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Leaving the pontoon at on An autumn exploration the first day in North-West All photos: Alex Fr

Kitiara Pascoe usually sails in Sailing west through Loch tropical waters, so it was with near sunset

trepidation that she went to a ncis unless otherwise st sail in Scotland in October, but luckily the weather was kind

don’t think I could go back to sailing a

in the UK,’ I said, looking out over ted the yachts anchored off Terceira in the Azores. It was 26°C and I’d just sailed from the Caribbean where it Ihad been even hotter. Three weeks later I’m walking down ‘The first thing that a pontoon in, as far as I’m concerned, one of the most remote parts of the UK. strikes you is how It’s a pleasant 15°C and the sun has been shining since I woke up this morning and began my winding journey from Inverness incredibly sheltered to Shieldaig, a tiny village on the shores of Loch Torridon. shores; it feels distant and isolated. the area really is’ On the latitude of northern Skye and I had been sceptical about sailing in only 75 miles south of Cape Wrath, northern Scotland in October but the P hoto: S Scotland’s northwesternmost tip, forecast looked clear and settled and Loch is a small bay within Loch Summer Loch Torridon is well and truly in the besides, Sula, the yacht I would be sailing, Isles Torridon and just a 45-minute sail from

Tanera Mor teve Ca rter Highlands. Luckily, I came prepared had an Eberspacher heating system. What Tanera Beg Shieldaig’s community pontoon where with a week’s worth of food for myself more could I want? we picked up Sula. We were both paying Torridon Yacht Charter has and my partner Alex. ‘A French group Gordon gave us the rundown on the more attention to the spectacular view walk-ashore access via the came up in the summer with hardly any yacht and the area and pointed out some behind us as the sun threw a deep red community pontoon food,’ said , part-owner of Torridon sheltered anchorages and particularly Loch light across the mountains but nonetheless Broom Yacht Charter with her husband Gordon picturesque spots on the charts. Loch Ewe managed to get safely into the loch and father Kenny. ‘I sent them off to the As the sun made its way down we without being fatally distracted. Tired smokehouse, I don’t know how they didn’t headed off in a light southeasterly from our long journey north to Scotland, end up eating each other over the week.’ for our first night’s anchorage. we put the heater on and spread out the This corner of Scotland is remote, with charts to make a plan for the days ahead. just a smattering of hamlets and villages Loch Gairloch The first thing that strikes you as you in each loch. But that’s part of the intrigue Horrisdale I. look at the charts for this area is how for sailors who visit these wild and rugged Badachro incredibly sheltered it really is. Thanks to Red Point the and the Outer , TH Cape Wrath SCOTLAND ocean swell simply cannot reach much of Scotland’s northwest coast and only in Torridon is a gateway to Scotland’s Acairseid XINE HE A Loch Diabaig northerlies is the coastline exposed. Torridon Yacht Charter northwest coastline up to Cape Wrath. Mhor Rona Loch Torridon Torridon Yacht Charter began its first Originally from Glasgow, Gordon s: MA Lewis North Summer Eilean Minch Isles Old Man Fladday Torridon Shieldaig OUTER of Storr season in April 2016 but don’t judge it by Drysdale joined his wife Iona in her HEBRIDES Fladday Caol START CH A RT Ullapool & FINISH its youth. With just one yacht, the eight- childhood village of Shieldaig and together Sound of Red Point berth Hanse 385 Sula, owners Gordon and they run the charter company alongside a Loch Little Loch Torridon Inner Iona give one of the warmest welcomes holiday home ashore. They know all there Skye Sound Diabaig Minch Raasay around and go to great lengths to ensure is to know about these shores and offer Upper Loch you have the best possible time. expert recommendations for the area. SCOTLAND Camas Loch Torridon a’Mhòr-Bheòil Eilean Torridon Based out of Shieldaig on Loch Torridon, Arisaig Mòr Torridon this company is perfectly placed for For more information Skye Scalpay Bridge sheltered sailing with stunning mountain Website www.torridonyachtcharter.com SKYE 0 10nm Shieldaig backdrops. Protected from the Atlantic Email [email protected] Mull Oban by the Outer and , Loch Phone +44 (0)7803 206 303 Chartlets are not to be used for navigation

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Badachro anchorage, Sailing out of Caol Loch Gairloch Fladda anchorage Longa I. on Raasay Loch Gairloch Lighthouse

Eilean Horrisdale

Bodachro pub Bodachro

That’s not to say the sea can’t get nasty in these parts, though. The long fetches in lochs, the Inner Sound between Skye and the mainland as well as the Minch between Skye and the can create unpleasant chop in stronger wind. When the wind blows against the tide, more than a few headlands turn chaotic and risky. But with the endless lochs, islands and sounds come a multitude of anchorages. For every wind direction there’s a Sula at anchor in Tanera sheltered cove with a small army of Mor, Summer Isles seabirds preening themselves and judging your anchoring skills.

