Well here we are. On the eve of hauling out for the winter. Its a bittersweet day for us. We’ve had some great sailing, seen some beautiful spots and met many interesting people, but it is time to move on. When last we met we were heading towards Islay, but there were several great stops along the way: First on the way was the delightful town of Plockton. In the mid-nineties they filmed a TV show called Hamish MacBeth there (highly recommended). Many of the locals we spoke to had fond memories of being extras on it. The town is nestled in a beautiful cove with a castle overlooking the harbor. Though we had to take a wee train ride to Kyle of Lochalsh to get groceries. Plockton is known for its good music and we stayed for a sunny concert on the lawn.

From there we sailed down the Kyle of Rhea, and through the Sound of Sleat to the isle of Eigg. We had missed Eigg on the way north due to weather, but we’re glad we stopped this time! A lovely cove to anchor in and a mountain to climb! We hiked the 6 miles up the ancient volcanic core to see the view. Fortunately we got back to the village in time for an ale.

Then over to Coll in a windless rain. From there we had a perfect sail to Kilchoan Bay in the Sound of Mull and then to Loch Drumbuie. All this was leading us to Tobermory. We had stopped in Tobermory on our way north and decided to return to hit all the sights we had missed before. And to reprovision Zephyr. We had eaten ourselves out of boat and home! We took many good walks and ate a marvelous lunch in town and when the weather allowed we sailed on down to Loch Tarbert on the west side of the island of Jura.

There had been quite a bit of rain over the last few weeks and as we sailed along the cliffs of Jura we were treated to waterfalls and cataracts too numerous to count! Quite spectacular really. But the best was yet to come! We anchored in Inner Loch Tarbert which is surrounded by raised beaches. These were formed over the millennia of glacial advances and retreats. The weight of the ice pushed the land downward and shingle beaches were formed. As the glaciers retreated the land gradually raised, creating more shingle until modern times these beaches are tens of meters above sea level. When you walk on them the stones are all perfectly smooth and of the same size only changing with the height of the beach. They surround the west side of Jura and cover many miles.There are no inhabitants on this side of the island and its stark desolation is very calming to me. Its my new favorite anchorage.

From there it was off to Islay, finally. The home of several of the most famous whisky distilleries in Scotland. We anchored in front of Ardbeg and prepared to go tasting. Unfortunately the weather quickly deteriorated making the southeast of Islay untenable. Deciding we don’t really care for Scotch anyway we headed over to Ardminish on the tiny island of Gigha. This island was a delightful find. There is a manor house and gardens called Achamore, while walking through the property I stopped to admire a collection of Bentleys in front of the house and play with two precocious pups. There, we were introduced to the owners Per and his wife Monica. While attending a music session at the local pub I met Jon and his wife Robbie. We were all invited to lunch the following day at Achamore house.

Lunch with the six of us was stimulating and delicious. We were given a tour of the manor, complete with armor and broadswords. Lunch and wine were impeccable then we all motored over to Jon and Robbie’s farm. They also had a lovely home with the most spectacular views, and two brand new precocious pups. All in all it was a wonderful stay in Ardminish.

Unfortunately, we had overstayed our weather window and had to move to the top of the island for a few days to wait for a chance to round the notorious Mull of Kintyre! The wind continued to blow in the thirties with 3-6 meter waves right from the direction we needed to go. So, we turned north and returned to Crinan where we would take the short cut through the canal, again. For those of you who follow along, you’ll remember we transited the 14 locks over 9 miles of the Crinan Canal in the spring. Well, second verse, same as the first. Drizzle and rain, rain and drizzle. We spent the next couple days sailing around Loch Fyne and are currently anchored under the watchful eye of another ruined castle on Little Cumbrai island just 7 miles from our final destination of Ardrossan.

We have spent the day down-rigging the boat and getting it ready for the haul-out. The weather is calm and dry so we’re taking advantage. We will still be in the U.K. until the middle of October, traveling by rail to places inland that we haven’t seen by boat. So stay tuned and come sail with us in the spring, when we return to Bonny Scotland!