Heatwave, what heatwave?

This post has been rather delayed by lack of internet signal in the remote corners of Scotland!  No chance of uploading an update or downloading the Archers omnibus.  In places there has been no DAB or FM radio, and for the last couple of days we have struggled to get even the Stornoway coastguard weather reports.

The Scottish scenery is amazing.  Dramatic shorelines with waterfalls overflowing from the cliffs, rugged countryside with high mountains above, and amazing waterways in between to explore.  Pairs of puffin, groups of guillemot everywhere; gannet common both individually and in small formations.  No sign of the local eagles but Helen thought she saw a whale near Canna.  ‘Though it was gone before you know it and Alex wonders if she really saw anything at all…

The views are so good it’s a shame you can so rarely see them.  This morning the cloud is barely above the mast.  For more than half of our time here it has been raining and the boat is full of wet sailing and walking gear.

After leaving John on the fast ferry out of Jura, we drifted miserably up the sound of Jura and picked our way into a rocky inlet in zero visibility.  The following day was fine and we walked 5 miles across the peninsula to Tayvallich for milk and a newspaper.  (Later decided that the milk was too heavy considering the 5 miles back.)  From there, we headed north, spending a rare, sunny evening in a glorious anchorage north of Kerrera, perfectly sheltered and surrounded by mountains.

Then north west through squally conditions up the sound of Mull.  No wombles in Tobermory but they have a great aquarium where the exhibits are temporary visitors that are returned to the sea after a few weeks on view.  We each bought new trainers and, having spent too long over this, sprinted in them 2 miles through the woods to the Mull theatre, where 3 local actors were putting on a short play.  Didn’t recognise the star with previous credits in Cracker and Holby City but the play was entertaining, and was followed by food, wine and a Q&A session with the cast.  The main character was offered repeated opportunities to thieve a life-changing sum from a faceless organisation and elevate his miserable existence to a higher plane, consistent with his peers.  What would you do?

As we turned north from Tobermory, for an overnight stop off Canna, on our-route to Skye, we noted the other boats all went south!  Perhaps they were not keen on the F8 (gusting F9) that picked up.  We have become practiced at shortening sail quickly – it doesn’t seem to matter what the forecast is, big hills combined with big clouds seems prone to give you 45 knot gusts.  It is also easy to make mistakes in these conditions.  

Skye offered excellent mooring facilities at Carbost, at the head of Loch Harport and the location of the Talisker distillery. Our arrival was marked by driving rain and head winds that made it difficult to see the mooring buoys as we approached. Determined to see some the island we had a walk into Glen Brittle forest, draining the water from our shoes every few km. We tried a drying out spot in the distillery on the way back, but declined the option to pay more for a bottle of Talisker than at the Supermarket at home.

Stopping to wring socks out in Glen Brittle forest

Cuillin view, from Carbost (when the cloud is high enough!)

We left Skye in thick mist with visibility down to a few hundred yards.  As we tacked out of the loch into a 25 knot headwind, rocks appearing from the mist on either side, a bodged tack resulted in a riding turn on the winch and a rather nasty game of free the sheet.  Incidents such as this, and accidentally unfurling rather than furling the jib, have taken their toll on the sail.  We thought the foot was coming unstitched but were relieved to find it is only the protective UV strip that has come adrift. It needs re-stitching before we move on – a good job for a rainy day, and there seems to be plenty of those!