July 18th - 23rd
Five paddlers from NESKy, 150 kms in 5 days round Islands of Mull / Staff & Iona. Completed the adventure by landing craft & RIB but that's jumping ahead too far..
Monday July 18th, meeting at Oban ferry to get across to Craignure and meet Andy for our 5 boat trip. Weather mixed and not altogether in our favour as we paddled north up the Sound of Oban. Stops at Fishnish and Tobermory. Long steady drag across Salen Bay. Landed next to Tobermory Lighthouse cottages for camp (Rubha nan Gail). 32 kms.
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Tuesday, 38 kms
Paddled round north coast of Mull with lunch at Port na Ba, heading
south in the afternoon with a stop at the big beach in Calgary Bay for ice
cream. Forecast for Treshnish route not
good so transited across mouth of Loch Tuath for overnight on Gomitra. Beautiful conditionals for paddling but thunder & lightning later.
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| Jim brought along a 20ft race boat ! |
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| Coll or Tiree in the background |
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| Calgary Bay |
Wednesday, 30 kms
Needed an updated forecast so went east along coastline
of Ulva and then into Ulva Ferry for a hot soup lunch.
Headed back out west right past Little Colonsay and out to Staffa. A circle of Staffa to see the caves and a good stroll to see Fingal’s Cave and then to talk
to the Puffins
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| Andy, Donald & Anne heading to Ulva Ferry |
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| We heard a panpipe in Fingal's... |
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| A schooner of Dutchmen anchored in the bay for the evening too |
Thursday, 16 kms
Headed SSW on 9 km open crossing to Iona and into the sound, landed to
visit Abbey etc. Much later in the afternoon paddled on a bit south and into public site at Fidden Farm (Stugan Dubh,
Mull). Torrential rain that night.
Friday, 33 kms
Paddled along the south coast (Ross of Mull) with a quick stop at Erraid Beach
(said to be the inspiration for the book “Treasure Island”) then lunch at Ardalanish Beach. Took in the arches just before Malcolm’s
Point and finished paddling at Carsaig Bay due to the threatening forecast.
Picked up by arranged Landing Craft from Seafari Ltd for trip across to
Easedale Island then RIB to Oban to get cars.
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| Andy shows us the way up the ramp |
Credit to Donald Thomson for contributing some photos and keeping us straight.
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