The following article is reprinted from the Bulletin of Spring 1965, in accordance with the policy decided at the A.G.M. to include one such reprint in each Bulletin.

SCOTTISH CRUISING by Maureen Coleman

To justify the existence of the Alvis as a high powered, mechanically propelled vehicle rather than as a garden ornament Eric was persuaded that it would be possible to tow Aurora to Scotland for a cruise on the west coast. After towing Aurora the 25 miles home on the weekend before our holiday we found the springs of our new trailer flattened, the tyres bulging and the grease in the hub caps turned to two different coloured liquids! It looked as though we would be spending the holiday watching the cabbages grow in the back garden. However this preliminary run sorted out the teething troubles and Saturday evening 20 June found us in a lay-by using the boat as a caravan on the shores of Loch Lomond 240 miles towards our destination of Oban.

Sunday was a beautiful sunny day and having arrived about noon at the launching site — a sandy bay facing NW with a concrete slip, caravan site and restaurant — we provisioned and watered the ship and fitted all the gear aboard. We found the surrounding hills beckoned, so instead of launching we climbed the nearest hill to gaze down on the Firth of Lorne sparkling blue, dotted with islands, with the blue shoreline of Mull as a backcloth.

We launched early Monday morning and were lucky enough to have an almost calm day. A quick decision had to be made which way to go. As there was no wind, and only two hours of south going tide left we decided to cross the Firth of Lorne and head northwards up the Sound of Mull. We were not going to pass the Lismore Light and its adjacent rocks without help from the engine so downed sail. Once past the dangerous area the engine was stopped and the resulting silence was intense. Sudden heavy breathing made me jump — a couple of porpoises were gambling about ¼ mile away making no sound as they surfaced except this snorting. The seagulls on the rocky shore about two miles away sounded like occasional human voices and the sun shone from a cloudless sky. We ghosted on hearing more breathing but unable to see the porpoises because of the distance. The wind increased gradually to force 2 so enabling us to avoid the rocks and shoals and by mid afternoon it was apparent that an anchorage must soon be found before the tide turned. It was obvious from the charts and Clyde Cruising Club’s Sailing Directions that anchorages had to be chosen with greater care than on the east coast due to steeply shelving rocky shores, poor holding ground and greater incidence of strong winds.

Loch Aline half way along the Sound of Mull on the mainland shore proved a delightful quiet and picturesque anchorage with wooded shores and the usual castle. The anchor with warp stretching down to it could be seen in two fathoms the water was so clear. The wind here though, as in most lochs, was fickle blowing from first one way then the other. A visit to the small store next morning proved that provisions were much more expensive in the Highlands. The shopkeeper’s “What beautiful weather we are having!” was an echo of the words of every other Scot to whom we had spoken, which sounded ominously as though it was usually grey and cold in this part of the world. The morning passed pleasantly in warm sunshine running the rest of the distance up the Sound of Mull in force 3 gradually decreasing. With plenty of fair tide left, a course up Loch Sunart, which is over 20 miles long, was planned. The wind suddenly changed to NW force 4 and we went careering towards what appeared to be a solid rocky shore. The opening showed up between island and headland and the rocks were smooth and rounded worn by the pounding of the waves over centuries. Once in the loch the wind was again fickle with no appreciable tide because of the great depth and towards late afternoon the mist began rolling in from the west blotting out first the mountain tops then moving lower. Fortunately there was a handy bay on the north shore which we reached as the mist became a solid drizzle. An immaculate motor fisherman yacht also came in for the night, which is very short at this time of the year in Scotland and never becomes really dark.

Next morning it was still drizzling with poor visibility so we did not hurry to start and went ashore to provision and have a look at the village of Salen. Just a few cottages straggling round the head of the hay but an excellent store and the ubiquitous sheep nibbling the grass. Returning to Aurora we found three workmen admiring her who asked the inevitable questions “Have you an engine?” and “Is it reliable?” We were asked this several times and thought at the tine that the Scots yachtsmen were too engine conscious but upon reflection an engine is essential in these waters unless you have a strong pair of arms and oars as it is not easy to anchor and wait for a tide because of the great depths.

The afternoon passed tacking back down L. Sunart in thick mist against a fresh headwind. Although the sailing directions said Loch Teachdais entrance should only be attempted under power because of the shallow devious route necessitated by the rock strewn channel we entered under sculling oar and popped safely into the loch at great speed because of the current. This loch looked desolate with just a couple of houses on the shore and the low cloud and drizzle did not help to show it off. We hastily rigged the awning after anchoring near the head of the lock and watched the odd lorry bump its way over the track which served as a road.

Next morning we sculled out of the other entrance (which was even less recommended in the Sailing Directions) and saw a colony of seals on the seaweed covered rocks. The adults all slid into the water leaving the pups undefended and presently a ring of faces circled the boat. They soon started playing once we were past. A short sail in bright sunshine brought us to the next small loch na Droma Buidhe. A glorious peaceful anchorage almost landlocked with wooded hills one side and rocky island the other. Having climbed the nearest hill and feasted our eyes on the magnificent scene of islands, mountains and sea, we were tempted to bathe in the crystal clear water showing a bottom of white sand. Wading out waist deep through the seaweed forests and half a dozen strokes back was all the temperature of the water allowed. It was breathtakingly cold. Another yacht came in for the night, obviously a charter boat with owner skipper.

