Stornoway to Scrabster

11th to 14th June
Stornoway-Loch a’Chadh-fi-Loch Eriboll-Kyle of Tongue-Scrabster

Hot sunny calm weather has disappeared for the time being. The plus side is that there has been some exhilarating and splashy sailing.

John Ridgway's place at Ardmore

View from Ardmore

Also, it’s thrilling to see the swooping, soaring sea birds that magically skim the crests of wild waves. They make noisy RAF jets appear clumsy.

Striking stack near C. Wrath

And so, round Cape Wrath

Brisk sail down Loch Eriboll

First stop after leaving the Hebrides astern was a little loch off Loch Laxford, where John Ridgway set up his Ardmore Adventure Centre. As you’d expect, it seems very remote and stunningly beautiful.

Next day, north and round Cape Wrath to Loch Eriboll, so I’m now on top of UK mainland. Two little facts: ‘Wrath’ gets its name from the Norse ‘hvarf’, a turning point, and not because it’s angry or wild – makes it seem less of a hurdle if you keep that in mind. Also, Lonely Planet suggests Loch Eriboll is the country’s deepest sea inlet, though I think this may be wrong as it’s only about 60 metres. It was bleak, wet and windswept; and I left next day, shooting down the loch with tiny bit of genoa and over 7 knots….on to Kyle of Tongue, another indentation in the top of Scotland.

Cruising along the top of Scotland

Next, and now, Scrabster, from where one of the ferries goes to Orkney. After some persuasion, the harbour master allowed ‘Misty’ and another visiting yacht to move from an uninviting sheet pile quay (better suited to steel-hulled ships than plastic sailing boats) to the little marina. Anna is arriving on this evening’s train from Inverness…need to do some housework first!

There's not much to see in Scrabster