Sunshine in the Summer Isles Considering the weather forecast was for settled south-easterlies and clear, sunny skies, we decided to head north for the Summer Isles; partly because the name conjured images of Famous Five adventures but also because the islands are only sheltered in certain conditions and we didn’t want to waste an opportunity. The next morning was cold and I found myself unwilling to get out of bed until the heating had well and truly kicked in. We’d planned a short hop out of Loch Torridon, around Red Point and into Loch Gairloch to go for a walk with a view. The Badachro nothing quite like sailing with these are uninhabited, though until recently and the first downwind leg saw us peeling Inn next to the slipway serves local ales exuberant animals. the largest island, Tanera Mor, did have off layer after layer of clothing as the sun and traditional food with a well-stoked Living here all year round, dolphins are a population of four – the Wilder family. burnt off the chill of a cloudless night. fireplace and a conservatory. regularly sighted on this coast and in the With a summer staff of two, this wild and By October, the wilds of Scotland Thanks to the remoteness of this coast, summer months they’re joined by minke, rugged island is actually now for sale. have turned a deep brown and the humans aren’t the only creatures to orca and other whales. The bottlenose As we neared the tiny archipelago we mountains are layered in haze, stacked enjoy the sanctuary of sheltered coves. crowd are undoubtedly the most playful had to pay close attention to the chart Getting there up against each other in the distance like As I readied the cockpit for sea the next with sailors, although passing killer given the smattering of rocks and initially Loch Torridon, is on Scotland's a watercolour painting. Flat water and morning, a seal stuck its head out of the whales are also known to approach yachts confusing pilotage. Whichever direction west coast in the Highlands, the hills of Rona and Skye to port gave water 20 metres away and watched me, and surface. you arrive from, the islands merge into an just 70 miles from Inverness. the voyage a blissful feel and it was only wriggling its whiskers before sinking back Once more languishing in a blissful, odd-looking piece of land and it’s difficult n Plane Fly to Inverness the chilly gusts from Loch Gairloch that into the water with barely a ripple. sunny Force 3 as we passed the next to spot the channels between them. from many UK and several rocked me out of my reverie. With a vast The Summer Isles were 30 miles away headland, the dolphins disappeared and We were still being blasted by international airports. Beautiful sprayhood and self-tacking jib, the Hanse and we were blessed with a southeasterly the hazy outlines of the Summer Isles funnelling wind until we got into the lee of n TRAIN Sleeper and regular driving through was an enjoyable yacht to tack upwind Force 3. After the initial downwind began to appear on the horizon. Tanera Mor. The wind dropped with the trains from London and other the Scottish in. Loch Gairloch is only small, with little leg through Loch Gairloch, we motor- A group of islands in the mouth of suddenness of someone closing a door, UK stations. Continue by rail Highlands fetch to create chop so we arrived dry and sailed through the wind shadow of the Ullapool’s , the Summer Isles leaving us gliding along with a handful of to Strathcarron station. exhilarated in the anchorage. headland before being blasted by the wind guillemots paddling nearby. n Car With free parking and With multiple places sheltered from the funnelling north-west along Loch Ewe. The north-west anchorage on Tanera a phenomenal drive through south, we chose Badachro for its ease of As we reefed right down, we finally got Mor is tucked right in and has several Scotland, driving to Loch Torridon is an to the mountains. Signal can often be getting ashore and, well, its pub. Accessed to see the true sailing capabilities of the large, bird-covered rocks to avoid. adventure in itself. had at sea though and in busier areas like through a narrow, marked channel Hanse. Racing along in the flat water, The chart was accurate though and we n Provisions Inverness has excellent Ullapool and Portree. between the mainland and Horrisdale it was immediately apparent just how TANERA anchored between the rocks in the almost MÒR large supermarkets. Once aboard, only n Marinas There are very few marinas Island, Badachro has many local moorings, useful it is to have two wheels in a beamy silent shelter of the island. Portree and Ullapool have provisioning within the region but there are some two smaller islands and is mostly drying. modern boat. Before long we were joined TANERA Rowing around in Sula’s dinghy for within easy reach. Stocking up for the community pontoons and many visitor For visiting yachts, however, there are two by a small pod of bottlenose dolphins BEG fear of shattering the serenity with the duration is advised. buoys. You can find out about facilities in visitor buoys as well as space to anchor that had evidently decided we were going outboard, we scouted out a place to pull n Mobile signal Anchorages along this the area by visiting: towards Horrisdale Island. fast enough to be fun. Streaming along it up through the slippery kelp and onto coast have mostly zero reception thanks www.welcome-anchorages.co.uk. With woods and open hills immediately under the bow just inches from the hull, the grass. The island is treeless and above the anchorage, this is a perfect place it was like having extra company. There’s has the feel of being at the end of the

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A yacht sailing north Plockton fishing harbour up through the north of Kyle of Lochalsh, a Narrows of Raasay popular village to anchor P hoto: Kiti a r

