Day 27 Loch Ewe to Ullapool and goodbye to the Leadsfords.

Loch Broom at Ullapool

Loch Ewe has been a major place for the Navy in past years and we left Loch ewew passing by a large fuel installation that seemed to be the only visible remnant of the Navies footprint.

The rest of the journey was rather wet and very murky.

Ullapool is not very welcoming to leisure sailors. It has a few well placed and easily accessible swinging moorings but access to a pontoon, supposedly dedicated for leisure use, is discouraged by heavy use by local fishing and trade.

Our foray ashore in the evening was prevented by strong winds and heady rain. Barabara and Peter ate on board for the last time and packed in preparation for their departure in the morning. I was sorry to see them go, they had been great company.

After their departure it was down to some domestic work, laundry and cleaning before Sue Adlington arrives on Saturday.

Loch Broom seems to be on the low level route for the RAF and several jets roar down the Loch below the level of my mast.

Ullapool and Loch Broom

Friday was bright and warm and I took the bike ashore and did a little exploring. The hills offered plenty of good exercise for the leg muscles!

Saturday saw the arrival of a tall ship from Bergen called the Statsraad Lehmkuhl. She has a crew of 25 and 90 "trainees". I bought a couple of tickets from the harbour master during the evening we went on board for a scottish houlie!

Statsraad Lehmkuhl

Day 26 Tarbert to Loch Ewe and Inverewe Gardens

Peter contemplating the fishing opportunities

Soleis seen from Inverewe Gardens

The trip to Loch Ewe was uneventful under a bright but cloudy sky, an slightly unpleasant swell and little wind.

The following day we had a delightful wander around Poolewe village and Inverewe garden. Peter waxed lyrical over a house for sale by the exit of the river inter Loch Ewe. running through all the possibilities for fishing!

 The sheltered Inverewe Gardens

Inverewe House

Day 24 Portree to Flowerdale in Loch Gairloch - Sailing with dolphins.

Hebridean Princess enters Portree Harbour

Portree

Portree

We left Portree under clouds with the threat of rain. We had decided to give Rona a miss for a variety of reasons, not least the weather and had thus concluded that Gairloch was a better destination. We said goodbye to Rona with 15 knots of wind on the nose and a slight swell. As we turned towards Gairloch the wind backed and we were able to set sail and continue into Gairloch without the engine passing 4000 miles on Soleis's log. And to crown this joyous occasion we were joined by a pod of dolphins that frolicked around the bow.

Tomorrow we are of to the Hebrides, via the Skiant islands, hoping to see puffins and ending up in Tarbert on Harris

Day 23 Lochalsh to Portree and completion of the first 1000 nautical miles.

We woke to one of the sunniest and warmest mornings I have had and departed with the sun picking out the Skye bridge. While knowing we had ample clearance the Skye bridge seemed ominous close as we passed underneath it.

We passed Papay, Longay, Scalpay and the Crowlin Islands before taking the Sound of Raasay between Skye and Raasay on our way up to Portree. As we ventured north we had bright sun while to our port over Skye the clouds were massing and by the time we were approaching Portree it had started to rain and we just managed to moor on the small pontoon before the heavens opened and we had a very sharp downpour with hail.

Peter tries out his new Seebees waterproofs.

I left Plymouth with 2974 on the clock!

Just as we more the log register the first 1000 nautical miles since leaving Plymouth.

Day 22 Mallaig to Kyle of Lochalsh

Loads of rain overnight which had passed through by the time we had had breakfast. We killed the morning in Mallaig before leaving after lunch and watching the "Jacobite" steam train enter Mallaig station. Departing at this time ensured that we would have a favourable tide through the Kyle Rhea, the narrow channel separating the Isle of Skye from the mainland. Local knowledge and the Clyde Cruising Guide suggested we would encounter a 7 to 8 knot tide, but we experienced nothing more than 4 knots.

Fishing boat servicing in Mallaig

We moored right in front of the Lochalsh Hotel on a small pontoon that snaked up and down at the slightest provocation on very noisy hinges.

We ate in the hotel. Peter had Haggis, neaps and tatties, and Barbara, local pink mussels.

Day 21 - Mallaig to Loch Scavaig on south coast of Skye

Glassy calm as we approach the Cullins

Not quite a perfect reflection!

Today has been probably been the last of the hot sunny and windless days. We returned just in time to see the cloud arrive with a brief shower.

Just 200 yards between the little island on the left and the rocks and it was low tide.

Lock Scavaig (courtesy of the Clyde Cruising Guide) at high tide with all the rocks covered.

When you click on this you can see South Uist 45 miles away. The visibility was incredible.

Loch Scavaig is encircled by the Cullins and has a very narrow entrance at the top of the loch between rocks. Our thoughts had been to anchor just inside a small island on the left hand side but when we saw the narrowness of the entrance we decided we would prefer to stay outside and admire the view!

Peter tried again with his fishing rod but while the birds were successful, he wasn't.

The day was complete when we saw a number of dolphins at a distance and finnaly a pod that came and encircled the boat, but it all happened so fast that our camera's wre not quick enought to get some decent shots.

Day 20 -Tobermory to Mallaig.

Peter trying for our supper

My "office" - the only place I can get a wifi signal!

How does this bloody thing work?

After a wet night and a cool cloudy start we had another glorious day of sunshine and light winds. However we did manage to motor sail for a significant part of the journey and even sailed for a short time over lunch while Peter fished.  I was looking forward to a nice big sea bass to cook for supper, but alas was disappointed.

Mallaig did not disappoint. It is a glorious mix of mainly fishing boats with a recently added marina with excellent pontoons and we have sat in the sunshine, with various drinks in our hands and enjoyed supper on board.

Eigg with the Caledonian MacBraen on its way to Muck

In a brief stroll around Mallaig we found the station platform full of the Fort William to Mallaig steam train waiting to depart. Margaret remember travelling on this service as a child.

A "gentleman's yacht from the 30s moors in Tobermory.

PS: A correction for the benefit of one of my pedantic cousins. Staffa is owned by the National Trust for Scotland a totally indent body from it English counterpart!!

Mallaig

Mallaig's new pontoons

Day 19 - Tobermory to Staffa, Fingals Cave and the Treshnish Islands

A colony of Bluffins in Tobermory

At last we have found the Scottish bird life. In fact a new species I had not encountered before - Bluffins. Don't tell the twitchers!

Morning sun as we leave Tobermory.

A little " holiday let" we passed on the way.

Once again we experience "Scot D'Azure" for virtually the whole day. Staffa and Fingals Cave were absolutely magical. Along the way we see seals, puffins and porpoises or dolphins, we are not quite sure.

Our first Puffin

Staffa - The home of Fingals Cave and owned by the National Trust

Fingals Cave and the basalt columns

Seals enjoying the sun