Calm after the storm Bangor to Port Ellen, Islay 11 August 2025

 

Cottages on Port Ellen harbour 

It’s hard to believe that Storm Floris was last Monday - today (Monday a week later) was almost dead calm.  Wonderful conditions for coming up north past the Mull of Kintyre.  Our plan is to have a week around Islay, Jura, Ardfern and Gigha.

The two lighthouses of The Maidens 
Top: Maidens East Tower, constructed in 1829 and automated in 1977.
Bottom: Maidens West Tower, constructed in 1829, and decommissioned in 1903.
A great place to go shagging. 
Both towers designed by George Halpin Senior.

All the way up the North Channel it was calm - and reasonably warm ( though not the heatwave being touted for south England).  Lovely travelling conditions, and should have been lovely conditions for seeing cetaceans - but nobody had told the whales and dolphins!  We did see Harbour Porpoises twice, but that was it.  A little disappointing.

A low mist accompanied us most of the way.  This is the Oa Peninsula on the SW of Islay.  The American Monument can just be seen near left hand end. 
“Sacred to the immortal memory of those American soldiers and sailors who gave their lives for their country in the wrecks of the transports Tuscania (Feb 5th 1918) and Otranto (Oct 6th 1918). The monument was erected by The American Red Cross near the spot where so many of the victims of the disaster sleep in everlasting peace.”


Boat bird list is just 22 species, but includes the largest number of Hydrobates pelagicus that I have ever seen away from a breeding colony.  Very special.

Our route:











































































































































Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hebridean Adventure 2025 15 May 2025

Image
  Our anchorage among the Ardmore Islands on the SE corner of the Island of Islay Come with us on holiday amongst the Inner and Outer Hebrides on the west coast of Scotland.  Three weeks (ish) of pockling about, guided by the weather, tides and our whims.  What could be better?!  And if day one is anything to go by, it’s going to be a belter?! After 3 or 4 weeks of brilliant weather we can’t really believe that it’s still fabulous, and that it’s forecast to last for another week.  We left Bangor at 12.00 midday, and headed north.  A little bit breezy for the first couple of hours, but then it became calmer and calmer, until it was glassy calm at 18.00 as we arrived at the south corner of Islay. Blackhead lighthouse at we passed at about 13.00 A string of Gannets pass with Islay on the left in the distance and the Paps of Jura on the right. We’ve pulled into an anchorage amongst a group of very small islands on the south east corner of Islay.  Normally ...
Read more

Wildlife, Whisky and Wonderment Ardmore Isles to Oronsay 16 May 25

Image
  A portly Harbour Seal (along with it’s many family and friends) kept us company all morning at our sheltered anchorage amongst the Ardmore Isles. The time of the tide north through the Sound of Islay (between Islay and Jura) meant that we did not have to leave our anchorage until midday - thus a wonderful morning surrounded by the beauty and wildlife of the Ardmore Islands.  Common and Arctic Terns foraging and calling, Red-breasted Mergansers in courtship flights, Harbour Seals loafing and playing (one youngster did a circuit of the bay leaping right out of the water 20+ times - ooh to be so full of life!), a Sea Eagle upset all the other birds as it cruised past, and Great Northern Divers hunted near the boat.  Red Deer along the shoreline and Cuckoos singing to left and right.  Idyllic. Great Northern Divers hunted near the boat. A Sea Eagle cruised past then settled on the rocks at the entrance to the anchorage. Meanwhile we had a long breakfast quickly followe...
Read more

Better than the Caribbean! Oronsay to Tobermory 17 May 2025

Image
  Entering David Balfour Bay - it’s been on Susie’s to-do list for a long time.  And for good reason.  It was stunning, better than the Caribbean! Oronsay was as lovely as yesterday, though there was more of a breeze than forecast and it was cool enough.  However that didn’t stop the Great Northern Divers diving all around us, and a family of Shelducks with 9 tiny young feeding along the waters edge, a Bonxie flew over, and the Lapwings displayed above the nearby fields.  As we lifted the anchor at 08.30 a herd of cattle crossed the field knowingly heading for the tastiest grazing. The sun was shining. We headed north up past Colonsay and an hour and a half beyond to the southwest corner of Mull, to visit David Balfour Bay.  Susie has long wanted to visit it, so a coffee stop seemed a good excuse.  It is named after the main character in Robert Louis Stevenson’s book ‘Kidnapped’ which was partially filmed here.   This panorama only marginally port...
Read more