Sea kayaking round Luing.

 Circumnavigation of Luing: a 32km day trip from Ellenabeich, Seil, January 2011.


18.2 km/hr in the Cuan Sound, between Luing and Seil.

The tide times in the Cuan Sound and the Grey Dogs (also the Corryvreckan) are influenced by low pressure Atlantic systems and can be difficult to predict within an hour's accuracy. However, in a high pressure system they are much more predictable, though

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 stirring sound of moving water in the Cuan Sound.

It was now three hours after the start of the spring flood tide and our course took us in a dog leg, round the north end of Torsa and into the Cuan Sound. We had told Phil that there might be a little slope (several feet or so) but there would not be any whirlpools (Phil has an unaccountable aversion to whirlpools).

At the entrance of the Sound, the skerry of An Cleiteadh, constricts and dams

The Grey Dogs were salivating, while awaiting our arrival.

It was a cold, grey, January day but the promise of spring tides took us to Ellenabeich on the Island of Seil. David, Jennifer, Jim, Phil and I launched our kayaks in the little harbour of this former slate mining centre.

The harbour at Ellenabeich is sheltered from the open Firth of Lorn by the island of Easdale which lies just over 100m across the Sound of Easdale. A little passenger ferry

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

A unobstructed view thanks to midges and shaggy dogs.

We passed by the south coast of Easdale......on our approach......to the little harbour at Ellenabeich, which nestles below the rocky slopes of Dun Mor, on the Island of Seil.We called in at the Oyster Brewery Bar Restaurant for a Guinness and some excellent haddock and chips. Despite being crowded when we arrived, we got the best seats. We are not sure if it was the coincidental arrival of the

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