Staffa and Treshnish Isle. 17-19 May 2021.
Sometime ago I read an article by Douglas Wilcox describing his visit to Staffa and the Treshnish Isle which lead me to suggest such a trip to David Grieve. Dave immediately set about planning the trip and assembling his team for this adventure.
As these Islands are exposed to winds from all directions we needed favorable conditions for this trip. The forecast was for the winds to work itself around the compass . Thursday was the game changer day, speaking to local tour boat operators they were heading for shelter on Thursday. Our problem was whether the winds were due in the morning or evening.
So all but Dave Grieve who had been struck down by the dreaded Covid set off to camp on Inch Kenneth for the evening. This a beautiful island with magnificent views from the top’s.
Tuesday was yet an other day of superlative weather. We set off for Staffa passing Little Colonsay on the way. Sarah advised us stopping off was not the best of ideas as from her experience it was hotching with ticks.
There was a little swell on the way over so we had to settle for views from outside of Fingal’s Cave. The bold Dave S did manage to position himself in the mouth of the cave.
A careful landing strategy was required as we had to land on boulders. The tour boat operators were taking full advantage of the good weather so the island was busy.
The path to the cave is quite narrow so passing other visitors returning was a bit tricky. The geology inside the cave is worth a look.
Once inside the cave Dave took to his alter played a wee tune on his penny whistle followed by song which was amplified wonderfully by the acoustics of the cave .
By the time the song was finished Dave had a very appreciative audience who gave him a resounding cheer .
So back to the boats heading to Lunga. We arrived in ample time to get our tents pitched before Lori and co travels arrived. We had met them earlier and learned of their plans so in true LSKC spirit we got our towels down first.
Anne had decided to spend the evening with the puffins so camped above our site. Perhaps a strange thing to do as she declared them evil!
As we settled in for the evening we were treated to a master class in eating by Dave. S.
It was also a redefining of Custard’s last stand. The previous evening Dave produced an apple tart and custard which he offered around and was gratefully received. His current offering of Custard you could strain through the eye of an needle , nobody was brave enough to sample.
The forecast for Thursday was not looking good so we decided to head back to home base for Wednesday evening, camp over night and then head home on Thursday.
An other day of wonderful weather. Making our way slowly through the small islands towards Fladda , the views were breath taking . Finally passing Cairn na More and Cairn na Beg both of which have remnants of castle’s on them.
Next stop for first lunch was in the bay Acairseid Mhor then off to Gordon’s secret beach via Gometra. This was second lunch followed by an extended power Knapp. Then back to home base.
Thank you for Dave Simpson for being stand in leader for this trip and also to my fellow travelers for making the trip so enjoyable.