At the end of April and beginning of May, I enjoyed a fantastic holiday on Fleet Bay in the Solway Firth. Each day dawned sunny...
...and the calm days were spent exploring the Islands of Fleet.
Thee Murray's Isles have a large cormorant colony which is surrounded by a gull colony. I was saddened to see a noisy party in 4 SOT/recreational kayaks paddle close under the rocks. The cormorants all
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Solway Firth. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Solway Firth. Tampilkan semua postingan
A near miss on the Solway
On the 30th of April, I was enjoying a holiday on Fleet Bay in the Solway Firth. Despite the sun a strong offshore wind meant my kayak stayed firmly on the beach. Actually it didn't! It got blown about 10m from where I left it!
The wind was blowing straight out the bay towards distant Burrow Head.
My anemometer was averaging 28knots on the beach. I watched enviously as Richard was enjoying a
The wind was blowing straight out the bay towards distant Burrow Head.
My anemometer was averaging 28knots on the beach. I watched enviously as Richard was enjoying a
Common sense prevails in Wigtown Bay.
This wonderful, wild seascape in Wigtown Bay has been under threat of industrialisation by the installation of 90 giant windmills. All would be situated within the confines of the bay, with the nearest being only 4.5km from the shore. Fortunately, for those that do not put natural beauty above greed for energy, the BBC Scottish News today announced that the Scottish Government turned down the
Sea kayaking round Burrow Head.
A 32km day paddle from Port William round Burrow Head to Garlieston, Solway Firth, January 2011.
Approaching Burrow Head near slack water.
TidesWell off Burrow Head: The east going flood starts -0600 HW Liverpool (-0545 HW Dover). The west going ebb starts at HW Liverpool (+0015 HW Dover) The spring rate is about 3 knots.
Close in to Burrow Head:Strong counter eddies become established in the
Approaching Burrow Head near slack water.
TidesWell off Burrow Head: The east going flood starts -0600 HW Liverpool (-0545 HW Dover). The west going ebb starts at HW Liverpool (+0015 HW Dover) The spring rate is about 3 knots.
Close in to Burrow Head:Strong counter eddies become established in the
Home to roost in Garlieston.
We had enjoyed our sojourn in the Isle Whithorn so much that, by the time we left, the whitewashed houses had a pink glow from a sun that was already sinking in the west.
On leaving the harbour we turned our backs to the sun and turned east...
...into the broad expanse of Wigtown Bay.
We made for Cruggleton Point...
...which is topped by the remains of Cruggleton Castle.
By now the sun was
On leaving the harbour we turned our backs to the sun and turned east...
...into the broad expanse of Wigtown Bay.
We made for Cruggleton Point...
...which is topped by the remains of Cruggleton Castle.
By now the sun was
Navigational aids: #7 The luncheon beacon.
Leaving Burrow Head, we paddled past the rather grandly named...
...Isles of Burrow.
Eventually (and remember we were still quite without luncheon) we noticed a white beacon above the line of apparently unbroken rock. Jim was new to the south west but immediately understood its meaning. This was a luncheon beacon!
Through a gap in the rocks, we slipped into Isle of Whithorn harbour.
We landed
...Isles of Burrow.
Eventually (and remember we were still quite without luncheon) we noticed a white beacon above the line of apparently unbroken rock. Jim was new to the south west but immediately understood its meaning. This was a luncheon beacon!
Through a gap in the rocks, we slipped into Isle of Whithorn harbour.
We landed
The Devil's bridge of Burrow Head.
Due to lost time on the shuttle, we had started a little later than planned. We still needed to meet the tidal window at Burrow Head and so we skipped first luncheon, carrying on towards the Head.
Close to the head, a strong counter eddy forms in the last 2 hours of both the flood and the ebb, particularly so at springs. This means that "slack water" close under the rocks occurs when the main
Close to the head, a strong counter eddy forms in the last 2 hours of both the flood and the ebb, particularly so at springs. This means that "slack water" close under the rocks occurs when the main
Touching the past on the way to Burrow Head.
At Bloody Neuk, about 4km short of Burrow Head, we came across the wreck of the SV Chile, which came to grief here in WW1.
Although she was a sailing vessel, she had steam powered winches...
to work her rigging.
There is nothing quite like touching the wreck of a once great ship...
...as mental preparation for rounding a distant headland, with a notorious tide race.
Although she was a sailing vessel, she had steam powered winches...
to work her rigging.
There is nothing quite like touching the wreck of a once great ship...
...as mental preparation for rounding a distant headland, with a notorious tide race.
Less fond of basking sharks than otters.
We paddled down the Machars peninsula and across Monreith Bay. Phil's silhouette was ringed by the bright water of Luce Bay.
Crazy drystone dykes marched across the Galloway hillsides and raised beaches. I have already mentioned that Port William was planned by Sir William Maxwell. One of his descendants, Gavin Maxwell, fisherman, turned naturalist, then author, was brought up in Elrig, just
Crazy drystone dykes marched across the Galloway hillsides and raised beaches. I have already mentioned that Port William was planned by Sir William Maxwell. One of his descendants, Gavin Maxwell, fisherman, turned naturalist, then author, was brought up in Elrig, just
A peculiarly cold form of burnishment, in Port William.
The tide was ebbing fast from the little harbour of Port William. The village was planned and built in the 1770's by Sir William Maxwell of Monreith.
The harbour is one of very few on the west of Galloway and like most in the area it dries out. Although the sun was now rising in the sky, the roofs of the village houses were still covered in frost.
Our departure was watched over by "the Man"...
The harbour is one of very few on the west of Galloway and like most in the area it dries out. Although the sun was now rising in the sky, the roofs of the village houses were still covered in frost.
