So having planned to paddle around Colonsay for the weekend we changed plans due to a windy forecast. The original 9 paddlers dwindled to 4 – David Simpson, Graeme Seggie, Catharine Francis & myself. We parked a car at Rumach near Arisaig & launched by Glenuig on friday to land at Peanmeanach on the Ardnish peninsula. We crossed the bottom of Loch Ailort in a brisk easterly wind force 5. The bothy at Peanmeanach is now a private bothy so we camped next to the ruined houses to provide some shelter having checked with the bothy’s residents first. The winds didn’t strengthen overnight but there were plenty of deer visible in teh light of our head torches. Saturday morning was still a stiff easterly (F4-5 ) ‘breeze so we delayed getting on the water. We crept around in to Loch an Uamh and along the SE shore crossing to the north shore near the princes cairn. Passing along the north shore we had the wind behind us and my umbrella/ sail qickly tunred itself inside out and became difficult to control. At our lunch stop we heard ( but didn’t see) the Harry Potter train. Next we stopped to look for the Prince’s cave near Drumindarroch. After 45 minutes fruitless searching we got back on the water and headed for Carlottas Eyrie. We felt the bothy a bit small for all of us to sleep in but ate there in the evening after 3 of us went for a swim. To give you a flavour of the culinary heights that were achieved – Mr Simpsons after dinner recipe was a camembert fondue with talisker whisky and breadsticks. We had a great view of a pod of dolphins feeding close into the bay for several minutes as dusk fell. Sunday morning saw rain and F3 winds & us having breakfast in the bothy before setting off around to Rhumach via an early lunch stop at Port nam Murrach where the weather brightened and the wind became more southerly. Lovely paddling through the skerries before crossing over the south channel to where the car was parked. Warmest part of the day saw Graeme & I having yet another swim , drying most of the gear in teh sun before heading down the road. Good Craic and thanks to Catharine , David & Graeme
Bottom line: its great what you can do with a bad forecast!