Snowy Glasgow

We had a little more snow in Glasgow yesterday, we have had snow in the garden since Friday 26th November.

It took over 4 hours to get home from work yesterday. My wife abandoned her car but I picked her up and was mighty glad to get the car home. A rear wheel drive automatic is not the best on snow but winter tyres made all the difference.

We were lucky some people had to spend the night in

It's behind you, on the Clyde

In Scotland the snow tends to arrive with the Pantomime season.  It was quite cold when Tony, Alan and I arrived at Largs marina on the Firth of Clyde. I didn't dare take the short road over the hills, I took the long way round by Kilmarnock, Irvine and Ardrossan. In the distance, the mountains of Arran rose above Great Cumbrae island.
  
 The "pencil" celebrates the Battle of Largs in 1263.

Relief in Bracken Bay

After the excitement in leaving Dunure harbour, we found the sea further out had built up a little swell. The shallow rock shelves, that project from each of the headlands, caused some turbulence on our return north to Ayr.It was with some relief that we landed at Bracken Bay. Soon our flasks were out with some warming soup. Although there was an orange glow in the sky from the setting sun......

The pull of snow covered mountains

We proceeded south. Although there was a clear blue sky......we were in the deep shade of the cliffs that tumbled into the sea from a frozen landscape above.We took a break on a frost covered shore. We hopped from one foot to the other to keep warm.Soon some hot soup and an 18 year old Glenfiddich achieved what the sun had singularly failed to do.At the time, I had this lovely P&H Cetus out on

New Year's Day

Contrary to popular opinion, not all Scots have a hangover on New Year's day. Tony, David, Phil and I met in the early morning at Seafield car park in Ayr.It was bitterly cold as we paddled south towards the Heads of Ayr......but the stunning view of Arran's wintry mountains made it worthwhile.

An icy start at Loch Feochan.

Back at the beginning of March, we took the long road north for another adventure. We left one car at Taynuilt on the southern shore of Loch Etive.We then drove 32 km SW to the southern shore of Loch Feochan. The top 3km of the loch was frozen so we had to launch on the sea sea side of the inner narrows. Our plan was to paddle out into the Firth of Lorn then NE by Oban before entering Loch Etive