ABOVE Loch Inver
is one of two
harbours with
pontoon facilities
south of
Cape WrathBELOW RIGHT
There are
numerous
anchorages
after rounding
Cape Wrath
offering shelterVisitScotland^/^ Paul^ TomkinsVisitScotland/^ Paul^ TomkinsAlthough we hadn’t been struck by thunderbolts,
we had clearly incurred some wrath as the wind
backed to SW just as we altered course
RITES OF PASSAGELoch Inver sits
amid stunning
Highland scenerythe ebb, thereby avoiding the overfalls which are
savage with wind against tide. The price for this was
starting our voyage with a morale-threatening foul
tide, but a bacon roll soon overcame that.
Our zig-zag plot looked like a goat track up a
precipitous mountain as we tacked to and fro. Our
target was Loch Eriboll, offering a selection of
sheltered anchorages and only 15 miles from Cape
Wrath, so perfect for timing the turn to avoid
thunderbolts. Sadly, that was not to be. Our slow
beating progress meant we had either to press on
through the night or settle for something nearer. The
only practical choice was Kyle of Tongue. The Clyde
Cruising Club Sailing Directions describe a snug
anchorage at Eilean nan Ron but by the time we
reached the island near midnight it was pitch dark. I
wouldn’t recommend weaving through the rocks in
the narrow entrance without full use of Mk I Eyeball,
so we anchored in the lee of the island in 15m. The
rule in Scotland, to carry at least 60m of chain, is for
good reason. The following morning we could see into
the recommended anchorage – ideal for next time!Our next hurdle was still Cape Wrath. Except in calm
conditions the advice is to keep well offshore. The
WSW wind and tide set us a safe 6 miles north of the
cape and our passage was lumpy but manageable.
Then, having rounded the cape, we fully expected to
turn downhill to enjoy a beam reach. No chance!
Although we hadn’t been struck by thunderbolts, we
had clearly incurred some wrath as the wind backed
to SW just as we altered course. More zig-zag goat
tracks under two reefs!TRUE WILDERNESS
The sailing directions describe some 31 anchorages
between Cape Wrath and Loch Inver, so one could
cheerfully linger in just this area. They quote Ronald
Faux who wrote in The West: A Sailing Companion to
the West Coast of Scotland: Gigha to Cape Wrath
(second hand copies available online) ‘This coastline
has been described as the last true wilderness in
Europe, [...] an emptiness fi lled with the sound and
colour of the sea and hills, the wild din of black-backs
and guillemots, razor bills and Arctic terns, and the
eternal rhythm of
the ocean.’ Sadly,
we needed modern
refi nement in the
shape of gas.
Having spent most
of the season in
Norway where
fi ttings are
different, and
because the only
Calor gas in Orkney
is on a distant
industrial estate, we
had less than a sniff
left. We had been
cooking on our
wonderful Cobb
barbecue until an
unfortunate crew