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ISLAND INCIDENTS<br />
Mike Heslop wonders whether clockwise or anti-clockwise around Seil<br />
Looking out over Ardmaddy Bay the islands of Seil<br />
and Luing looked like one peninsula. How often<br />
Hebridean <strong>Islands</strong> can appear to fuse into one, hiding<br />
their individual form. But Seil is an island and an attractive<br />
circular day trip for a group of ten sea Kayakers from<br />
Bassenfell Christian Centre in Cumbria. Clockwise or<br />
anti-clockwise, does it matter?<br />
It is the tides that guide the decision. For our trip it had<br />
to be clockwise. We left Ardmaddy Bay on mirror flat<br />
water heading for the gap between Torsa and Seil, a gap<br />
clear on the map but looking like continuous land. Once<br />
between the islands we noticed changes in the water<br />
surface, not the ripples of a breeze, but upwellings of<br />
green glassy water showing something was changing<br />
underneath us.<br />
On Our Way<br />
As we turned into the Sound the sea began to feel like a<br />
river. Increasingly strong currents forced involuntary sideways<br />
movements on our kayaks. Speed continued to increase as the<br />
Sound narrowed. e flooding tide and south easterly breeze<br />
helped us on our way to Easdale Island. No crowd, but<br />
yesterday was different as it was the World Stone Skimming<br />
Championships.<br />
We settled for a private competition, but still using<br />
the rectangular slate block on the edge of the flooded quarry<br />
that is used for the World Championships. On leaving<br />
the slate-lined harbour we experienced the opportunistic<br />
spirit necessary for island life. e owner of a powerful rib<br />
encouraged us to book a one-way trip, kayaks as well, to any<br />
island of our choice.<br />
Good idea, but not for us as the tide was still moving along<br />
nicely. Across the Sound of Insk we noticed an interesting<br />
cave with a glazed window and water catchment system.<br />
What stories here? We headed for Eilian Duin where at high<br />
water the plan was to cook supper. Local goats watched our<br />
landing before quietly moving away. Were they really<br />
survivors from a wrecked Armada ship as locals told us?<br />
A Dark Line<br />
Out of the kayak hatches came stoves and food. In twos and<br />
threes we cooked our evening meal. During washing-up, eyes<br />
were drawn to developing colours over Mull. So yellows<br />
and oranges changed to blood reds followed by magenta with<br />
a final dark orange. e heavens were declaring the glory of<br />
God as light faded. And the tide? A dark line of wet rock by<br />
our kayaks showed the tide was ebbing.<br />
Our clockwise route would again be helped by its flow. is<br />
direction with the tides had been right, given a good day. Slate<br />
was certainly a thread through the day, from industrial history<br />
to quirky stone skimming. Ferries, wheelbarrows and<br />
powerful ribs had shown aspects of island transport. All this<br />
in the setting of island landscapes and the tides that wash<br />
their shores. Sea kayaking doesn’t get much better.<br />
In the Next Issue …<br />
Postal Services -<br />
Hebrides<br />
Penal Colonies - <strong>Islands</strong><br />
Frank Fraser Darling -<br />
Lunga<br />
Photograph supplied by the author, Mike Heslop.<br />
Ornithological<br />
Attraction - Puffins<br />
Clyde Island - Cumbrae<br />
Distilleries & Breweries<br />
- Cheers!<br />
On Sale 18 <strong>Feb</strong>ruary<br />
1. Berneray 2. Noss 3. Cara 4. Stroma 5. Gruinard 6. North Rona 7. Scarba 8. Isle of May 9. Taransay 10. Ailsa Craig<br />
50 SCOTTISH ISLANDS EXPLORER JANUARY / FEBRUARY <strong>2017</strong>
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