Darkness stole across the Isles of the Sea.

The entrance of the Cuan Sound can be a bit bouncy as the flood tide jets out into the Firth of Lorn...

... but it soon flattened off as paddled up the west coast of Seil.

The sun was setting in the SW as we approached the village of Ellenabeich.

As we drifted north with the now gentle tide we looked back to Scarba, Lunga, the Black Islands and the Garvellachs.

The sun dipped behind the

The Garvellachs from Seil

A 32km day trip round the Garvellach islands from Ellenabeich on Seil. August 2010.the NW coast of Eileach na Naoimh.Tidal streams from Insh Island to the north end of the Sound of Luing:+0430 HW Oban (-0100 HW Dover) north-east going flood begins.-0155 HW Oban (+0500 HW Dover) south-west going ebb begins.The spring rate is 6-7 knots through the islands at the N end of the Sound of Luing. On the

An encounter with Loti on an uneasy sea.

Long after we had left Belnahua we were still being carried north at 9-11km/hr on an uneasy sea. Wind against tide here can be an interesting experience. Fortunately there was not a breath of wind.Looking back to the Garvellachs, we could just make out the outline of Colonsay to their right side.Soon we left the isolated rocks of Dubh-fheith behind.As we approached Easdale, the evening Cal-Mac

Bear right at Belnahua!

We paddled east towards the Black Islands. Away to the south Jura and Islay lay on the horizon while Eileach an Naoimh lay closer at hand.We got a good view of Dun Chonnuil to the north. Through the gap between it and Garbh Eileach we could see the Laggan peninsula on Mull.We slipped through the reefs to the east of Eilean Dubh Beag, the smaller of the Black Islands. After a brief stop on Eilean

Return tickets for the Sound of Luing express.

We cut through the reefs to the SW of A' Chuli and proceeded up its SE coast until......we arrived at Garbh Eileach and its little jetty, which is used by the farmers to load and unload sheep for summer. We basked on the warm rocks and enjoyed a little refreshing amber nectar.Although it is a rocky landing this bay is sheltered from all directions except NE. Rising water announced that the flood

The great eagle of Eileach an Naoimh

The exposed NW cooast of Eileach an Naoimh inthe Garvellach Isles is a wondrous place. This great stone eagle stretches its wings over a tiny paddler, who is lost in the scale of the place.Usually the swell is too big to get in this close. We had looped round the Garvellachs in a figure of eight, so that we would paddle this bit later in the day, when the sun had come round...You can see why!

Garvellachs rock face.

Fleeing from the midges at the monastery, we made our way round the reefs at the SW corner of the Garvellachs......before turning NE up their exposed side.The modern lighthouse is perched...on the end of a line of dramatic tillite cliffs.As we made our way below the lighthouse...We became aware of the dramatic features of the Old Man of the Garvellachs, whose stony gaze was directed to the

A fishless lunch on Eileach an Naoimh

We slipped through a gap in the reefs through to the SE side of the Garvellachs. I fell behind the others to drop a mackerel line over the side. I very quickly caught a good sized one but when I pulled it in it was just a head! It had been very neatly bitten off at the gills by a seal that was following us. I gave up on the idea of mackerel for lunch. :o(The magnificent Paps of Jura dominated the

Sea kayaking under the west coast cliffs of Garbh Eileach.

The NW coast of the Garvellachs is a wild place. It is not often possible to paddle in close due to the swell that seems to be amplified as it rolls up the narrowing Firth of Lorn from the Atlantic.We proceeded under the steep tillite (metamorphosed glacial deposits) cliffs of Garbh Eileach.The cliffs are almost continuous until......we reached a break before the next island in the chain, A'

A rough crossing to the Rough Islands.

The weather forecast for the long weekend was pretty poor but there was to be a brief weather window on the Sunday. After an early start, David, Jennifer, Tony and I made our way up to the Island of Seil. Our plan was a dry trip to the Garvellach Islands that lie in the tides that sweep between Scarba and Mull. We were on the water in time to catch the 10:15 ebb express for the Garvellachs!With