22 September 2012 - All tracks for 2012

[It's a bit slow to display the tracks as there are lots of tracks.  There is probably a better way to do it which is faster]

View all tracks for 2012 on Google Maps
You can zoom in to individual tracks: click on the little arrow to the right of the date

View All Tracks for 2011 and 2012.  Only includes West Coast for 2011
You can zoom in to individual tracks: click on the little arrow to the right of the date

View the tracks of all walks. Click on the little arrow to the right of the date to zoom to the track.

Wednesday 19 September – Clean and pack

Fortunately we had a bright, mild day to do the big clean up and pack, so we could hoist the storm jib to dry and put the cushions out to air.  Eventually most things were sorted, various lists made, and we headed off the Chris and Anna’s in Edinburgh on the first leg of our journey home.

Tuesday 18 September 2012 – Holy Loch to Kip Marina

A much better day.  Made a reasonably early start but as we had to be at Kip in good time we motored most of the way there.  The replacement tack ring was fitted very efficiently.  After lunch we went for a test sail.  Seemed to work OK.  On the way back Pam caught some mackerel.

Follow the track on Google Maps.

Rainbows during our afternoon sail

Looking North.  Kip marina is behind the row of white buildings

Monday 17 September 2012 – Holy Loch

Strong and gusty wind with an assortment of rain, sometimes light, sometimes torrential.  Stayed put.  Unfortunately I have finished all the books I brought with me (Note for next time: bring more or longer books).

No photos – just not that sort of day

Sunday 16 September 2012 – Burnt Is to Holy Loch

Wet in the morning with no wind.  Eventually we started in the afternoon, by which time most of the boats we had seen earlier must have got back home – it was very quiet. The weather was rather dull and grey, but slowly cleared until Arran was more visible than yesterday.  Saw some porpoises.

We arrived quite late at Holy Loch and picked up a mooring.

Follow the track on Google Maps.

Ocean Youth Trust boat also anchored in Wreck Bay

Leaving the Burnt Isles

Arran is now visible in the distance

Typical Clyde scene: Clouds, Calmac ship and yachts

Saturday 15 September 2012 – Cairnbaan to Burnt Isles

A better looking day than yesterday. The swallows are still here and some gather on the upper spreaders and one cheeky one on the wind vane.  Maybe they are also ready to head south.

We stopped to buy diesel, milk, bread etc at the garage near Oakfield bridge. This might not have been a good idea as we then were held up for a while whilst a maintenance gang was replacing part of a lock gate.  We had lunch while we waited and eventually left the sea lock at Ardrishaig at about 2 pm.   After a while the wind got up to the level at which I would normally reef.  However I don’t want to reef the genoa at present as it is not properly fixed, so took it down and put up the storm jib.  The wind of course dropped off a bit and so we went very slowly.  With lots of very grey low cloud it was not possible to guess if the wind would increase or not.  After a while Pam caught a fish and I put the genoa up again and the mood improved.  Near Ardlamont Point we saw 2 dolphins; however they must have been busy feeding as they did not take much interest in us.  Caught 2 more fish in the West Kyle (of Bute) and eventually anchored at Wreck Bay by the Burnt Isles, by which time it was almost dark.

Later I found that we have 3G network here, the first for ages.  I am caught out with no blog entries prepared, so it has been a long evening.

Follow the track on Google Maps.

Friday 14 September 2012 – Cairnbaan and Kilmartin

A very windy day, but it did not look as wet as yesterday, so we took a bike ride to Kilmartin Glen to look at some of the ancient sites and the museum.  It was a hard beat down the road to Bellanoch Bridge, then a reach along the long straight road across Moine Mhor which is a huge area of bog and peat. Kilmartin glen has lots of standing stones, burial cairns and other remains.  We visited some of the burial cairns which are in a line in the valley.  It struck me as similar to the Valley of the Kings in ancient Egypt, but I don’t think the Dalriadan Kings were as rich as the Pharaohs.  The museum was small but very well presented. However after a while I get tired of reading lots of detailed explanations – it would be good to have a paper copy of the same stuff to read again later.  Good cafe. Follow the bike/walk on Google Maps

The wind was in the same direction on the way back, but less strong, so we had an easier ride back.  Back at the canal, the swallows were still flying busily round and chattering, so maybe summer has not completely finished in spite of the autumnal weather.

Tomorrow we hope to leave the canal and visit the Kyles of Bute.

Temple Wood Stone Circle

Alignment of standing stones

Cup marks

Nether Largie South Cairn

Inside the cairn

3 of the burial cairns

One cairn has been completely excavated
and a modern chamber built over it

Decorated stone in the modern chamber

Old grave slabs in Kilmartin churchyard

Old crosses in Kilmartin church