Next day, Friday, forecast W 5-6. Clouds racing overhead. Tried to sail out of narrow entrance but wind ahead and were afraid sudden squalls blowing off the steep sided entrance would drive us on the rocks so used engine to get clear. Two reefs for beat to Tobermory a distance of about six miles to windward part of which lay through a channel between rocks and the mainland. Very wet sail and were glad to reach the shelter of the harbour as visibility was worsening and rain became incessant.

Saturday forecast 5-6-7 again but day was brighter with some sunshine. Decided to see something of Mull so after provisioning walked along a narrow rough road over the moors. Our first glimpse of the sea on the west side of Mull was through a valley and there, beckoning on the horizon, was the island of Tiree. After this trek of about 10 miles we treated ourselves to fish and chips before going aboard. On enquiring for a paper we found that only yesterday’s are available here!

Sunday forecast W 4-5. With one reef in we poked our nose out round the north of Mull but the waves were too steep, though long enough for Aurora not to slam into them, so ran back down the Sound of Mull. Were thankful the rigging was in good order as it had a severe test. Aurora was sailing at her maximum speed of five knots for four hours. Looking astern during this sail the water appeared a smother of white on top of the deep blue almost black water even though the wind was with the tide. Entered Loch Don in the late afternoon and had difficulty finding an anchorage as L. Don is more like a small river estuary than a loch and the bed mostly dried out showing large boulders. Had an uncomfortable night with wind against tide and were glad to move on next day to Loch Spelve about three miles along the coast. Sailing directions made entrance sound difficult but were able to beat in against the first of the ebb without difficulty. After exploring the northern arm of the loch we climbed one of the hills and took snaps of the diminutive boat below which, needless to say, did not show on the print.

Tuesday. Cloudy with sunny spells. SW 4-5. Crossed Firth of Lorne rolling badly in the heavy swell to a locally favourite anchorage described as a lagoon (there were a couple of scraggy palm trees in the inn’s garden but no grass skirted girls). It was indeed a pleasant anchorage bounded by small flat islands to seaward and gently sloping low hill the other, and small enough to be cosy without being cramped. Three other yachts shared this anchorage.

Loch Feochan should be our next target we decided, not far along the coast but the entrance prohibitively difficult according to the sailing directions. However, with a fair wind and tide we experienced no difficulty and sailed in pleasant sunshine and gusty wind through the lower loch past the narrows and anchored in the upper loch. Being on the mainland and near Oban this was the most populated of all the lochs we had visited with clusters of houses and some caravans dotted on the shores. It is also apparently a jellyfish nursery. Everywhere in this loch the water was thick with minute jellyfish no bigger than a penny. In the other lochs there were monstrous jellyfish with yards of complicated streamers sometimes with four purple rings sometimes a rusty red all over.

Thursday 5W4-5. Cloudy, intermittent rain with some sun. With one reef beat through narrows and across lower loch. Arrived at the entrance too early so had to beat against the flood. It took ¾ hour of tight tacking to pass through the 200 yard channel which was only about 30 yards wide inside the entrance. During this time there were four workmen standing motionless on one shore, only their heads moved as they watched the progress of our boat. They never once appeared to take their eyes off us. On the other shore a woman in one of the bungalows drew her husband’s attention to this unusual sight. Using his binoculars the view from the window was not good enough so he stood in his porch following our progress until the bank hid us from view. It was a difficult entrance but no more so than some of the other lochs.

Once clear of L. Feochan we turned north through the Sound of Kerrera. Fierce squalls blew down from the hills on the island whipping the water to a foam and the rigging whistled as Aurora heeled far over to the quartering wind. We estimated the wind would not be right onshore in Ganovan Bay and that we should try and get the boat out today because we might wait for weeks for calmer weather. Having anchored in two fathoms about 100 yards from the slip, the breakers did not appear too bad, so, tying a bucket on the stern as a brake, we sculled ashore. The breakers were, of course, much larger than estimated and Aurora plunged about madly whilst I was trying to keep her stern on to the waves to prevent her hitting the concrete slip while Eric went for the trailer. Three times she was nearly on the trailer and three times she swept off sideways gouging herself against the corners. We were soaked up to our waists but at last we were able to heave her into shallower water more or less on the trailer. By now about eight holiday makers had lined the slip anxious to help so we gave them the anchor and warp and away went our pulling team up the slip with Aurora trundling behind. She was not correctly positioned on the rollers so they helped lift her over and after grateful thanks we were left to survey the damage. Obviously we were beginners at this trailer/boat business and had much to learn but one thing was certain — we should never use such an exposed slip again.

Having hitched the trailer on the car and changed our wet clothes we made a bee-line for the restaurant to have a belated 3 p.m. breakfast.

Conclusions: Do we want to go to this area again? — Yes. The attractions are: no overcrowding, many delightful anchorages close together, lovely scenery. Although we carried six gallons of water only three had been used during the eleven days because the seawater is so clean in this area that we had used fresh for nothing but drinking. The disadvantage is the weather. We were lucky to have no gales and reasonable sailing winds for sheltered passages most days with fair patches of sun but the forecasts were always in the range 4-7 from the westerly quarter (North Malin) although being tucked into lochs quite often the wind appeared of less strength but squally. During the time we spent in these waters we only saw about ten other yachts sailing so one doesn’t have to be of a gregarious nature. We saw no plywood boats.