Sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar 2011

I wish a belated Happy New Year to all visitors to seakayakphoto.com. As way of a celebration of the last year and in anticipation of sea kayaking adventures yet to come, here is the 7th annual sea kayaking desktop wallpaper calendar from seakayakphoto.com. The above link will lead to high resolution photos in four different desktop sizes.

January, Arran, Firth of Clyde.
February, Loch Creran,

A pasting, a couple of scones but not a Brownie in sight, at Big Jessie's.

From the Mull of Cara we made our way back to the crescent of sand where we had left the boats. Cumulonimbus clouds towered into the sky forming great hammerheads. Over on the mainland, someone was getting a pasting with torrential rain but it wasn't us!We set off from Cara back to Tayinloan in a light wind and I soon had the sail up......as Phil put in a cracking pace. However, when the breeze

Who's been sitting in my chair?

From Cara House, we made our way slowly up the spine of the Island towards the Mull of Cara. We looked back northwards over the blooming heather of Cara to a magnificent view encompassing, Jura, the Sound of Jura, Gigha, the Sound of Gigha and Kintyre.To the NW the Paps of Jura dominated the skyline while......to the NE the dazzling strip of sand, where we had luncheon the previous day,

Through the Brownie's window, on Cara.

We came across a row of old tractors lined up behind the beach at Cara. Phil tried to get the most recent looking one started......but judging by the spider's web in its air intake, it obviously hadn't run for a while.Giving up on the tractor, we started to walk up the track towards......Cara House, which was on the horizon.As we climbed, we enjoyed a fabulous view over Gigha to the Paps of

Last day of summer on Cara.

We finally made landfall on this beautiful beach at the north end of Cara.We gazed back at the stunning view over azure waters to verdant Gigha......and the distant rocky peaks of the Paps of Jura.We don't get a great deal of sun in Scotland but when we do....! This last day of a short summer will need to keep us going for some time during the dark days of the coming winter.

Thunder heralds our return to Cara.

After lunch at Sammy's place, it seemed too early to return to Tayinloan. After all we did not want to end up in a traffic jam on Loch Lomond side. So we turned south towards Cara again.A distant rumble of thunder from the east......drew our gaze towards towering clouds......but Donald heard nothing.The isle of Cara grew steadily bigger......as we prepared to greet the Brownie once more. What

You shouldn't otter camp here.

It was quite busy at the Boathouse so we set off down the coast of Gigha to the apparently deserted Port an Sgiathain for a peaceful lunch.This one of the loveliest spots on Gigha.The clear waters lapping the shell sand beach beach lay below a line of low, rocky cliffs.Drifts of wild flowers......grew in profusion on the meadow between the shore and the cliffs.A little burn ran down through the

Barnacles and ice creams on the east coast of Gigha.

After launching we made our way down through the reefs and skerries on Gigha's east coast.Donald in his little inflatable had to keep further offshore but was rewarded with the sight of an otter on an outlying reef.The east coast of Gigha is much more gentle than the exposed west and has rich farm land rising towards the summit slopes of Creag Bhan, 100m, which is the island's highest point.It is

Views from the north of Gigha.

The north end of Gigha is a wonderful wild place. Its highest hill is only 56m high but from its summit this lovely isle can be seen stretching away to the south with the Mull of Kintyre and even Ireland beyond.To the west, over the peninsula of Eilean Garbh, Islay stretches away to the Mull of Oa.To the east, the mountains of Arran rise above the Kintyre peninsula and the Sound of Gigha.Back at

Two sisters of Islay.

The next morning, the 7am ferry from Kennacraig to Islay sailed past Gigha under the magnificent Paps of Jura. She was the MV Hebridean Isles, built in 1985. As her name suggests, she served the Skye, North Uist and Harris triangle until 2001 when she moved south to the Islay run. The white pillars at the rear is a large lifting car ramp which was used until all her ports were fitted with

A sack of logs and a space for the Brownie.

Fortunately when the sun went down, the temperature dropped like a stone and the midges disappeared.Gradually the light faded until......there was only a red glow behind the Paps of Jura.We sat round a fire of crackling logs, leaving a space for the Brownie. It was just as well we had picked up a sack of logs at a petrol station on the way up as there was little driftwood on the beach.Phil and I

A feast on Gigha.

Once we had got our tents up it was time to start unloading the boats for our evening meal. We had chicken tikka bhuna, parathas, two mackerel and some beef burgers to prepare.The evening ferry to Port Ellen was the MV Isle of Arran. I did think of the fish and chips or chicken curry that Phil and I enjoyed on our last trip to Islay as she steamed past Gigha. On that occasion I had pointed out

Two resting places on Gigha.

It was early evening when we came across the wreck of the Kartli.It was humbling being so close to the final resting place of the wreck of this great ship and it served as a reminder of the power of the sea.This quartz, on a rock nearby, seemed to have taken its hue in sympathy from the rusting remains of the Kartli.The sun was nearly setting......by the time we had explored potential camping

Midges at the mill, on Gigha.

We now turned our bows to the north and up the exposed west coast of Gigha. It was a wonderful day with light winds and only a little swell coming in from the Atlantic. I soon had the sail up.We passed to the inside of the little island of Craro. Though it might appear to give some shelter on this wild coast, it has been the graveyard of many shipwrecks.As we made our way along the coast......the

Paying our respects to the Brownie on Cara.

On landing on Cara, Phil and I doffed our caps to the resident spirit, the Brownie. We both said "Good afternoon Mr Brownie, I trust you are well." Note a hatless Phil and a hatted Donald!Phil helped Donald up the beach with his boat and explained Cara diplomatic protocol. Donald said, "I'm not taking my hat off for any wee man in a brown coat!" Phil and I were quite unconcerned about Donald, as

Goat bhuna and the Mull of Cara

From the Boathouse on Gigha, we made our way south through a series of skerries. The Mull of Kintyre and the pointed summit of Cara lay beyond the skerries.We soon picked up a convoy of curious common seals who followed us through the channels. (Thanks to Will for identification.)Phil and I in the kayaks got through shallow gaps that Donald could not risk with his outboard motor.After crossing

Clear skies over Gigha.

The forecast for mainland Scotland was not looking good; with the possibility of torrential rain and thunderstorms but lightish winds. We looked west to Gigha, which is a beautiful low lying isle of the west coast of the Mull of Kintyre. I reckoned it would not have enough area to create a thermal uprising for a thunder cloud.Donald had been going to head up to the far north west but had been