“The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley”
I don’t know if the Bard was a sea-kayaker but if he was, I am sure that he would have muttered those words under his breath on many occasions. With impeccable timing, Storm Kathleen turned up and literally blew a big hole in our plans for a great weekend of kayaking on the Sound of Mull. According to the BBC website: “ … This was only the second time a UK named storm has reached the letter K in the alphabet, following Storm Katie in March 2016. Since 2015 there has only been one UK named storm in April – Storm Hannah in 2019”.
For some of the group the weather was a sufficient deterrent to coming to Lochaline, especially for those facing challenging travel conditions. As the Bunkhouse had been booked & paid for, the rest of us decided to make the best of it and head up. Plan B was to do some walking or cycling if the opportunity arose, or to simply sit tight in the bunkhouse and chill out.
We set out early on Friday morning and headed north-west. As we passed Lochearnhead and began the ascent up to Lix Toll, the snow at the side of the road gradually got deeper & deeper and we began to wonder whether we had made the right decision. However, we pressed on and as we dropped down to the lower levels of Crianlarich, the snow gradually disappeared. Following an uneventful Corran Ferry crossing and the final stretch on the single-track road we arrived at the very comfortable Highland Bunkhouse by mid-afternoon.
Some of the others had also arrived by this time and as conditions were still reasonable, 5 of us decided to head out for a paddle. Following a quick call to the coastguard to advise them of our plans, myself, Phil, Ian, Lizzie & Matt launched from the beach area below the Hotel and paddled back around into Loch Aline, dodging the Fishnish ferry which inevitably appeared just as we were heading into the narrow channel at the mouth of the loch. Once in the loch, we judged that the conditions were still within all our abilities – F45 with gusts but with calm, sheltered water and plenty of escape routes – so we continued our paddle around the circumference of the loch. An otter was briefly spotted and also some birds. I’m not a birdwatcher, so my birding knowledge is limited to: “duck, seagull, magpie or (if I get lucky) eagle”. After an enjoyable paddle, we returned to the beach area outside the loch. Some local scuba divers were having a play in the water near the beach, so this made our landing more interesting, along with the waves, but it gave us some useful practice at landing in surf conditions. We all made it ashore without mishap and without running over any of the divers. Following a call to the coastguard to tell them we were safely back on-shore, we headed up to the bunkhouse.
By early evening, a quick headcount showed that we would have a total of 10 paddlers and 4 non-paddlers, plus Meg the dog, for the weekend. We all convened for a briefing on the Friday evening and Roddy & I devised a pragmatic plan for the weekend that would either involve shore-based activities or potentially a paddle on the loch if conditions allowed. Following some food, drinks and a chat, we all headed off to our bunks for an early night.
Saturday’s weather was as predicted – SSW winds, F56 gusting to F8, but not a lot of rain. Roddy started with a classroom session that focused on safety kit for kayakers. He stepped through the very extensive range of safety equipment that he always carries with him and he provided a brief summary on the reason for carrying each item and how to use it. He pointed out that he has built his stock of safety kit over time, as a result of his many years of kayaking both as a commercial provider and as a leisure paddler. He also stressed that regardless of what safety kit we decide to carry with us, the 2 main considerations are: 1) we know how to use it and 2) we can get access to it easily, at all times.
Following the classroom session, we headed down to the Lochaline Harbour & Marina which is about 1km from the Bunkhouse. This area has a good launching spot and has toilets & showers that we were able to use. Once there, Roddy re-assessed the situation and advised that the conditions were not suitable for us to go on the water as a group. As an alternative, and because it was an on-shore wind, he devised a setup where we split into groups of 3 and, using 2 kayaks per group, we practiced various rescue techniques. This was done with 1 person from each group holding the 2 kayaks in the shallows, so that we were never out of contact with the shore. We then spent a happy 2 hours practicing kayak-emptying, heel-hooks and self-rescue techniques with varying degrees of success. The power of the wind was amply demonstrated when one of the empty kayaks escaped from its minder and headed off up the loch. Within a couple of minutes it was about 100 metres away and we were treated to the sight of one of the group sprinting along the shore in hot pursuit, in a full drysuit & PFD, with spraydeck flapping, whilst someone else pursued it from the water. Thankfully, as the wind was on-shore, the kayak eventually made its own way to shore (as did the swimmer) but it was a powerful demonstration of how quickly an unattended kayak can go walkabout in strong winds.