Our departure was watched over by "the Man"...
We were so far south that there was almost a whiff of civilisation in the air.
At the end of January we drove far to the south, into the recesses of Galloway's remote Machars peninsula.
The winter sun struggled into the sky above the distant Burrow Head, a mysterious headland, which is isolated by the swirling tides that scour the Irish Sea.
We convened at the little harbour of Port William. Our arrival did not go unnoticed, the local sea kayaker braved the minus 5 degree
The winter sun struggled into the sky above the distant Burrow Head, a mysterious headland, which is isolated by the swirling tides that scour the Irish Sea.
We convened at the little harbour of Port William. Our arrival did not go unnoticed, the local sea kayaker braved the minus 5 degree
Seakayaking from Fleet Bay to Kirkcudbright.
A 43km day paddle from Carrick at the mouth of Fleet Bay to Kirkcudbright and return.
Dove Cave.
Keeping in line on the Solway.
No wonder the doves like it.
A lone watcher on the cliffs and a horrid murder.
The quest for a haddock of gargantuan proportions.
Danger on the Solway.
Tight ropes on Slack Heugh.
Photo album map
Dove Cave.
Keeping in line on the Solway.
No wonder the doves like it.
A lone watcher on the cliffs and a horrid murder.
The quest for a haddock of gargantuan proportions.
Danger on the Solway.
Tight ropes on Slack Heugh.
Photo album map
Tight ropes on Slack Heugh.
The SW coast of Meikle Ross has steep cliffs extending from Fox Craig along to Slack Heugh.
They are a magnet for rock climbers as there are a whole range of routes right up to E numbers.
We still had a little tidal assistance, though we were now out of the main ebb flow from the Solway. We soon found ourselves at Manxman's Rock...
...then the westcoast of Barlocco Isle. Phil tried to cross
They are a magnet for rock climbers as there are a whole range of routes right up to E numbers.
We still had a little tidal assistance, though we were now out of the main ebb flow from the Solway. We soon found ourselves at Manxman's Rock...
...then the westcoast of Barlocco Isle. Phil tried to cross
Danger on the Solway
From the quayside of Kirkcudbright we took the ebb tide back down the River Dee to Kirkcudbright Bay.
We passed the Gallovidian III which is the Range Boat for the Dundrennan firing range sea danger area that extends for 24x33km along the Solway coast to the SE of Kirkcudbright. Telephone contacts for the range are: 0141 224 8501 (Range Officer) or 0141 224 8502 (Guard House).
The channel was
We passed the Gallovidian III which is the Range Boat for the Dundrennan firing range sea danger area that extends for 24x33km along the Solway coast to the SE of Kirkcudbright. Telephone contacts for the range are: 0141 224 8501 (Range Officer) or 0141 224 8502 (Guard House).
The channel was
The quest for a haddock of gargantuan proportions.
Entering Kirkcudbright (kir-coo-bri) Bay, the landscape changed dramatically, the cliffs gave way to gentle wooded shores.
We stopped for a break at a little beach with a view to the far side of the bay and the distant Lake District hills in England beyond.
We now had a stiff paddle against an increasing ebb tide.
As we approached the town we came across a long marina pontoon. The tide was
We stopped for a break at a little beach with a view to the far side of the bay and the distant Lake District hills in England beyond.
We now had a stiff paddle against an increasing ebb tide.
As we approached the town we came across a long marina pontoon. The tide was
A lone watcher on the cliffs and a horrid murder.
From Dove Cave we allowed the flood tide to propel us along an incredibly convoluted coast of upended greywacke strata.
The contrast with the open expanse of Wigtown Bay could not have been greater.
Near Borness Point we saw a lone figure who watched or progress along this apparently wild coast. Up on the cliff tops all is not so wild, it is a golf course!
There was superb rock hopping as we
The contrast with the open expanse of Wigtown Bay could not have been greater.
Near Borness Point we saw a lone figure who watched or progress along this apparently wild coast. Up on the cliff tops all is not so wild, it is a golf course!
There was superb rock hopping as we
No wonder the doves like it.
As we passed the Meikle and Little Pinnacles, I saw the guys ahead take a sharp left.
I knew they had found Dove cave. Jim was getting his camera out...
...while Tony had paddled straight into the recesses of the cave...
...from which there is a wonderful view out to Wigtown Bay. No wonder the doves like it.
I knew they had found Dove cave. Jim was getting his camera out...
...while Tony had paddled straight into the recesses of the cave...
...from which there is a wonderful view out to Wigtown Bay. No wonder the doves like it.
Keeping in line on the Solway.
Back in October, Billy, Jim, Phil, Tony and I convened at Carrick shore in Scotland's deep south, the Solway.
We planned to take the flood tide east to Little Ross Island and Kirkcudbright Bay.
A nice NW breeze soon had the Flat Earth sail filled and I was flying away towards Barlocco Isle.
It is just as well that the wind dropped or we would not have been able to practice five abreast
We planned to take the flood tide east to Little Ross Island and Kirkcudbright Bay.
A nice NW breeze soon had the Flat Earth sail filled and I was flying away towards Barlocco Isle.
It is just as well that the wind dropped or we would not have been able to practice five abreast
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,
January, Arran, Firth of Clyde.
February, Loch Creran,
Wigtown Bay Windfarm Petition
Last Saturday JimW,......Phil, Tony, Billy and myself...paddled from Fleet Bay, a National Scenic Area to Kirkudbright and back. Our route took us along the wild and unspoiled NE shore of Wigtown Bay.At the end of our paddle we looked out from Carrick shore to Barlocco Isle, the Solway Firth, the distant Isle of Man, Ardwall Isle in the foreground and low lying Burrow Head. The beauty of this
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