Early in the morning, we raise anchor at the still and at a few cable lengths from Castle Moy on Loch Buie (Isle of Mull). In this loch facing south-west, last night was moderately pleasant, due to a small swell from the south that came before the wind forecast in the same direction, forcing the Milagro to keep an annoying stand through this swell (and cradle us of course, but we would have gladly done without it!).
By accumulating starting the engine, lifting the anchor, cleaning the pile of gravel and sludge that stained the chain and anchor, and hoisting sails to be able to navigate only through them, we have set a new record of a minimum use of the engine: 20 minutes! We are able to leave the loch thanks to the mizzen mast and the yankee, at close, at 5.5 knots: what’s the use of pushing it?
The forecast is good (South 3 to 5 going to 2 to 4 for a few hours, before going to 3 to 5 and move to North-West 4 to 6 south of the Isle of Mull. We make the most of the ebbing tide to keep at good distance from the southern coast, despite a closed haul. This part of the island situated between Loch Scridain (North) and the end of Firth of Lorn (South) form a peninsula called Ross of Mull. The further West we navigate, the more complex the bottoms get, with many reefs to go through to reach our goal: Iona.
The basalt cliffs (palisades again!) are, at times, shaped into caves and arches sculpted by erosion and are interspersed by gorgeous turquoise waterfalls and creeks. Disregarding the water temperature (14 degrees), this colour could entice us to go swimming! We are stunned by the beauty of the landscape and change course to come closer, close-hauled to Malcom’s Point waterfall, before going back to our southern course.
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Gradually, we come across more demanding passages, of which the Torran Rocks mapped by Bogha nan Ramfhear cardinal and the entry towards the south of the Sound of Iona. Once again, we experience many moments of solitude (and laughter obviously) which intersperse with the times when we name the rocks, bays, reefs, islands and capes! Our encounters with locals who didn’t speak Gaelic reassured us when we talked about it with them: they were only just about able to mumble a few words! If you want to get an idea of the moment, just look at the map of that area!
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We enter the channel separating Ross of Mull from Iona by sail (close-hauled, 5.5 knots). Being the only sailing ship in this channel at the end of the afternoon, we decide not to set course north by means of the engine.
We prefer to take our time to study the map thoroughly and look for any visual signs onshore to successfully cross the channel by exclusively relying on the alignments (cathedral, Bull Hole…) and the sounder indicators, rather than following what’s on the screens. We prepare several recordings by means of the compass and jibing manoeuvres in relatively narrow passages to go round sounders of a sand and rock band between 10cms and 1m60, then sail starboard off Eilean nam Ban Island and its amazing colours. We arrive in a new area and reach anchorage of Port na Fraing and its white sand beach, just for ourselves and on 7m bottom! (those of Martyrs’ Bay or Bull Hole are more crowdy). The forecast 4 to 6 Beaufort arrive at the end of the day, yet we are safe in the channel, under Iona’s wind.
After a restful night, we leave on the boat towards Martyr’s Bay’s ferry dock to visit this sacred place of the Scottish history of which Vicky Gunn has told us about: she is medieval history research we had met in Loch Melfort.
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Iona is a small island facing the Atlantic Ocean and has only one land at the surface towards the West at this latitude, given the dangerous surroundings of Skerryvore (next comes Canada). It’s surrounded with reefs of which the black rocks are set in contrast with the white sand beaches. Bestowed with a small village offering all the essential services (including a primary school) and several craftworkers (potters, wood sculptors, jewellery designers, basket makers, weavers…), Iona is considered one of the main spiritual places of Scotland. Many come in pilgrimage and/or to find peace during spiritual retreats.
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Why is this small island so important, then? This is what we’ll share with you further in details thanks to the information given by Vicky during our visit, and through the reading and research that followed.
The first conclusion we can make is that the cultural and historical importance of Iona is totally out of proportion, given its size. It has been inhabited at least since the Bronze Age as can be seen with Blàr Buidhe site; but it is only from the 6th century that the importance of Iona was documented. Several toponyms are associated with the island, including “Ì”, “Ì Challuim Chille” (Iona of St Columba to avoid any confusions), “Eilean Idhe” (The isle of Iona) and “Ì nam ban bòidheach” (Iona of the beautiful woman in gaelic), and its inhabitants are called the Idheach.
563 saw the arrival of twelves disciples sailing on Columbia from the north of Ireland. They founded the second Christianisation mission of Scotland, one century and a half after the former one led by Ninian of the Isle of Whithorn in 397, and of which the precepts would have been conveyed all the way to the Shetland islands. It was a strategic move to establish a church and a monastery on Iona, since that island was situated on a waterway allowing passage from Inverness to Ireland but also the whole Celtic world. Like Holy Island and Portmahomack, Iona quickly became a source of dissemination of the Celtic version of the Christian religion and of new ideas and creations (including illumination/calligraphy, music, painting and art crafts). Choosing this place to do it was very efficient because it was situated on a main cultural and commercial axis at the time. The small community that had settled there also developed a subsistence economy with an important farming activity (cereal cultures and breeding), fishing and building. They were not completely self-reliant, since they used to import wine, pigments and oils from the south of France for liturgic purposes!
For 34 years, Columba developed close ties with royalty, converting, for example, King Bruce and the Picts to Christianism, following a spiritual battle he won against the referent of their kingdom. Columba also facilitated, until his death in 597, the establishment of an independent realm in west Scotland: Argyll. Most of this information reached us thanks to Adomnàn, a diplomat who succeeded to and was St Columba’s biographer, by leading the mission for 25 years, in the 7th century. He wrote several major works to understand that period, including “The life of Saint Columba” (“Vita Sancti Columbae”, circa 690) and “The Law of the innocents” (“Lex Innocentium” dated 697).
In the 8th and 9th centuries, the Vikings attacked Iona on several occasions, attracted by the treasures of the monastery. 825 saw one of the worst Viking raids: Father Blathmac and the monks with him were tortured for the purpose of getting them to reveal the place where the relics of St Columba were hidden, a poem mentioning they would lay inside a chest covered with gold and silver. When nothing was confessed, they were slaughtered in a bay later called Martyrs’ Bay. The fear of those raids and their repetitive nature was such that it had led to an exodus of many clergymen who made sure to take the rarest relics with them (including St Columba’s bones) and another treasure: the Book of Kells (created in Iona 200 years after St Columba’s death, this book is considered one of the most remarkable religious works of the time and can now be seen at Trinity College in Dublin). Despite these relentless attacks, the monastery remained active, and the frequency of the raids only decreased in the 10th century when the Vikings settled in the Hebrides converted to Christianism and adopted St Columba as their saint patron. Several engraved tomb stones preserved in the museum show the Viking influence with inscriptions in rune.
In the 11th century, Iona and most of the western Scottish isles were under the power of the king of Norway. The distance made it quite complicated to rule the region, the king entrusted a Norwegian-Gaelic warrior with the task: Somerled. He became the first Lord of the Isles, controlling a region spreading from Kintyre to the Inner Hebrides. His descendants were the MacDougalls of Lorn, MacDonalds of Islay and MacRuairis of Garmoran, several of them having played a major role in the 14th political manoeuvres and independence wars.
During our excursion onshore and on our way to the abbey, we walked across the ruins of a convent and followed the Road of the Dead (“Sràid nam marbh”), a road paved with pink granite and connecting the Martyr Bay with St Columba’s tombstone situated at the centre of the benedictine abbey built in the 15th century. This route was the very same one followed by pilgrims and during the processions dedicated to the graves of important actors of the Gaelic world in the cemetery of Reilig Odhrain surrounding St Oran chapel which was built in the 12th century (the oldest intact structure of the island). It is said that, in this cemetery, would lay 48 Scottish Kings (among whom Macbeth / Mac Bethad), members of the clan of MacDonald Lord of the Isles, some of whom with Norse ascendents (MacKinnons, MacLeans and MacLeods) and, in a small chapel so simple it is baffling, the bodies of the most important lord and war chiefs of the western Scottish islands. Many old, sculpted tombstones are still in this cemetery, while others have been moved to the museum of the abbey cloister to ensure their preservation. It is said that the first crosses on the tombstones, considered rather conventional nowadays, would have appeared in Iona approximately in 600, as shown with the oldest crosses ornate with sophisticated symbols and bearing various designs as shown by the various examples seen in the museum next to the abbey.
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Afterwards, we leave this cemetery and walk to the rocky headland called Torr an aba, facing the abbey and where Columba used to work. This site offers an outstanding view on the Sound of Iona, the far end of Ross of Mull and the small chapel containing St Columba’s tomb and situated just behind the replica of an impressive granite, sculpted cross dedicated to St Jean (the original one is in the museum). This abbey was built in the 13th century after the arrival of benedictine monks and Augustinian sisters invited over by Ranald, the Lord of the Islands and descendant of Somerled, with the purpose of revitalising religious life on the island, while being offered more subsequent means of subsistence. Several armed attacks sabotaged this new monastery, as several Irish religious chiefs would not accept to lose their ties and influence on Iona. Following the Treaty of Perth (1266) between Norway and Scotland, Iona went back to the kingdom of Scotland, and progressively became an important pilgrimage place until the Reformation of 1560 which saw the end of the monasteries in Scotland.
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Several restoration attempts were then carried out without any success, and progressively transformed the buildings into ruins by the end of the 19th century, as shown by several photos taken before some important work. The 8th Duke of Argyll, owner of the island, commissioned an architect to consolidate the ruins, then sold the abbey, the cemetery and the convent to Iona Cathedral Trust in 1899. Several renovation works were launched, and 6 years later, a first service was able to be performed in the partially renovated church. As the decades went by, dedication focused on restoring the monastery and the whole west part of the cloister, at the instigation of Iona Community, a Christian community that works towards peace and social justice and whose members are disseminated around the world. In 2000 Iona Cathedral Trust ended up selling the abbey, the cemetery, Saint Ronan’s church and the convent to Scotland’s historical monuments. Today the cathedral is still in good shape and well-kept by means of the revenues generated from the visits and donations.
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Anyway, as you may have gathered, Iona is the place to be when you go to the Hebrides. It is to Scotland what St Jacques de Compostelle is to France and Spain, and if you really want to do the pilgrimage, we would recommend you do it sailing rather than walking. Even if you are not passionate about history, the sheer beauty of the monument and its surroundings is outstanding: they create a parenthesis where you are transported at different times and allow you to look at those islands with a different eye. Iona really does create room for the imaginary, eventually echoing everything we also look for in the navigation and the lengthy disconnection from the uproar it procures, being in harmony with, yet depending on the elements. This feeling can also be found in the words of the composer Felix Mendelssohn in 1829 featured on one of the exit walls of the cloister: “When in some future time I shall sit in a madly crowded assembly with music and dancing round me, and the wish arises to retire into the loneliest loneliness, I shall think of Iona.”
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Time flew and we didn’t notice, and we came back to the Milagro only late afternoon and quickly nibbled on something before raising anchor, to make the most of the good conditions to reach Staffa, then Ulva before nightfall.
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A small bonus: the sunset lights on the reefs and ocean spray southwards of Iona a couple of weeks later, departing the Treshnish islands.
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It is after a superb stopover made up of encounters as beautiful as the surrounding landscapes that we leave Loch Melfort to head towards the south of Mull Island. To do this, several options exist and we choose that of Cuan Sound, a (fairly) narrow channel separating Seil Island from its southern neighbors, Luing and Torsa. The conditions being too calm to advance solely under sail and arrive in time for the right moment of tide, it is with engine support that we enter the channel. The “eddies” (eddies) indicated on the map are there, accompanied by fairly anarchic current veins as they pass through the north of An Cléiteadh. The crew of the small Cuan ferry, connecting Seil and Luing, greets us and, past some ruins at the exit of the channel where sheep and cattle graze, we enter the inland Firth of Lorn (“Ann Linne Latharnach” in Gaelic), hoist the sails and let’s turn off the engine to cross this bay downwind and under full sail, under a big cloudless blue sky.
The Firth of Lorn(e) is a bay located in the continuity of the Great Glen fault (that of the Caledonian Canal). This place has been classified, taking into account the diversity of landscapes and species that inhabit it, as a protected area since 2014. As shown in the bathymetric maps of the Firth of Lorn, the relief of the seabed is similar to that of the surface. : cliffs, flats and peaks. All this contributes to creating very diverse conditions where species reaching their northern or southern migration limits respectively meet. The morphology of the seabed and its opening towards the Atlantic mean that it is better to go there in good weather to avoid static waves and whirlpools. The effects of the tide are strong there, with significant currents from the Great Race. In our favor during the crossing, this current accompanies us towards Loch Spelve.
We enter under sail in the evening, along green cliffs and revealing the first evidence of active volcanism more than 40 million years ago: columns of basalt (from lava) to the east and to the south of the loch and a mixture of granophyre (quartz-containing) and olivine-encrusted sandstone (sandy sedimentary rock) to the west and north.
We leave sea farms on either side and drop anchor at the bottom of the west loch, to the sound of the cries of flying oystercatchers and the bleating of sheep. The calm is total and not a stir breaks the nighttime tranquility.
The next day we set off on foot for Loch Uisg, a large lake located in the axis of the Great Glen fault and surrounded by Loch Spelve to the north-east and Loch Buie to the south-west. All along the way we marvel at the rhododendrons which, unlike at home where they are shrub-sized, are made of real dense and richly colored wood. Kinlochspelve church overlooks the east bank and opens before us the horizon of a body of water on which everyone imagines what sport they could practice there: windsurfing, kayaking, wingfoil, kite, dinghy… we aren’t in lack of ideas and the small pontoon next to a lodge confirms to us that we are really not the first to think of it!
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We continue our walk towards Loch Buie to visit Moy Castle of the MacLaine clan of Lochbuie. Built in 1450 by Hector Reaganach Maclean, this three-storey castle, directly supplied with fresh water on the ground floor, was recognized by the King of Scotland in 1494. It was erected a stone’s throw from the bank in order to allow ships to easily access it. A still visible arch of stones served as a fish trap and several large blocks facilitate landing from small boats. It was the scene of clashes such as during the Jacobite revolt of 1689. This castle had to be restored at the end of this period and was also modified over the centuries to improve comfort (e.g. installation of a fireplace in the 16th century). It was only in 1790 that the MacLaine clan of Lochbuie left it in favor of a more comfortable neighboring habitat, once more peaceful times had returned: the Moy house. For several decades the use of Moy Castle was reduced to that of its dungeon as a prison.
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The loch is so beautiful that we decide to return there with Milagro and enjoy a new excursion the next day to the megaliths. On our return to Loch Spelve we are no longer alone at anchor and meet the friendly neighboring crew, a trio of Scots impressed by the size and line of our Milagro. We invite them on board for coffee the next morning, before weighing anchor towards Loch Buie.
Navigation is across (4-5 Beaufort), leeward of Mull Island. We approach Moy Castle and enjoy a splendid view of the highest peak of the loch: Ben Buie (717m). We drop anchor in an indentation in the loch and disembark to see these famous megaliths. The weather is so beautiful that bathers are enjoying the nearby beach and we are quick to abandon the windbreakers and prefer t-shirts. The walk towards the megaliths leads us to the encounter of a meeting between deer and sheep. We follow the white stones showing us the way to the circle of megaliths. Before arrival, another site is spotted by Lauriane, a few hundred meters away, similar to certain tumuli-type tombs visible within the megalithic site of Saint Just in Brittany (composed of several rooms and an entrance corridor ). The sight of the circle of megaliths fascinates: what does it mean? The lack of scientific consensus on the subject allows everyone to project their imagination and see it as a ritual site, a monument linked to the alignment of the stars or even a gathering place to party!
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After dinner at anchor the sky becomes thicker and a little rolling appears to lull us. We prepare for the next navigation to Iona, the sacred island.
Soon we will publish a short video summarizing our stops at Loch Spelve and Loch Buie and incorporating images of the megalith circle.
It was at the end of the day that we arrived quietly under sail at the eastern end of Loch Melfort, dropping anchor in a very sticky muddy bottom (for the chain and the bridge too, by the way…). As soon as we arrive, Damien receives a call from one of his friends and former student, Christian, on his way from Leeds to join us on board for the evening! Passionate about Scotland, he is an inexhaustible source of ideas for places to visit, each more remote, interesting and wild than the last. The paper maps and those on the tablet were gradually found to be filled with small additional points and annotations. Added to this is a small list of books to consult… Enough to satisfy our desire to explore and learn for weeks or even months…!
The next morning, upon arrival at the small pontoon of the Kilmelfort hotel before heading with Christian towards Oban for a supply of fresh produce, a second nice surprise awaits us: the meeting with Vicky and Margaret, both busy on their magnificent little sailboat. We were thinking of taking the bus back from Oban, but in the end it was Vicky who would pick us up directly from the supermarket! During this winding journey between lochs and hills, we invite him and Margaret to come and visit our “huge sailboat”, which belongs to the Karukinka association. Questions follow about the why and how of the association, the ship, Lauriane’s research and our coming to Scotland… and she tells us that she is a researcher in medieval history at the University of Glasgow.
It was after lunch the next day that she came to give us a magnificent gift: several hours of medieval Scottish history lessons in the Milagro square! Supporting map, historical references, information on the hidden history of places and settlement dynamics,… we don’t miss a thing. “History here was made by navigators, under sail”. This remark, full of common sense given the morphology of the places, reminds us that indeed, the exchanges of ideas, cultural influences, battles, invasions from all sides, colonization processes, waves of religious reforms, technological developments,… existed thanks to sailing (and rowing…).
Our route (North Cape to Cape Horn), from Brittany to Norway via Ireland and Scotland, is none other than that of a major axis of exchange for thousands of years. Celtic then Roman presence, first Christian missions (6th century), tribal wars between the Picts and other groups, Viking invasions, clan functioning very anchored in Scottish culture… Each island, from the Hebrides to the Shetlands, carries with it loaded histories of wind and spray that erosion gradually erases from our sight but that archives carefully kept over the centuries save from oblivion. It’s a real painstaking effort that Vicky Gunn and many researchers in Scottish history are carrying out to understand the territory at different times. They give meaning to what surrounds us, from megaliths to castle ruins, inviting us to research more and more.
Milagro’s library has once again been expanded with a few additional works, not to mention those that Vicky plans to recommend that we have on board, and it is shortly that a Gaelic-English dictionary will be on board to help us to understand what the names of the places we navigate mean. An appointment is made: on our next visit to Loch Melfort, we will definitely go to visit Vicky and Margaret!
Before resuming our journey north, last weekend, it was time for a reunion for Damien: the return to Kames Fish Farm. He came anxiously to introduce himself at the farm reception: after 20 years without news, would the managers of this family business still be there? Could the farm have been bought by Norwegian companies, like many Scottish fish farms? Damien introduces himself and that’s when a man in his thirties shakes his hand: Andrew, the one with whom Damien had taken care of the rabbits, played video games with his brother Charles and him,… when he was very little! Andrew immediately calls his father, Stuart, the entrepreneur behind this farm and with whom Damien worked. A few minutes later, he arrives and shows us around the hatchery, the office for remote control of the security of the cages scattered throughout the islands, the distribution of food by clicking behind a screen, the selection of specimens most suited to adapt to climate change… Always in search of improvement, he also tells us that he had to face a health disaster that struck his farm several years ago (foot-and-mouth disease from Norway), the forcing us to slaughter all of our salmon rather than falling into the widely documented excesses of farm abuses. Kames therefore no longer raises salmon as it did 20 years ago, but trout, and in dizzying numbers: when Damien worked there, the farm sold between 200 and 300 tonnes of salmon per year, and today it More than 3000 tonnes of trout are exported to the USA.
We leave Loch Melfort in our wake, with a new chapter opening in the bow of Milagro: heading for Mull!
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PS: We like Scotland so much that we have chosen to review our program to stay there longer and simplify the arrival of those who want to join us, without struggling with logistics. You will therefore see (here) that we are offering 5 simplified one-week stays from next Saturday: departure and arrival Oban! From Glasgow (direct flights from Paris, Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, etc.) it takes 3 hours by direct train or bus in the Highlands (a journey within a journey!) to reach us at the port of Oban. For those who would like to avoid flying, this destination is also accessible by train from France (allow 12 hours from Paris).
In short, if you need help to organize yourself, we are not a travel agency but we are here to help you and will be delighted to welcome you to share these places where, as shown in our last little video at the Treshnish Isles : there are no crowds!
Nice and safe in a loch on the west coast of Jura, we wait for the bad weather to go away and take advantage of the stopover to go for a walk, read and rest.
The plants which are usually ochre by the end of winter are currently going through their spring mutation and progressively turning into green. The ferns unfold gradually, and entire fields of blue flowers form a decorative patch under the horizon. The barnacle geese and the terns also make a stop with us in this loch and add to this sound landscape with the cries of the pheasants, the back and forth of the deer, the cormorants, the otters and the singing cuckoo. Bestowed with two bothies (unguarded refuges), this loch is also heaven for hikers who leave with just a tent and backpack from Craighouse harbour, the only village where the ferry calls at. Among a few hiking ideas for next time, we will keep in mind the Three Paps, the three main peaks of the island that are Beinn an Òir (the gold mountain in Gaelic, 785 m), Beinn Shiantaidh (the sacred mountain in Gaelic, 755 m) and Beinn a’ Chaolais (the mountain of the Strait in Gaelic, 734 m). As for the pronunciation, well, we’ll leave it to you!
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After this stopover, we resumed our route northbound. Our main goal was to anchor in a loch south of the isle of Mull, but the wind chose a different direction, and we eventually decided to change course and get closer to a mythical place, and not just for the sailors: Corryvreckan.
At the end of the afternoon, sail still raised, (NE wind scale 6 and choppy sea) and after checking the tide schedule three times and reading pretty much all the information around us (!), we slowly navigated towards the Strait and carried out, despite crossed currents, small swirls and other swells, towards the only mooring place of North Jura: Bagh Gleann nam Muc (The Pigs Bay).
The good weather conditions and the still are giving all of us time to imagine the same route under bad weather. The mooring at night was as peaceful as could be, after this beautiful sunset, safe from the wind.
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The bad reputation of this Strait, approximately one nautical mile long, can be explained by several factors:
The shape of the bottoms: just imagine a great canyon under water and put a column in it (like finally reaching the top of Dibona for the mountain hikers who are reading this), which suddenly deepens the area from 50 to 220 m, into … 29m. This is where “eddies” or swirls are created, making Corryvreckan cave the 3rd biggest maelstrom in the world.
The impacts of the tides: you need to add the strong tide currents in this area as it is directly facing the Atlantic Ocean. The current can reach up to 8 knots, so if you don’t run the numbers correctly, on top of not going where you planned to, you might end up further than your starting point.
The impacts of the wind: if a wind blowing contrary to the current is added to the impacts of the tide, then it’s even worse because on top of not going forward (at best) or going backward (most probably the case), you will face waves going over 9 metres, and then, yay, you won your ticket on the Milagro, and you can tell us about it all in details !
And finally, as featured in pop culture and literature, stories of this place don’t usually omen anything good if the numbers aren’t run correctly. Here are a few examples: the grunting noise of the cave could be heard at more than 10 kms at worst times; for those who read Jules Verne, a quick look into Rayon Vert will transport you into this place just for a chapter; times and times again in history, the locals are said to have encouraged the enemy ships to come to this place to have them disappeared; and then the time when George Orwell navigated over here just before finishing 1984, his masterpiece, only a few metres from the Strait: Barnhill located on the east coast of Jura.
To sum it all, as you may have gathered, we have studied the matter a little bit before deciding to go ahead, and it is with even bigger precautions than the day before that we raised sail early in the morning and engaged into the crossing from west to east. The conditions were good and as anticipated, the main swirls fairly active on the northern side of the Strait. We were supposedly at the right time of the tide, and yet the crossing currents, at times, imposed the route to the Milagro and its 45 tons. Far away from any danger and far from going at full speed as a way to systematically struggle against it, it was quite fascinating to feel these movements (but also quite stressful for the helmsman). The murres were swept away by the current yet seemed happy to travel without any effort, sometimes plunging their neck in to catch passing food. From each side, the landscape showed cruel conditions: peeled off rock tainted with lichens and herbs and absolutely no grove of trees. It was only when we left that a small house perched on top of Scarba island appeared port side. Our decision was made: come back and experiment it under bad weather while sheltered inside the ship.
A few photos of this crossing under the sun and changing lights:
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After stopping at Craobh Haven harbour, we head towards Loch Melfort, where Damien will see Kames Fish Farm fishing farm again.
After disembarking near the Bruidladdich pier, we left to visit the village of Port Charlotte by taking the coastal path and thus enjoying the colors of the sunset on Loch Indaal, the view of the lighthouse overlooking the Rubh’ An Duin (a little Gaelic: Rubha: promontory; Dun: fort, mound) and Kilchoman Parish Church.
On our return to Bruidladdich, we took a look at the opening hours of the distillery of the same name and producer of Port Charlotte, Bruidladdich and Octomore whiskies. This distillery is one of the nine distilleries present on the island of Islay and we decide to visit it tomorrow at the beginning of the afternoon (In the morning it was also open but the idea of tasting good whiskey morning brought together few amateurs…).
After a quiet morning on board, without swell or wind, it is under a big blue sky that we leave the shore for the famous visit to the Bruidladdich distillery. We went to reception, which also served as a point of sale, and learned that the guided tour only took place in the morning at 10:30 a.m. Our interlocutor suggested that we come back the next day, except that the next day, we planned to leave towards the north coast of Islay… Obviously very disappointed, she sympathized with us when she learned that we came here by sailboat, this large sailboat all alone in this immense loch, and offers to show us around the distillery straight away, asking his colleague to keep the on-board mascot, the Spinning Top, at the counter for the duration of this visit.
She tells us that this distillery was founded in 1881 and that many of the equipment used to make their whiskeys are still used today. She describes the different stages of manufacturing and the machines used, the origin of the malt (and the partnerships with local producers), makes us feel the evolution of fermentation in several barrels of tens of thousands of liters each… The process is complex and the passion for his profession truly immerses us in a new universe. The large distillation room is almost like a museum, with objects worthy of a dive into the world of Jules Verne. We are completely amazed by the contrast between the mechanical and artisanal processes that we see and the volumes produced: more than 3 million liters of whiskey per year! (and 1 million liters of “Botanist” Gin all going into “Ugly Betty”). And only two people handle all of this at their fingertips to give each whiskey its identity (more or less peated), maintain tradition and boldly create, as their Octomore illustrates, the most peated whiskey in the world (and Lauriane’s favorite!).
At the end of this visit, we find La Toupie at the counter accompanied by its new admirers, and begin the tasting stage. The choice is made to taste what stands out the most from the ordinary: the four Octomore (14.1, 14.2, 14.3 and 14.4). Ultimately, all very different, everyone will find the one they like, sometimes vanilla, sometimes reminiscent of leather and the smell of smoke.
After a final walk towards the bottom of the loch, we return on board, prepare dinner and the next day’s navigation.
The following night was a little rough with a small swell arriving from the south, before the wind from the same direction expected at midday. We take a weather update and prepare to weigh anchor. The forecast is good, south to southeast wind 4 to 6 and slightly rough to rough seas in our area (MALIN). We leave at the end of the morning to take advantage of the favorable tidal conditions to pass the An Coire islet with the Orsay island in the background overlooked by the Rhinns of Islay lighthouse and the villages of Port Wemyss and Portnahaven. We are moving at 5 knots, with staysail and mizzen. We bypass the current and eddy zone to avoid staying too long in cross seas. It’s raining and the wind is picking up little by little, giving us this “good” visibility at times…
After passing the point we gybe to go up the west of the island, in more comfortable conditions and a sky which clears at times, allowing us, among other things, to observe the white sand beach of Machir bay.
At the end of the afternoon we pass between Colonsay in the north and Ardnave Point, Nave Island and the Balach Rocks in the south, under mizzen, staysail and yankee, in calm seas and at 7 knots with 20 knots of wind: what a joy! The cliffs of northern Islay are covered and uncovered, revealing rainbows and then, gradually, the Rubha a’Mhail lighthouse. The latter marks the northern entrance to the Sound of Islay, separating this island from its even wilder neighbor: Jura.
We keep heading east, and, approaching the entrance channel, furl and lower the sails to reach a little corner of paradise whose approach proves demanding, with several alignments (rocks painted white ) to be respected in order to make a (narrow) passage between the numerous reefs.
It is in an environment illustrating the notion of wildness and immensity that we drop anchor, protected from the bad weather expected the next day, and which gives us the opportunity to leave navigation aside to go hiking, visit two bocies (refuges) and carry out the first inaugural flight of the association’s drone, the result of which is:
The rest this weekend with the program of the ascent of Jura, the crossing of Corryvreckan and the return, twenty years later, of Damien to Loch Melfort!
After letting a serious gust of wind pass, we are heading towards Scotland. The forecast is good: NE wind 3 to 5, occasionally 6, with fine to slightly rough seas and good visibility despite rare rain.
We leave Belfast Bay, leaving the town of White Head and its lighthouse, the Black Head, on our port side.
We hoist the mainsail while reefing as a precaution, hoist the mizzen high and unfurl the yankee and staysail. The cliffs overlooked by green pastures, as well as the numerous anchorages in small bays marked on the map, pass by and invite us to return for more time to Northern Ireland. The next time !
Around 4 p.m., 20-22 knots hit us head on, which was not expected. We reduce, mainsail 2 reefs, mizzen 1 reef, staysail 2/3 and a little piece of yankee to continue, upwind, to pass Rathlin Island and the Altacarry Head lighthouse, with lots of current and “eddies ” (swirls).
A bit stubborn we insist in the direction of Loch Indaal, taking a series of tacks to reach the west. Then the flashes of the lighthouse left in our wake appear, reminding us that night will soon arrive. Reluctant to drop anchor at night, and tired of persisting at 3 knots with the current becoming really contrary this time, we resigned ourselves to heading north, towards Kilnaughton Bay. The Scottish courtesy flag is now raised for several months!
We drop anchor in Scotland, in Islay, near the Flying Dutchman, an old 28m sailboat and the next day the discovery of the surrounding landscape is magical: white sand beach, hills with ocher and gray hues,… and the smoke of the Port Ellen Malthouse on our starboard side. All this just for us, Milagro being all alone in this large bay. Port Ellen is the name of the village but also that of an old distillery which closed several decades ago and which is now dedicated to preparing malt for the surrounding distilleries (there are nine on Islay). The few bottles of Port Ellen whiskey that have been preserved now sell for sometimes astronomical prices.
We took advantage of this stopover to hike several times in the surrounding area, of which here are some images:
[#3 Ireland – Scotland 2024] From Bangor (Belfast Lough) to Port Charlotte 25
And also, to visit the surroundings of Laophraig under a sky as beautiful as it is threatening which made us choose the Port Ellen pub facing the beach, rather than continuing towards Lagavullin Bay and Ardberg Bay:
[#3 Ireland – Scotland 2024] From Bangor (Belfast Lough) to Port Charlotte 38
Two days later we weigh anchor, determined to reach Loch Indaal, near Bruidladdich. The forecast promises us a certain slowness under sail (2 to 4 Beaufort) and we therefore make part of the journey under motor, leaving on our starboard side the cliffs of the Oa peninsula and the 20m high monument named Mull of Oa, dedicated to the memory of American shipwrecked in 1918, during the First World War.
At the end of the afternoon we arrive at our destination and leave Milagro alone in this immense bay, north of Port Charlotte, between Bruidladdich and Bowmore, names which immediately appeal to lovers of peated Scottish whisky!
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