Wild camping on Loch Shiel

Sea Kayaking: The Heaven and the Hell.

K: We left the scenic grandeur and crowds of foreigners in Glen Nevis on Monday and travelled to Glenfinnan at the head of Loch Shiel. Even if you’ve never been to these places you’re almost sure to have seen them as they’ve been used in so many films and TV advertisements including Braveheart and Harry Potter. Glenfinnan is also famous as the place where clan chiefs rallied to Bonnie Prince Charlie’s cause in 1745, with disastrous consequences for the Highlanders. Loch Shiel is surrounded by beautiful and empty mountains. Looking at it on an OS map all you can see to either side are contour lines stretching into Moidart and Ardgour. Whilst paddling, we saw just a couple of hikers, a small group of canoeists and a lorry carrying felled trees on a rough track, all at a distance. However, these glens that now appear so wild in fact supported many people a couple of centuries ago, before the Clearances.

N: Our outgoing paddle, heading southwest down the Loch was interesting with mixed conditions, sometimes the sun glasses were called for and hoods or hats at other times. The temperature was warm enough but the wind constantly played tricks with us; first coming from behind and the head on. We were paddling down the south shore and the prevailing wind was westerly with some south in it, so as the wind funnelled down the glens between the mountains it swirled erratically on our side of the Loch. Total distance to our overnight camp was 12 miles with one stop for lunch, a look at a bothy and several inspections of the many tiny Islands.

K: Our wild camp site was idyllic. A tiny pebbly beach fringed with bracken, silver birch, mossy oaks and rowan. The water almost lapping our tent front door was clear and golden in the evening sunlight.

N: Despite the rain we made a fire in the evening before settling down to a quiet night’s sleep. The morning came and we were initially blessed with reasonable conditions, light showers and light winds, so we packed up the wet tent and loaded our kayaks. We carried on down the Loch to a place called St Finan’s Chapel which is on a small island some 14 miles from our starting place. The chapel itself is derelict but a rusty bell still stands on a stone altar. It was at this point that the rain started to get heavier and the wind picked up considerably. We decided to paddle back on the north shore where we had the wind predominantly from behind and to our right. The rain lashed down on us for most of the journey back, and wind whipped the surface of the water into a confused frenzy. White caps on top of rolling waves surged first from behind and then side on to us, the conditions were deteriorating rapidly and each promontory that we had to paddle round presented rougher and rougher water. At one point we considered getting out and snuggling up in a survival shelter, but as we had about 7 miles to go and probably 7 miles to the nearest road (and the prospect of the worsening weather) we decided to press on. We were soaked, rain beating on the backs of our heads ran down the neck of our "dry cags” and down our backs and into our trousers, when stopped we got cold very quickly, so heads down we paddled hard for the next 5 miles, surfing and being pushed along most of the way. Typically as we got closer to our destination the conditions improved and the sun nearly came out!! A great paddle but very hard work.

K: To thank Glenfinnan House Hotel for allowing us to launch from their grounds, and to stave off hypothermia, we ate a meal there after our trip. Walking into a hall with a wide hearth full of blazing logs couldn’t have been a more welcome sight. All the food is locally produced and fresh cooked, and was absolutely delicious. Afterwards, we journeyed on to the Back of Keppoch campsite at Arisaig (Local Hero country). Here, Rum, Eigg and Skye stand on the horizon as near neighbours, the sand is white and the clear sea turquoise. Once again we found ourselves listening to the soothing sound of waves splashing down on the beach and the pebbles rattling behind them as we went to sleep. But we woke this morning to another very wet day. The hardest thing is drying out gear (camping gear, wild camping gear and kayaking gear). Putting on the previous day’s wet clothes to keep your dry set dry is maybe sensible but not at all nice and I really feel for Brian Wilson in his book “Blazing Paddles” (lent to us by Mick) when he had to do it every day for four months whilst sea kayaking right round Scotland in a wet summer. We’ve now camped for 25 days and not a single totally dry one. We can often be heard cursing, haggling with and pleading favours of the weather gods. A visit to the sauna and jacuzzi at Mallaig Swimming Pool for £1.50 has put us to rights again however.