Journey up to Friday 11 July
Sorry I haven’t been able to post anything to date but
everywhere we have been there has either been no phone or internet access or
what there has been has crashed half way through, I have written up an account
five times and lost it all each time.
Anyway, I am currently on Muck in the community hall where I
intend to have a shower once this is finished, not sure when it will get posted
as signal too low to connect at present. The weather is fantastic, hot and
sunny although we woke up to a thick sea mist this morning but it has burnt off
now.
Monday 8th July
We motored out of the bay at Arasaig at 4:30pm and had a
pleasant sail across to Eigg, had the spinnaker flying for a while before the
wind dropped and we had to motor into the beach arriving at 8:00. Pulled the
boats up just above the high tide mark and set up the boat tent for the night.
We saw a couple of porpoises and a very distant view of a
basking shark on the way over plus quite a few seals, loads of Manx Shearwaters,
Gannets, the odd Puffin, Black and common Guillemots and Hooded Crows.
There is a café come community hall just along the coast so
we were able to get a beer before bed but the internet was down due to fog in
the channel between us and Arasaig so much for modern technology!
Tuesday 9th July
We planned to have a day exploring Eigg so took the
opportunity to climb the big hill behind the beach that looks like a towering
buttress front on. There was still a lot of sea mist around the coast but
inland it was fine, clear and sunny. Quite a pull up to the top of the hill but
fantastic views out across the island back to Arasaig and Skye. I carried on to
the west and had a skinny dip in a small lochan, it was beautiful and not too
cold. Climbed a second big hill and sitting on the top noticed some bird
pellets on the ground. Then I spotted a Short Eared Owl hawking over the valley
and watched as it gradually flew closer until it completely circled around me
on the about 30-40 feet away. It was looking at me as to say why was I sitting
in it’s dinner spot!
Also saw Peregrine, Buzzards, a nice male Cuckoo and
Wheatears.
Once back down called in to the café and had a beer with a
couple of the others, then whilst sitting on the patio looking out over the
beach Dave noticed an Otter on the rocks right in front of us probably 40-50
feet away. We watched it for about 20 minutes fishing in which time it caught
and ate 2 fish right in front of us before moving off along the bay. Probably
the closest I have ever seen a wild otter and certainly the longest.
We camped on the beach in the boat tent for a second night
having eaten at the café that evening, local caught fish and mussels, a really
nice meal.
Wednesday 10th July
Set off at high tide for Muck motoring out into the bay
before setting sail, quite a nice wind so once out in the main channel we
regrouped and decided to head for Canna instead with the main and spinnaker up.
However, the wind dropped and shifted so changed our minds and set sail for
Sanna Bay back on the mainland near Ardnamuchan Point instead. The wind dropped
and we got becalmed so ended up motoring for a while and then paddling into
Sanna Bay arriving at 11:45am and then waiting until the top of the tide to
beach the boats a few hours later.
Saw a lovely Male Hen Harrier one of my favourite birds fly
across the bay on Eigg as we were leaving being chased by three terns. There
must have been hundreds of Manx Shearwaters in groups on the sea with lots of
Guillemots included some Bridled Guillemots. I also saw my first ever Storm
Petrel, in fact saw about 3 on the crossing plus seals and porpoises. One
porpoise swam right between us and another boat about 30-40 feet from us and we
could see all it’s markings. As we paddled into the bay there was a Great Skua
feeding on something dead in the water.
There was a pub about 2.5 miles away from the beach along a
track over the hills, we walked to it and yet again the internet crashed as I
was trying to write up log! The beer went down a treat though. We set off back
to the boats at 11:15pm and arrived back just before midnight, still light
enough to see what we were doing. It doesn’t really get dark until after
midnight and is light again a few hours later, quite strange.
Thursday 11th July
We had a quiet morning on the beach as high tide launching
the boats at high tide but waiting until the tide started to turn around 4:00pm
before setting off as that would help push us back towards Muck our intended
next stop. Sam and I went fishing just along the coast in his boat. We were out
for a few hours and caught over 30 Mackerel and Pollack enough for all of us to
have fresh fish for tea. Each time I pulled a fish out I thought of how Gareth
would be envious at what I was doing. Sitting in a boat with no-one else in
sight, shorts and t-shirt, feet dangling in the water catching dinner for the
group of us. It was great just drifting on the boat fishing listening to the
big rafts of Manx Shearwater and Guillemots near us. We saw 3 porpoise and
seals and another Great Skua mobbing a Guillemot.
We set off at 3:30 paddling out in to the bay before setting
sail across to Muck, the down side to such lovely weather as we are having is
that the wind is light and fickle. It dropped after and hour so we started
paddling but then turned the engine on and motored for the last two hours into
a bay on the north-west side of Muck arriving at 7:45.
Kate and I decided to put the land tent up at the back of
the beach for a change as we are stopping here for two nights. We all had fresh
fish for tea!
It made a pleasant change sleeping in the land tent hearing
a Corncrake calling in the field behind us well into the night. There was a
beautiful sunset across the bay as we finished eating such a difference to the
last time I was here when it rained constantly and was cold.
Usual birds, seals and porpoise seen on the crossing, plus
Kittiwakes, Razorbills and Herons and Mallard on the island. Muck is quite
different to Eigg and the mainland as it is much lower with grass and bogs and
more trees so Sparrows, Chaffinch and Blackbirds around. There was a nest on
the beach just behind the boats that appears to have been abandoned with three
lovely speckled eggs in it probably a tern or plover I think.
The sun has burnt the mist off and it is lovely here now, I
have managed to recharge my phone and looked at messages but can’t get a signal
to send any back. I think the rest of the day will just be relaxing and maybe
and explore of the island which won’t take long as it’s not very big. Tomorrow
if the weather and wind is right we may go across to Rhum as there is a
Highland Games being held there tomorrow afternoon.
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