The showery weather eased as we finished our transit of the Crinan Canal and although still far from summery, once off the water the temperature rose and it felt balmy. The area around the Canal’s sea lock is ideal for walking so the most was made of the mild day.

This sculpture took us by surprise

The country side is gentle with low rolling hills and plentiful trees…..

…..pleasant coastal villages

With only a few days of Hattie’s holiday left we needed to move on toward Oban where she would get the train to Glasgow and fly back south. We left through Crinan’s sea lock into the Sound of Jura and headed north past the Gulf of Corryvreckan where the water runs wild through powerful overfalls and a whirlpool which is said to be the 3^rd most dangerous in the world. This is all caused by an uneven sea bed and tides being squeezed through between Scarba and Jura. We passed a good distance away so all was well.

Sailing on from Jura through the Sound of Luing and up to the Firth of Lorn we stopped at the Black Islands which are hauntingly beautiful in their isolation. Nothing moved except the breeze, there were no seals or birds. The cold, the light and the clouds made these islands feel other-worldly. We spent the night in an idyllic anchorage, still and silent.

A trip ashore offered the chance to get higher to savour the views from all angles. This island was good for scrambling and our resident scrambler was soon up the rocks.

Too soon it seemed we had to move on, we wanted more of this place, we shall have to come back one day.

But for now it’s