Oban to Colonsay

17th to 20th July
Oban-En. Dubh-Kerrera-Luing-Garvellachs-Colonsay

(more of route at http://www.a-trip.com/tracks/view/135976 if it works

Peaceful at En. Dubh

Of these anchorages, most will mean nothing to you. Special mention goes to Eilean Dubh (Black Rock). There are many many more Black Rocks in Scotland than England, and there are enough in England - never ‘brown’, ‘purple’, ‘grey’ or ‘charcoal’. After the crowded sociability of Kerrera (Oban) marina and with freshly washed underwear, I fled to a quiet and unpopulated Eilean Dudh a few miles out; just untroubled ducks and cormorants for company.

With thick soggy fog next morning I sailed slowly through murk, with mournful foghorns, AIS ‘targets’ and engines rumbling about…till my impatience to  keep moving was suppressed and I found a safe enough place to anchor off the west coast of Kerrera. On rowing ashore to a pretty remote part of the island, I was taken aback to find a person! He was a geology student from Leicester University studying (hammering, anyway) Old Red Sandstone, which was the topic of his dissertation. He tells me Scottish Islands are mostly occupied with geology students at this time of year, and he was one of four on Kerrera, each hammering away at a different type of rock.

Anchored off west coast of Kerrera (Mull over the mist)

After a sleepless night awaken often with foghorns and anchor chain rumbles, the fog was more-or-less lifted by early morning, and we caught the tide into Cuan Sound. …Anchored there for lunch and walk ashore on the island of Luing. It is so hot that the bemused sun-baked Scottish cattle are paddling in the shallows off Cuan Sound.

Anchored in Cuan Sound

....on a very hot day..

The fabulous settled sunny weather means opportunities to visit places that are often inaccessible or dodgy for overnight stops. The next two nights were examples: - the small unpopulated island of  Eileach an Naoimh in the Garvellachs and now, off the broad sandy beach, Kiloran Bay, off Colonsay. I cannot do justice to the wonder of such places in these scrappy notes. But, the former has the remains of St Brendan’s Monastery of about A.D. 540; apparently some monks lived in tiny stone ‘beehive’ cells, which have been partially restored; and Historic Scotland has done a good job explaining the layout of monastery remains. Also, it’s an island free of sheep and the resulting tall grass and wild flowers are a joy that’s rare on Scottish Islands.

A beautiful day in a beautiful area....

....including this spot at Eileach an Naoimh

In contrast to the Garvellachs, Colonsay is a thriving island (pop. about 200) and there were many happy holiday folk soaking up hot sun on the fine sands of Kiloran Bay. A long walk took me across the island for an ice cream (the shop girl was avidly listening to the Test Match, which England is poised to win!). And, later, a kind Scotsman (not ‘local’ he said, as he’d only been there 55 years) stopped and gave me a lift back to ‘Misty’. Even in Scottish waters it’s been warm enough to swim and I’m more-or-less purified by the fresh, clear (moderately chilly) sea!

A comfortable sail to Colonsay

Anchored off Kiloran, Colonsay