This year we set ourselves the objective of sailing further North to the Summer Isles - unfortunately the weather had other ideas!

So once again we headed through the Crinan Canal up the sound of Mull and the Sound of Sleat inside of Skye. We stopped for a few days at Plockton to shelter from some strong winds then headed North again to Loch Torridon and to Gairloch. We stayed at Gairloch for about 6 days waiting for a gale to blow through.

With an improving forecast we decided not to head further North but West stopping at the The Shiant Isles for lunch then on to Scalpay on Harris for the night.

With yet more strong winds forecast we headed for Loch Dunvegan on Skye staying there for 3 nights. Yet again with a less than ideal forecast we chose to make a dash for the more sheltered waters inside Mull setting off from Dunvegan at 6:30am arriving at Tobermory at 7pm in the evening.

The next day we had 30 knots of wind and a fantastic beam reach down the Sound of Mull occasionally achieving in excess of 9 knots over the ground.

We spent a couple of nights at Kerrara then through the Cuan Sound to Croabh Haven for one night then back through the Crinan Canal spending a night on our mooring buoy at Colintraive before heading back to Largs.

 
Arran

Day 1

The cruise started with a sail past Arran on our way to Adrisaig and the start of the Crinan Canal.

Day 2/3/4/5
With an early start we managed to get through all 15 locks in one day with the help from Hugh Kirk, then spending the night in the Crinan Basin. The following day we locked out early arriving at Tobermory late afternoon. The wind was from the North so we tacked up most of the Sound of Mull.

After a days rest at Tobermory we set off round Ardnamurchan intending to stop the night at Arisaig but with a light SW but stronger winds forecast we decided to head for Isle Oronsay.

The wind was gradually reducing so we popped up the cruising chute and had a wonderful 3 hours gently cruising up the Sound of Sleat.

Cruising up the Sound of Sleat

 
Isle Oronsay

Day 8 to 12

Initially on anchor in Plockton but later on one of the visitor mooring buoys.

Plockton is a lovely village with some good restaurants - the Plockton Inn is highly recommended for their seafood.

 
Bealach na Ba pass

Day 12
Left Plockton heading for Loch Torridon. Wind was initially light but picked up later providing a beam reach.

With the wind from the South we decided to anchor in Kenmore. If you visit Kenmore, on the East shore, a little way up the loch side, you will see a bungalow selling fresh seafood, this is Maciver Shellfish. We rowed ashore and bought a dozen live langoustines. These were enormous so a dozen was too many for just the two of us but they tasted superb.

 
Loch Torridon

 Day 13
Moved to anchor at Shieldaig, a pretty village on Loch Torridon, for lunch. Anchorage was rather exposed hence rolly but holding seemed ok.

There is a smokery at Shieldaig selling some of the most superb smoked seafood.

More strong winds were on the way so in the afternoon we set off for Gairloch, wind was light so had to motor most of the way. We moored alongside the Pontoon at Flowerdale

 
Pontoon at Flowerdale, Gairloch

 Day 20
The strong winds finally abated and rather than head further North as we originally planned we decided to go West - to The Shiant Isles and then on to Scalpay on Harris.

The Shiants only really provide a temporary anchorage so we only stopped for lunch before moving on to Scalpay on Harris.

Day 26
The strong winds did arrive and provided us with a superb sail down the sheltered waters of the Sound of Mull. The wind was SW 7 giving us a beam reach and with over a knot of tide in our favour we had over 9 knots of boat speed over the ground.

In less than 4 hours we were alongside on a pontoon at Kerrara. 

Day 27/28
Stayed 2 nights in Kerrara taking advantage of the free ferry service to Oban for a spot of retail therapy.

Day 30, 31 and 32
With 2 reefs in the main and still making over 7 knots through the water plus a favourable tide we had a very quick passage from Craobh to Crinan and the start of the Crinan canal. We stopped at Cairnbaan for the night.

By 10:45 the next day we had locked out at Adrisaig and enjoyed a good sail down Loch Fyne then up the West Kyle on the cruising chute to finally pick up our mooring buoy at Colintraive and enjoyed a final holiday meal in the excellent Colintraive Hotel.

On day 32, our final day, it was wet and misty with little wind. The forecast was for much stronger winds the following day so we decided to motor back to Largs.