Way Ahead

We both really enjoyed sea kayaking. Taking up this activity will open up a whole new world where we can’t take the open canoe.  I think in the coming years we will probably reduce the amount of fell walking we do also, if only to be kind to our knees, so sea kayaking it is. Not to let the grass grow under her feet Tina has already arranged some follow up lessons with both the Windermere Canoe and Kayak shop and someone with the local canoe club.

Beginners Course Day 3 – Rubha na h-Uamh to Kyle of Lochalsh

Another great day weather wise greets us this morning for our last day of the course. The midges are also out so I'm keen to get on the water away from the land.

We saw lots of jelly fish on the trip

Start to day 3

Once we are all on the water Willie discuses distance and timings, we have a 2.5 km crossing to the Crowlin Islands. The Crowlins Islands are made up of three islands, Eilean Beag, Eilean Meadhanach and Eilean Mor, I think this means small medium and Big island. During the crossing we spot the odd seal that is keen to get a look at us.

Once at the islands Willie instructs the others on the bow rudder stroke so that they can move around the rock shore of the islands, I think this stroke is a bit advanced for us.

Paddling around the Crowlin Islands

We follow the coast of the islands north to the tip of Eilean Beag. There are a number of sea birds on the rocks. Mostly Shags I think. Down the west side of the islands there are once more the occasional seal, again inquisitive to see who or what we are. Once at the south tip of Eilean Meadhanach we pull into a bay for lunch.

Lunch Stop location on the Crowlin Islands

After lunch comes the big test. We eventually need to finish the day at the Kyle of Lochalsh, but that’s going to mean an 8km open crossing which could take 2 hours of paddling. It looks like it may also rain on the way so I opt to put my cag on, Willie does not. By the end of the crossing it’s boil in the bag time and I’m wishing I had left it off. Well they say you should always dress like the locals, next time I’ll remember this saying. We are going to head for Erbusaig Bay and to keep on course we are going to keep the bay and the last of the Five Sisters of Kintail (Sgurr na Moraich) in line as a transit. During the crossing we see a number of porpoises and guillemots, it would have been nice to have stopped and watched the porpoises but we need to keep the group together and just get on with the crossing. Slowly the Skye Bridge gets bigger and Sgurr na Moraich gets lower and lower behind the bay until we can't see it anymore. After 1 ½ hours we arrive back on the main land. OK to some hardened sea kayakers 8km may not be far and the sea was calm, but considering this is only day 3 in a sea kayak I'm very proud of what Tina and I have just achieved.

Tina during the 8km open crossing

 In the bay there are once more lots of hermit crabs and someone in the group suggests we have a hermit crab race. Each person finds and selects their crab, we draw a circle in the sand just below the water line and set our crabs free. The first crab to reach the edge of the circle wins.

Hermit crab race

The bay is full of other life too, we find a large crab trying to hide under one of the kayaks and some small flat fish who are camouflaged with the sandy bottom.

Crab making it's escape from us

Watching the hermit crab race

Taking a break following the crossing

It’s then back in the kayaks for the last leg around to the Kyle, the water is low as we manoeuvre around the small islands and inlets until we reach the small bridge which joins the main land to the main Skye bridge. This is the last day for Tina and me but I think the intermediates are coming back to the main bridge tomorrow to practice in faster tidal flows.
All too quickly it’s over and we are back at the Kyle of Lochalsh, we have both had a great time and sea kayaking has us hooked.

Heading back to the Kyle

Beginners Course Day 2 – Plockton to Rubha na h-Uamha

Today we are going to head off with the group on the intermediate course for a two day trip with an overnight wild camp. Having not expected to go camping we manage to borrow equipment and a quick shop the evening before sees us ready and willing for an overnight stop with the kayaks. Our starting point for the trip is Plockton, a place we visited for the first time earlier this year. When we visited earlier in the year, we were already looking into the course and we thought wouldn't it be great to one day be experienced enough to paddle from Plockton. I guess things are moving quicker than we thought! On arrival at Plockton the Kayaks are unloaded and Willie sets out showing us how to pack a kayak for a trip.

Once packed, we got on the water and practice getting use to paddling the loaded kayaks.

Leaving Plockton

We then headed around the headland and paddled through the small islands north of Plockton. Here I learnt my first lesson about looking after your equipment on a sea kayak. I took my sun glasses off to take a photo and put them on my spay deck next to my paddle. Forgetting about my sun glasses I packed the camera away and paddled on. When I thought about my glasses I looked down to see an empty spray deck. I guess my sun glasses are now living with the fishes. At the point at An Dubh-Aird we get a look at our first crossing, just less than 3km to the Applecross peninsular. In our open canoe the widest crossing on a fresh water lake that we have done is probably only 1km (if that). During the early part of the crossing we have a few seals that come to us to see what we are doing. On arrival at the beach on the other side we stop for a rest and find the edge of the sea is alive with hermit crabs. There’s a rumble of thunder towards the Isle of Skye and some dark clouds but it seems to just pass us by. The next part of the journey we head west following the coast. We both love the Isle of Skye and to see it in the distance from a sea kayak is just magical. Along the way we stop occasionally looking for fire wood on the beaches. We are heading to Rubha na h-Uamha and the bothy.

Tina, carrying firewood on the back of the kayak

Isle of Skye in the distance

The Bothy

On arrival at the bothy Tina asks me what we should do first, having wild camped in Scotland at this time of year before, I’m keen to get the tent pitched in case the midges start swarming. Although there is a bothy we are going to sleep in the tents and use the bothy to cook and socialise in. We are even treated to some live music in the bothy as Marcus, our other instructor, has brought along a very small guitar in one of the kayaks. 

Moving gear from the kayaks to the tent

In the evening we see a submarine transiting on the surface, not that unusual around here I would imagine.

Submarine near Skye

Oh and the midges? Yes the found us!

Midges

Beginners Course Day 1

In the run up to the course the weather in the UK has been great and looks set to continue, which is great news for us first time sea kayakers. The morning was spent kitting the group out and selecting different kayaks for each member. As well as the two of us on the beginners’ course there are four others on an intermediate course. We are told by Willie that if all goes well we can join the intermediates on a two day expedition tomorrow. Anyway back to the kayaks, Tina chooses a Valley Avocet in plastic construction and I choose a Tiderace Xplore, constructed from fibreglass. All kitted up and we head off the short distance to the head of Loch Duich for our first lesson. We are shown and practice the forward paddle and sweep strokes to turn the kayak. During the lesson we are joined by a loan seal and a couple of porpoise, looks like a mother and young. I have driven along the road next to Loch Duich a number of times and never seen anything in the water before, looks like this is going to be a great way to see wildlife. At the end of the lesson there is a discussion on peer rescue and Tina, having never been in a kayak before let alone been capsized before, volunteers to be the victim (sorry the rescuee). Having agreed that the best way is to be caught off guard Willie promptly pushes Tina over in the kayak. She manages to pop the spray deck and emerge from under the water. We are then instructed on how to conduct a peer rescue and Tina manages safely to re-enter the kayak.