Sailing Scotland – a resumé
We found Scotland to be a fabulous cruising ground for many reasons. There are the endless options for exploring remote islands and lochs, in view of the wild Highland landscapes. Stunning anchorages, friendly harbours, moorings and marinas are plentiful. The good news about the weather: it is changeable!! So dull and soggy periods don’t stay for long and by the evening the mountains appear again crystal clear. Then there is a lot of wildlife around, in and above the sea. I did not get tired of watching dolphins and seabirds, such as the elegant gannets, the dauntless arctic terns, snatching fish from seagulls, the cute puffins seeming somewhat misplaced at sea with their parakeet break and bucketfulls of razorbills. Seals we often saw lingering about in harbours, waiting for their share of the catch from the returning fishing boats.
Actually it’s not all about sailing, it is also about the people. On our journey we encountered numerous heritage sites and places commemorating Scottish history. We heard stories about Celts and Vikings invading Scotland, tales about Highland clan feuds, about life of the crofters in inhospitable landscapes and about fishers in peril at sea. We grew all the more enthusiastic about this rugged northern country.
This was what we had planned, we followed this track with small deviations:
Facts & Figures
Distance: 1744 nm
Time underway: 60 days
Time of Sailing: 34 days, 7 nights
True:
In all the harbours we have visited, the fishing ports included, we found a visitors berth at a pontoon equipped with electricity (an adapter was not necessary), most of time also with water (bringing you own hose is necessary).
Not true:
Insufficient internet connectivity. We experienced a good coverage, even on the remote islands we have visited. Often the community shops on the islands have free wifi.
True:
The Scots are a friendly people, they are highly supportive and like to socialize with visitors.
Not True:
The pronunciation of Scottish English is unintelligible. We found it very easy to communicate with people. A single exception was the lock keeper at Gairlochy in the Caledonian Canal (it must have been his Gaelic tinge).
Supplies:
Provisioning with food was unproblematic. A Co-Op or Tesco and sometimes a small community shop could be found almost anywhere.
Fuel:
Fuel could be obtained in all of the harbours we visited at a fuel berth. We were asked, if we had a board heater, which we confirmed… and got the fuel at a considerably reduced price (as the tax for fuel used for heating is substantially lower). In one case (Amble) only red diesel was available.
Weather:
The weather forecasts proved reliable. We encounterd strong winds, even up to gale force, but were always prepaired. But we also had to motor more than we had expected, due to a total lack of wind.
Midges:
We luckily did not encounter any midges, anywhere!!
Hazards:
Lobster and crayfish pots are to be found everywhere along the Scottish and English coastline. They are marked with orange, sometimes white bouyes and are easy to identify at daylight, assuming a good lookout. At night it is advisable to keep a distance from land.
The fishing vessels in most cases have no AIS, or their AIS is switched off. At night it is crucial to have a good lookout, regularly!!
3 Gedanken zu „Sailing Scotland – a resumé“
Thanks again for this fascinating and lively report in nearly poetic language! It felt to be personal witness an gives a deep insight to your emotions during this stunning trip! And it shows: attention and good preparation is sailors life insurance! Anyway I am happy to have you back save an sound!
Thanks – I am looking forward to hear nrxt years stories from you guys visiting Greenland!