Our next voyage through the Small Isles took us to the Island of Rum. This is a wild and mountainous place with just one anchorage on the east side. View of Rum Island from the Sea Rum has two interesting claims to fame. One is the exotic and rather curious Kinloch Castle, a hunting lodge for a previous owner, Sir George Bullough. Sir George used to have his staff fire at unwanted boats who dared to enter his waters, earning it the title of the "Forbidden Isle". The other is that they boast the largest and most prolific population of midges - maybe not something you would normally want to advertise to potential visitors! Kinloch Castle The island was sold by the Bulloughs in 1957 and is now owned by Scottish National Heritage (SNH), a government funded organisation that promotes the natural environment for the public to enjoy. The population is currently about 30 people and they have a primary school (described as "very remote, rural") with 1 pupil...
From Loch Ranza we sailed on a broad reach in frisky conditions, under all plain sail. We touched nine knots in one gust, which is somewhat faster than hull speed, so we were becoming semi-displacement! We arrived quite quickly in East Loch Tarbert. There are a lot of Tarberts around here, so they can get confusing. The name "tarbert" is derived from Gaelic and is a term for an inlet or loch separated from the one opposite by a small ridge of land, or isthmus. The Vikings sometimes used to shift their boats over the ridges, to save sailing the long way around. With a substantial keel, we'll have to keep sailing. East Loch Tarbert Entrance - View From Castle With lots to see and interesting local walks, we would have liked to stay longer in Tarbert, but while the rest of the country was expecting a heat wave, heavy rain was forecast here. We therefore decided to press on to the Crinan Canal and sit it out there. We have ...
Back on the mooring at Weir Quay, we were welcomed ashore by Mike Parkin and Pat Moss plus Rob Smith and Mike Grimshaw from the Tavy Tars, who serenaded us as we enjoyed a celebratory glass on Mike's patio. What a lovely homecoming! Some thoughts about our voyage : A great way to see our beautiful country and to meet those living along its coastlines. Quite challenging at times when the sea conditions rose to test us. Rapport is a lovely boat that took care of us when we most needed it. We were SO lucky with the weather and this made a tremendous difference. The abundance of sea life, especially birds, in our remote waters has been staggering to observe. The resourcefulness of islanders is impressive and how they pull together to sustain their communities. We are very grateful for the warm welcome we received from everyone. The west coast of Scotland is so beautiful but is sparsely populated and has remarkably few visiting yachts. The midges in Scotland are a force t...
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