Trip to Knoydart

Last Friday I had an enjoyable trip to Knoydart . Knoydart is not an island but is only accessible by a long hike from Kinlochhourn or a 45 minute boat trip. In the past when roads were almost universally bad on the west coast, Knoydart would have been no more remote than anywhere else. In fact the sheltered bay where the village of Inverie is situated would make it a safe haven for ships. According to Cameron MacNeish in his Munro book there is an etching from the 19th century showing 40 -50 trading ships in Barrisdale Bay on the north side of the peninsular. Nowadays Knoydart mainly attracts tourists, walkers, fishermen and deerstalkers but there is still some farming. Getting there is a bit of an adventure.
On Friday I went from Mallaig. The weather had been extremely wet so I packed extra clothes and waterproofs. However by good fortune once out of Mallaig harbour the clouds cleared and it was a delightful day. Half way there the ferry stopped so we could watch a minke whale. Minkes weigh 4-5 tonnes and can be up to 10 metres long . It was exciting to see it periodically surfacing about 50 yards from the boat but then it reappeared no more than 15 feet away! I was on the phone at the time to my Dad as it was his birthday and I almost dropped my mobile. Its broad back was so close I felt I could have reached out and touched it; you could see every detail of its blow hole and dorsal fin. It is the biggest animal I have ever seen and that was the closest I have ever been to one.

 The good weather continued and my day outside went smoothly so I was finished well before the ferry returned . The clients offered to take me back in their speed boat. This turned out to be much more of an exhilarating ride than expected. We were travelling into the wind and as our speed increased the little boat started to hit the waves hard, bouncing us out of our seats. I began to worry that the samples that I had spent the last few hours collecting might disappear over the side.Also the wind was increasing and rain started to lash our faces. I was quite glad that at the start I had on a whim accepted the offered life jacket! However I needn't have worried as the helmsman decreased the speed and steered closer to the shore where the water was calmer .  In no time we where in Mallaig slightly breathless and completely soaked by the now torrential rain and the spray.

The above picture is of the same stretch of water but from a photo taken on a calm day on the way back from the Isle of Canna.

Indian Summer

We have been enjoying some great weather recently. In addition there have been some beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Last week I had to go to Arisaig in the evening and was fortunate to arrive there at sunset. The clear blue sky became tinged with yellow and orange which was  mirrored in the calm sea. On the horizon the islands began to fade in to the haze. It was sublime!
It is hard to convey the beauty of the area; The combination of the rocky coast, the sea and the islands of Eigg and Rum in the distance are unbeatable. I took lots of photographs but unfortunately didn't have time to do a sketch on the spot.

Painting of the view from Arisaig from a photo

Sketch of a similar view in the daytime

Sketch of the view from Ardgour looking up loch Leven  towards Glencoe