Kyle of Lochalsh to Hebrides

10th to 13th July
Kyle of LA-Rum-Canna-Loch Skipport-Eriskay

Of course the names of these places mean nothing unless you’ve travelled or lived locally or your specialist subject is Scottish Islands; but each is unique and fascinating, and all have a distinctive beauty and character of their own.

George arrived at the Kyle of Lochalsh on the evening train. With a fresh dose of youthful enthusiasm, we left immediately to catch the whizzy south-going tide through Kyle Rhea and anchored in the darkness among the Sandaig Islands, an uneasy business when there are no lights.

Morning cloud hanging over Skye

Then, next morning sunny and bright, we sailed via via diesel stop in Mallaig, on to Loch Scrisort, Rum. This, the main anchorage on the island of Rum had several visiting yachts at anchor, including the lovely ‘Pilgrim’, a Rival, and her young crew, last seen much further north. Other yachts included some with crews on a Malt Whisky Cruise. I gather they come to this island to give their livers a rest between anchorages where they sample output of Highland and Island distilleries. There’s no distillery on Rum. I note red faces don’t only come with bright sunshine!

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Just landed, Isle of Rum

George and beer, Rum

There was thick fog after our night and walk on the next island, Canna, and mindful of a recently wrecked trawler we’d seen the day before, in the morning I got the radar out for the first time since leaving Devon. Radar must have seemed amazing when first invented, but it seems pretty tricky to me and flattens the batteries in no time.

Fishing vessel - recently wrecked on the coast of Rum

Foggy morning before leaving Isle of Canna

Hoan, capital of Eriskay, South Uist

Luckily the fog cleared after a few miles and we sailed for a few hours and about 35 miles comfortably over to the Outer Hebrides, and into a sheltered anchorage, Wizard Pool, on South Uist.

Next day: south to the island of Eriskay, another place where the anchorage is called Achairseid Mhor (large anchorage), and one of whose claims to fame is that it’s where the 12,000 ton ship ‘The Politician’ sank in 1941. The Politician was trying to evade U-boats on its way to America but struck rocks passing Eriskay. The cargo included 264,000 bottles of whisky. The islanders rescued the crew and then had a very good time. With a population of about 400 at the time, you can estimate how many bottles per head that was!

George and I walked to the well-stocked community shop in Haun a mile away and on for a beer in the only pub, aptly named “Am Politician”.