Riding out Hurricane Bertha

The last few days we have been lucky enough to see a minke whale and a pair of golden eagles.   We spent a night anchored off Muck and enjoyed a walk across the island.  Muck has a thriving community of 34 with a fair number of children who were all on the beach making rafts for the race the following day.   Before going into Tobemory we anchored for a spot of sunbathing and lunch in Loch Drombuie where the wastepipe from the galley sink came unattached and sea water was pouring in.    SO lucky that we were on board as it was quickly fixed but if we had been ashore we could have come back to a sunken Nomad.   Frightening.   The last two nights we were sheltered from Hurricane Bertha in Loch Spelve, Mull.   Friends took us ashore for a quick tour of the Lochbuie estate (beautiful) and a comforting cup of tea in front of a roaring log fire.   We returned to the boat, despite very generous offers of a bed, knowing that we were in for a wild night.   It was a bit like riding a bucking bronco crossed with a merry mixer, but the anchor held firm, despite my weird dreams of it dragging and us ending up beached up the Thames!  The major casualty of the night was the outboard which had been drowned when the dinghy flipped during the night.  Rich hoping to get it working again before we leave.   Now in Craobh Marina, hoping for a rainless day tomorrow to dry everything out before we head home on Thursday. 

Sunset - Isle of Muck

Celebrating sighting a minke whale

Tobermory

Johnny & Anna Grew & Sara Nangle,  Loch Spelve

Norwegian Long Boat in Sound of Mull

Barra, S. Uist, Canna, Skye, Mallaig

Had a great sail up from Barra to Loch Boisdale on South Uist.   A gale was forecast so we left early and were safely on a mooring by the time the weather closed in.   The Annual Loch Boisdale Hill run took place while we were there.   About 25 men & 3 women set off from the hotel, ran to the loch, swam across, ran up the hill and then back down and back across the loch.   What amused me was that when they crossed the finishing line, they all stood around drinking beer, smoking & cheering their mates on for half an hour or so with not a space blanket in sight.   They must have been frozen, but so macho!!  From Loch Boisdale we left the Outer Hebrides and headed for Canna, which we loved.   A terrific natural harbour, a great cafe with the best fish and chips ever, particularly friendly locals, sunshine and a good walk up to the top of the island to get a birds eye view of the anchorage.   Last night we spent in Loch Scavaig, Skye.  Definitely our most dramatic anchorage so far with the Cuillens towering up out of the sea right next to us.  The photos don't really do it justice.   There is also a large inland loch about 200m from the anchorage where you feel like you are right up in the mountains - not 200 yards from the boat.    Now in Mallaig - our first real civilisation for 12 days or so - plugged into the electrics, charging everything, filling up with water, doing the washing etc.

Vatersay Bay

Vatersay Bay 

Canna Harbour from Compass Hill

 Loch Scavaig Anchorage with Cuillens of Skye

Rum from Canna at 10.00pm

Seals in Loch Scavaig

CLJ on walk to Loch Coruisk

Loch Scavaig

Rich beach combing

Loch Coruisk flowing out into Loch Scavaig 

Back in the sun...

Friday 1st August

Iona was fabulous and we were delighted we waited til Monday as the day dawned sunny and calm.   We arrived early and climbed to the top of the hill before going down to the Abbey.   It has a very special feel and is certainly somewhere we will return to.   Leaving there late morning we sailed to Ariganour, Coll, past Staffa and the Treshnish Islands which are extraordinary shapes.   Biked across to the west coast and were rewarded by seeing a couple of basking sharks.   Tried to stock up on food but the shop gets restocked on a Wednesday so Tuesday is a bad day - no milk, no bread, no fruit, no veg, but a delightful organic/eco/vegetarian shop which sold an amazing array of dried/tinned foods along with wool.   

From Coll we had a lively sail to Eriskay in the Outer Hebrides.   It was pretty wild with a nasty swell and I felt horrid most of the way.   Having had two weeks of flat calm I had somehow convinced myself I wouldn’t get seasick.  How wrong I was!   Eriskay is where Bonnie Prince Charlie first made landfall on his way back to Britain.  It’s also where the inspiration for Whisky Galore came from as a ship sank here during the second world war and the islanders had a field day recovering the whisky.   The pub still has a couple of the original bottles.   A pretty island with lovely beaches, azure seas and fabulous wildflowers.   From there we spent a night in an anchorage with a very narrow, rocky entrance between Hellisay and Gighay.  We crept in very slowly but were rewarded for persevering as there was no one else there when we arrived, apart from a couple of seals.   A brisk walk up the hill to check out Barra to the south.    We sailed to Barra in a gentle breeze this morning going slowly enough to catch 4 mackerel - and a jelly fish - ugh!   Now Nomad is anchored in Vatersay Bay - stunning long sandy beach.  We have biked round to Castle Bay on Barra - much further than we thought with far more hills than anticipated!   Don’t dare mention the weather cos I would hate to jinx it....   

Abbey on Iona

V. long legged sheep on Iona & our anchorage

Wild flowers on Eriskay

First mackerel of the trip

R off Hellisay