Towards the end of the session, 3 of us did go for a short paddle along the shoreline, under Roddy’s watchful eye. This provided us with an opportunity to experience paddling in very strong winds, with the safety of not being more that 50 metres from shore, with an on-shore wind to blow us back in if it all went pear-shaped. Once the rain started in earnest, we all agreed to bring the session to an end and we retreated to the covered decking at the marina building to eat our lunch & debrief.
Back in the bunkhouse, the kitchen & lounge became a hive of activity, as we all busied ourselves preparing food and getting started on the wine & beer (I focused on the latter). Luckily the bunkhouse has a very well-equipped kitchen, with 2 cookers, 2 microwaves, 3 fridges and a full range of cooking utensils, crockery & cutlery, so there was a minimum of mayhem.
Once the food was cooked & eaten and the remains cleared away (Meg did very well out of the leftovers) the music session kicked off. Between us, we had 3 guitars, a flute and a set of Scottish small pipes (more melodious & less deafening than the full-size version😊 ) , plus a good range of singing voices, so there were some good tunes on the go. When we got to the point where the whisky bottles came out, the sensible members of the group headed to bed, leaving the rest of us to murder some more songs for another hour or two.
Sunday morning dawned with continuing storm-force winds plus rain, so the group decision was that we would pack up and head off. One of the group was heading off to Oban for a pre-booked 1-to-1 Skills session at Sea Kayak Oban on the Monday and 2 others were going off to Sabhal Mor Ostaig on Skye for a week of intensive Gaelic language & culture, so no rest for some!
The drive back to Edinburgh was “interesting”, with the Corran Ferry being cancelled and thunder, lightning & hailstones as we drove across Rannoch Moor. Having a bike and a kayak on the roof made it feel more like sailing than driving, at times!
Overall, the consensus was that the weekend was a success and the combination of the safety session, the on-the-water activities and the social elements all contributed to that.
A huge thanks to Roddy for stepping in and organising the training elements and providing wise counsel regarding what we could safely achieve, given the conditions. His original intention was to come along for a weekend of leisurely paddling, so his willingness to step up and save the weekend was much appreciated.
I would also like to thank Adrian & Fiona Lough who spent an evening with me a few weeks ago, giving me the benefit of their extensive knowledge of paddling in the Sound of Mull and to Graham Bailey, who also shared his knowledge with me. To misquote another Scottish author “… help will always be given at LSKC to those who ask for it”.
Paddlers: Roddy McDowell, Ivor Fennell, Phil McNaull, Iain Wells, Lizzie Wells, Matt Purslow, June Findlater, Louisa Newby, Kirsty Loudon, Cherry Kelsey
Non-paddlers: Kate Fennell, Janet McDowell, Willie Findlater, Renee Wells
Dog: Meg
A note about the Lochaline Bunkhouse
https://www.highlandbasecamp.com/
This is an excellent facility which leaves most other bunkhouses in the shade. It has twin self-contained bunk rooms, each one with its own external access & lockable door. All have en-suite shower & toilet plus underfloor heating. The large kitchen & lounge area are very well equipped; there are effectively 2 complete kitchens, with 2 x full-size 4-ring cookers and full ovens. There is a full selection of pots, pans, utensils, cutlery & crockery. The lounge has 1 large dining table and 2 smaller tables, plus sofas and low tables. There is also a full decking area with picnic benches, for when the sun shines. There is also a drying room and good parking on-site.
The Bunkhouse is run very efficiently by Fee, Fraser & Dave. They were super-helpful during the booking process and throughout the time we were there. They are keen to have it used by groups and their Group Booking rates are very competitive. It is definitely well-suited for this purpose. When they took it over in 2021, it was being used quite a bit by diving groups but they are keen to promote it for use by other groups as well.
Useful Links:
Lochaline Harbour:
http://www.lochalineharbour.co.uk/
Lochaline Snack Bar:
https://www.facebook.com/lochalinesnackbar
Ardtornish Estate – this is at the head of Lochaline: