Thursday

Thursday 6th August
Today managed our first reasonable paddle, still a stiff breeze but a good sea state. We paddled round Holy Island from Lamlash bay, about 7 ½ miles. Initially we paddled into a stiff breeze, up the West side of the Island which is very rugged with steep cliffs to the sea. Rounding the North end was interesting with the wind side on which put Kathy a little out of her comfort zone. The downwind leg on the east of the Island was very quick with the wind and waves constantly pushing from behind. We stopped on a pebble beach for a snack, followed by a visit to the little café run by Buddhist Monks for tea/coffee. The leg back to the car was a sort of down wind ferry glide to compensate for the wind and tide, taking a couple of corrections to land back where we had set off from.

Wildlife at Lochranza:
At low tide the bay around the castle empties of sea water and fills with creatures feeding: red deer, sheep, herons, curlews, gulls and oyster-catchers. We’ve also seen golden eagles, red squirrels and seals here.
Apparently the Queen spent the first night of her honeymoon on the royal yacht in Lochranza Bay.
The raised beaches around the coast are colourful with wildflowers. We need Kath’s Mum or Ron P to identify them all but they include meadowsweet, rosebay willow herb, loosestrife, thrift, hawkweed, sea lavender and ragwort.