Taking the Alex scouting out the dinghy into entrance to Loch Diabaig

the caves next a Pa

to Camas A’ sco Mohr-Bheoil

Publications n Rona Lodge world. There are actually several holiday moment we anchored we were engulfed back up north into the anchorage from the shags and should be avoided if you spy Pilot: Quay cottages and other buildings hidden out of in a surreal calm. A private island, South south side in the shelter of the causeway. their large and untidy nests up the in Ardnamurchan to

RONA few on the east side and towns just across Rona is only inhabited by the two staff at Not entirely private like Rona, Raasay entrance. You can also dinghy to the beach Cape Wrath by the Harbour I. the water on the Scottish mainland. Rona Lodge, also the island’s managers. has a population of nearly 200 and offers and walk along the cliff path, watching out Clyde Cruising Club The view from the hill is astounding and With a population of deer and a few farm some great walks with views of Skye’s Old for cave entrances as you go. (Imray, £27.50) something you can’t be prepared for. In animals, it’s a pleasant and rocky place to Man of Storr. Our penultimate day saw us tacking into n Imray: Charts C66 Acairseid the afternoon, when the sun is in the west, amble around. A short hop down the Sound of Raasay the wind around the south of Raasay and Mallaig to Rudha and Mhòr the islands are silhouetted on silver water. saw us anchored in Camas a’ Mhor-Bheoil, then broad reaching up to Loch Torridon Outer Hebrides and Eilean The next morning we went on a dinghy Welcoming committee a large, gently shelving bay on the Isle of where we began. With only the occasional C67 North Minch and Garbh expedition to explore the other islands. I rowed around the An Arcasaid Mhor Skye. We had to anchor fairly far from traditional fishing boat in view, it was a . Arrow While there are several other anchorages anchorage and immediately a pack of the beach to get enough depth but in light wonderful way to end our week’s voyage. n Admiralty: painted on island dotted around, some have submerged seals on a nearby rock heaved their way wind it wasn’t a problem. We again took With the southeasterly winds funnelling Charts 2210 rocks and we didn’t fancy running the risk. into the water. Ungainly on land, these Sula’s dinghy out for a trip, this time up Loch Torridon the moment we turned Approaches to Inner With a decent dinghy though, you can amusing mammals are graceful in the around the eastern cliffs to the caves the corner from the south, we motor- Sound, 1794 North easily putter to many of them. water and travel invisibly below the within. Geologically impressive, some sailed our way back into Loch Diabaig to Minch Southern Part EILEAN TIGH As we made our way to Tanera Beg, the surface. I noticed a head poking up to one caves can easily accommodate a dinghy ensure we anchored before sundown. The and 2209 Inner Sound cold water beneath us was clear enough side. I stopped rowing to looked around; – though inadvisable if there’s any swell – Gille Brighde restaurant on the shores to see the bottom. It looked inviting but at I was surrounded by watchful faces and and shafts of light beckon you in, cast from on Diabaig is said to be excellent but just 12°C I knew better. Small dark heads huge eyes. Unafraid and partial to a hefty the holes in the roofs. unfortunately we arrived on the one day a popped up as we passed, just eyes, nostrils sneeze, Rona’s seals follow dinghies like Some caves are also home to nesting week it was closed! and the topmost whiskers above the faithful dogs, staying just metres away. We reluctantly returned Sula to Gordon Kitiara Pascoe surface. They watched our passage before Rona’s nearby neighbour to the the next day and I wish I could’ve sailed Kitiara is a 27-year-old sinking back beneath. With several small south, Raasay, also offered several snug Submarine RAASAY to the Outer Hebrides as well, Stornoway freelance writer who Fladday Caol summits and a seemingly endless ragged anchorages, my favourite being Caol cables being within easy reach of Loch Torridon learnt to sail when her EILEAN coastline, Tanera Beg offers well over an Fladda between Eilean Fladday and Churchton and the surrounding areas. We had partner Alex bought FLADDAY hour of walking and spectacular views Raasay proper. Eilean Fladday is joined to exhausted our luck on the weather, and refitted their Causeway over the Summer Isles, Loch Broom and Raasay by a drying causeway though the however, and autumn was descending on Nicholson 32, Berwick the headlands around. water is never deep enough here for a boat the horizon. Maid, in 2013. With Southampton as The following day brought more light to cross, other than a dinghy at high tide. We left Shieldaig village filled with the their home-port, learning to sail in the RAASAY winds but we still managed to get down to This anchorage is narrow but deep SKYE Caves buzz of an exceptional holiday. Scottish Solent gave her the ambition to sail the tiny island of Rona in good time and and you’re well protected from anything weather can undoubtedly be fearsome, to warmer climates. Berwick Maid is Camas a’ negotiate the difficult entrance in good without a northerly component. If there but it can also be mild and wonderful. One currently in the Azores, following a two- Mhòr-Bheòil Narrows light. Passing rocks full of lethargic seals is north in the wind then you can simply of Raasay thing is for certain. I’ll never stick my nose year Atlantic circuit. and the curious heads of diving shags, the sail west around Eilean Fladday and come up at sailing north of 55°N again. W

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