, elsewhere traversing low bays and green dales dotted with cleared crofts and ancient field systems. It was whilst we walked along the upper shallow reaches of the loch that Hazel spotted a large otter leave the water to casually trot across the mud to its holt, hidden amongst the rocks and woodland. Whilst too far away (and too brief) to enable any sort of photo, this was cause for some celebration as Contour's cruises so far have been lamentably short of otter-spotting, despite much looking!

The Silver Path, Loch Moidart

Magical walk towards Ardmolich along the edge of the upper reaches of Loch Moidart

With several kilometers under our belt, and having slightly underestimated the distance and snack requirement, we were happy to return to Contour, with mutiny only narrowly avoided when Hazel proposed another 'short diversion'....

Tioram Castle in the early morning sun

The Diary then pulled us back into Arisaig, to collect Ella from the station for the start of her week sailing with us.  Hektor was very noble and surrendered his large double cabin (and nest of duvets, pillows and blankets) in favour of the pilot berth with no fuss. We set off for the anchorage of Galmisdale on Eigg, where plans included an ascent of An Sgurr, an impressive lump of volcanic rock. Vertical on three sides, but with a sensible climb on the fourth, An Sgurr was formed when a volcanic eruption filled a valley with lava.  In the subsequent millennia the valley sides eroded away to leave the 'plug' behind.  This unlikely explanation becomes clearly evident when one sails through the Sound of Eigg to see this dramatic mountain in profile. The views from the top were terrific, and we ambled happily back down to check the quality of the cakes at the new (and very smart) cafe in Galmisdale. 

Preparing for an ascent of An Sgurr

Volcanic rock formations on the path up with the island of Muck in the background

Enjoying the views from the summit of An Sgurr

Relaxing in the evening sun after a long walk

The weather continued to behave, and so the following day saw us hire bikes to cross the island and explore the picturesque North West shore around Cleasdale, known for yet more spectacular geological phenomena and the 'singing sands', a stunning beach made up from quartz which, when dry, squeaks when moved.

Interesting geology at Singing Sands Beach

The ride out was quite tough - long steep hills on a hot day, however it was all worthwhile when we arrived at the beach, with sunshine, turquoise water, and views over to Rum. Hektor and Hazel had an exciting time exploring the coastline and geology. Whilst now extremely confident and very capable climbing up anything rocky, Hektor was decidedly less keen on wading knee deep through seaweed - Hazel may not be allowed to choose the route in future.....

Exploring the caves

Enjoying rock-based adventures

Mountains of Rum in the background

Turns out Hektor really, really doesn't like wading through seaweed...

Sadly half-term was running short; Hektor and Marcus had another appointment with a sleeper train to head South.  With regret we left Eigg and headed towards the mainland to explore Doire na Drise, an isolated bay on the Southern side of the Arisaig peninsular. 

'Refreshing'

Exploring was enjoyed, and Hazel braved the waters for her first swim of the trip (Hektor got his own back for the seaweed incident by pushing her in).  In still, sunlit conditions it was also ideal drone-photography weather, and we enjoyed spectacular views until, for reasons which remain obscure, the machine descended rapidly from 8 metres to - well - 0 meters and confirmed it's lack of ability to float! (Amazingly, when DJI, the manufacturer, downloaded the flight data from the controller they agreed to replace it free of charge as they were able to confirm it was a technical failure and not Marcus' erratic flying). 

Dinghy taxi service

At anchor in Doire na Drise

Doire na Drise

Drone flying - just prior to an unrecoverable drone/water interface situation (mechanical not pilot error!)

Lunch best eaten in the dinghy

Marcus and Hektor disappeared South leaving Hazel and Ella to continue the exploration of the cruising around Arisaig, as the spell of warm, gentle weather continued to lull us into a false sense of security!

(Hazel's bit) Having never taken the boat out without Marcus on board before, it was with a certain degree of trepidation that Ella and I headed out through the Arisaig channel. It is undoubtedly a sign of how far things have come over the past couple of months that this was possible. The first time I stood behind the wheel of Contour around 18 months ago, with the huge deck (relative to our 30ft Sea Dog 'Black Dog') stretching out in front of me, it seemed impossible to imagine that I would ever have the confidence to manoeuvre her anywhere! We motored out and headed towards the Borrodale Islands where we had identified a remote anchorage in Garbh-eilean Bay near a bothy. The wind picked up enough for a short sail and, other than a lot of anchor alarm related faffing (it's always the electronics!), we were tucked up in the bay in time to enjoy an incredible sunset. The sun continued to shine and dinghy explorations of the surrounding area led us to some stunning places - Borrodale beach below Arisaig House was particularly lovely, though we failed miserably to find Prince Charlie's Cave.

With the wind briefly and unexpectedly changing direction, threatening to blow us onto the rocks if the anchor dragged, we considered moving to a different anchorage (a concern not helped by my inability to set an accurate anchor alarm!). Luckily we held our nerve and even enjoyed a swim in the improbably clear water, followed by a peaceful evening onboard watching people from the bothy catch fish in the late sun. The next day we returned to Arisaig - across mirror like water with not a breath of wind. I successfully drove Contour alongside the rather short jetty to fill up with water and Ella drove us onto a mooring buoy (a slightly different experience to the fast and manoeuvrable RNLI boats she is used to driving). We were back with no bumps, scrapes or ropes around the propeller and a working engine so overall a very successful excursion. It was then time to tidy and head ashore to buy provisions and eat cake while waiting for the arrival of Claire from Skye and Marcus from Bristol. 

Sunset after the rain

Arisaig House Beach

This photo makes the anchorage look so much bigger than it was!