Coast-to-coast "both ways"

June 16th - 20th

Used the sea kayak to get from the Beauly Firth across Scotland via Lochs Ness, Oich & Lochy, and the Caledonian Canal to finish up at Corran Ferry at the west end of Loch Linnhe.  Had a night in the bunkhouse at Inchree with a good steak dinner and then used the Jekyll full suss to cycle off-road back again to above Inverness.  So 255 kms in total with 115 on the water (2.5 days) and 140 over the hills (1.5 days).

Rough campsites on the banks of  Ness are pretty rough.... the portages are nearly all OK but couldn't have done this without a trolley,.... wouldn't want to try the paddle bit against the wind.... AND bike-wise;-  the high route above Fort Augustus is a series of push-ups with the down-hills interrupted by big gullies.  The best down hill section is actually the last 10 kms at the north end.

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Heading across Beauly Firth from Bunchrew launch site facing the Kessock Bridge but actually aiming for the lagoon just past the sea loch entrance to get under the mainline railway.

 Always pick a pontoon with a ramp and never a flight of steps...

Entering Loch Ness proper at the Bona Lighthouse

Watching the tourists on Urquhart Castle taking pictures of me.

Moy Bridge camp

Neptune's Staircase at Fort William (Corpach) at breakfast time on the 3rd day.

And down in salt water again on Loch Linnhe

Corran light, must dodge the ferry...

Paddling leg completed (east to west) on beach at C/Club site, Bunree/Inchree.

Going west to east now on a bike;  early hours up through Fort William, this is the outflow of the river Lochy near the old castle.

North west of Loch Lochy on the fireroad above Clunes.

Then the tougher stuff began.  The high route is nice once I got up high and the rain stopped.  Poorly designed climb and loose surface made it a grind for mtb-ers.

This things appears somewhere at the top of a climb near Drumnadrochit but can't remember exactly where or why its there at all!  I think it was called the "sight-catcher".

Enjoyed the final downhill stretch after going round Abriachan so much I simply didn't stop to take photos, until the end at Inverness Castle where there is this marker stone.  Did the final few kms back to Bunchrew to pick up the car.

Sea kayaking Arisaig / Glenuig

May 6-8th 2016.  

A NESKy group paddle from the beach at Back of Keppoch (north of Arisaig) round on a falling tide to the skerries for lunch.  Not many seals about but its still beautiful in there; the one cockle fisherman present seemed to accept our presence ok.

The afternoon was spent heading around the southerly pennisula and into Camas Ghaoideil for our overnight camp. The eccentric bothy above the beach is well worth looking into.  Saturday night was a hoolie wet storm for camping.

Sunday was a stiffer weather challenge on the water and saw us press straight across the entrance of Loch non Uamh and then on again to Glenuig. This was F5 gusting F6 just oiff our bows.

No untoward happenings, good company, mixed weather patterns but a great way to spend the weekend.

April 2016 A return to the waterfalls on the Etive

April 29th 2016

A three-man trip across to the west coast rivers for a long weekend of wet stuff. Unfortunately Scotland was enjoying some sun and the rivers were mainly empty in Lochaber.  We still managed to get the Etive paddled though.  Good fun and pretty satisfying to get down Right Angle without an issue this time.  Terry and Harry were there to shepherd me down!

April 2016 My first creek race (North Esk)

April 17th 2016

A river I've paddled often but never thought I would race on.  Brilliant sunshine and a reasonably kind water level meant it was a simple enough challenge.  My run was timed at 6.22 minutes which meant I was placed about 25% down the group.  With hindsight I wish I'd stayed on for the "Iron man" version in the afternoon,... maybe next year.

Pretty flat water at the start for a grade 3/4 river!

March 2016 Mountain bike challenge - the Moray Way

March 14-15th 2016     

A  two-day 100 mile off-road loop that combines the Dava Way, part of the Moray Coastal Path, and a return leg up the Speyside Way.  Undertook this with Andrew Fyfe as part of our individual training plans for other rides.

We chose to start at Aberlour and work clockwise around the way-marked trail.  Very mixed trail conditions from old railway line "double-track" through a few farmers access roads, a little tarmac to escape the sand-dunes, and some really grim walkers path.  The two dozen swing-gates on the first morning were an upper body workout and put us behind schedule so we ended day 1 in darkness going downhill into Forres.

Day 2 started at the edge of the sand dunes at the back of the airbase with Eurofighter Typhoons doing circuits.  Good sandy single track across east.  The final leg was coming south again to Craigellachie and then Aberlour and really did test our climbing legs on the fire road.