“After a week of exceptional weather the weather Gods turned against us, so our usual circumnavigation of Lismore was under review. We needed a plan B which was to paddle on Saturday to the Bothy then finish clockwise on the Sunday. As the winds escalated so to plan C which was to cancel.
Birthday Girl Clare Eadie came up with the best plan, Plan D, which was to tough it out in a 5 bedroomed cottage at Kilmalieu.
So Lismore no more we all meet up at the Coran Ferry on Friday afternoon and headed off to Kilmalieu on the Ardnamurchan peninsula north of Glensanda.
Kit unloaded, dry suits on, boats carried the fifty yards to the sea we headed down to Loch a’Choire at Kingairloch, returning to the welcoming light of the Fishermans Cottage just as darkness fell.
The winds overnight were to strengthen F5 gusting 8. If we were to paddle at all on the Saturday we would have to find somewhere less affected by the winds. Loch Moidart was chosen after much deliberation.
After a delicious evening meal, made by Clare we retreated to the campfire, namely a log burning stove in a cosy little snug room.
Everyone was keen to hear about the recent Coldingham trip, including the rescue. Dave described the rescue with Ken amongst the rocks with huge breakers breaking over the top of David and Ken, not to mention the victim and her flying boat being chucked about in the white horses.
The best description I can remember is gel coat crunching, stress fractures
and complete exhaustion.
After the usual banter and hilarity, some of us slept well while others had nightmares about frothy water and rescues.
Saturday .
The winds were to build in strength from midday onwards. Gusting F8.
The pier at Newton of Ardoe was our launch spot near the mouth of the River Shiel. From there we were to head towards Castle Tioram then onwards out of the increasing wind.
Birthday girl Clare celebrated by having a wee dook by sliding her boat sideways off the slipway, amazingly she kept her hair dry. Boat righted and emptied we headed off, briefly, Rob had become stuck on a rock. At this point, we had the wind behind us so we crossed over to West side of the castle then through a gap to open water in front of us. The wind had most certainly moved up a notch so after stopping for a chat about conditions, strategy and some moral building we chose not to go on but to ferry glide across wind and waves towards calmer waters then over to the beach by the castle where we were having a cake stop.
Birthday Cake and coffee steadying the nerves we headed back into the wind then onwards to the carpark as the wind increased and rain decided it was a tropical storm. On the way a Loch Moidart Mermaid reached up and grabbed my paddle, fortunately for me I broke her grip and stayed upright. Pesky seaweed.
Everyone landed and happy. We packed up in torrential rain and headed back for hot showers. (and more coffee and cake)
Distance covered 3km, Calories consumed lots.
Another wonderful dinner followed by some bubbly to celebrate Clare’s birthday. Retreating back to the campfire for an evening of side-splitting hilarity as we listened to the howling wind outside.
Fellow wild campers David Grieve, Clare Eadie, Rob Johnson, Maria Hamilton and myself.