Fort William to Jura

Awelina of Sweden
James Collier
Sun 7 Oct 2012 22:59
55 38.09 N, 005 58.55 W

We arrived back at Awelina around 22:30 via taxi from Glasgow airport, too
late for the local Coop and pouring with rain so James made what he could
from boat stores - rather cuisine noire.

Next morning we got the first lock out of the canal proper into the sea lock
where James filled with fuel and Fe dashed to the Coop for some fresh
vegetables and milk before setting off in improving weather. By Corran
narrows we were able to turn the engine off and sail the rest of the way
down loch Linne and west about round the Garvellachs, past the much haunted
island of Eileach an Naoimh (pronounced Neeve) as it got dark.

We crept into an anchorage on the north side of west loch Tarbert, Jura
about 20:30 and anchored just inshore of two anchored fishing boats. As
usual these were showing peculiar lights (one was showing two fixed red in a
vertical line and nothing else, and the other two fixed red plus a white
all-round light, so 'aground'. However we used our handy algorithm for
recognising ships lights when in Scotland: if not in the books, it's a
fishing boat). We heard red stags making their distinctive grunting calls,
but otherwise passed a peaceful night.

The N wind gradually abated and by dawn it was near calm and promised to be
a glorious day, with the Paps of Jura really clear. So, it being Sunday and
so no deer stalking to disrupt, we decided to climb the Paps, or at least
one of them, walking in from Glenbatrick.

The walk-in is pretty tough going since there is no defined path but
tussocky grass, bracken and bog for some miles before starting upwards. It's
quite a pull up, much of it on loose scree, so we decided only to attempt
one - the highest, Beinn an Oir. As we scrambled up stags came and looked at
us and snorted - no need to stalk the damn things on Jura! - and we found
several patches where the vegetation has been cleared by the antlers of
fighting stags.

The view was amazing from the top: fully 120 miles visibility and we could
see Arran (of course), the Arochar Alps near loch Lomond, south across
Northern Ireland to the Mountains of Morne and out to sea to Barra and the
outer Hebrides. Well worth the effort, especially on such a beautiful and
cloudless day.

A brief stop for a sandwich and we raced back to Awelina and set off down
the sound of Islay, past the distilleries of Bunnahabhain and Caol Ila. and
on towards the mull of Kintyre, arriving off the Mull around midnight. The
wind picked up a little so we could sail at this point. NATO were holding
one of their biggest multi-navy exercises this weekend, and there were
broadcasts on VHF from warships announcing live firing just S of the Mull -
ie where we were! But the exclusion zone, of 3 miles, started 1/2 mile to
our south and we just carried on. An American destroyer did call us on VHF,
but by the time they'd got their VHF working the message, that they'd seen
us and all would be well if we and they just carried on on our respective
courses, was a little redundant albeit reassuring.

Amongst all this another boat appeared came up fast behind, passing us on
our starboard side, showing a single fixed green light high up forward, with
normal navigation and steaming lights much lower down and further aft. This
had James hurriedly studying reference books to try and identify it - new
kind of Minesweeper? Nuclear Submarine escort? 'Wing-in-Ground' craft? -
until the penny dropped: a fisherman with a broken bulb! And not actually
trawling of course (which is what he'd have been claiming to be doing had his bulb not
been broken).