We were inactive on Sunday for a change and on Monday we left for the West coast, Coigach. Beautiful but somewhat windy weather. We arrived at the campsite, put up the tent, prepared pasta, had a Newcastle brown ale and Perroni, slept and woke up to overcast skies. On Tuesday morning we launched the kayaks and kayaked the summer isles. We had one rest out of the wind and got midged whilst trying to eat our lunch. What a perfect place for kayaking! Isle Bristol, Tanera beag & Tanera mor. On the eastern side of Tanera Mor, the tide ran against the wind and we got thrown about a bit. In the end it was chucking down and we arrived to British camping sogginess. We went up to the pub. Unfortunately dinner was only for the lucky ones who had reserved but we managed to get fish & chips plus two pints of Stella. Now I am sitting in a camping chair in the wind, looking out to the Western isles.
Here the Coigach hills with the prominent nose.
Sunset at our campsite without midgies because of the wind…
… and here a Zoom shot of the evening skies.
In the morning some other kayakers from Wales and Edinburgh left before us.
Here is Ana paddling the summer isles…
On Wednesday, we had a dry start to the morning, launched our kayaks and then paddled the peninsula was dry in the morning and we kayaked the Rubach (or something like that) peninsula. The skies were grey though and when we were on the water, it started to rain. However, there was hardly any wind and I like how the raindrops hit the smooth surface of the Atlantic. At one point I thought that the Western isles emerged from the greyness but it turned out that we had already passed the point and were looking at Suilven and Stac Pollaidh. I saw some porpoises and caught a beautiful pollack but gently returned him as I would only take cod.
During the trip I did not take the camera because of the rain (I should have because Stac Pollaidh in the mist was beautiful). At the end the clouds cleared and I walked back 4 km to the campsite to fetch the car. Here a look back with Suilven under some white clouds.
On Friday, the 9.9., I had originally planned to bag Munro’s in Glenshiel with Mike. However, my left knee did not feel right during the Fife coastal trail, the weather forecast was bad and so I decided to cycle instead. I started in “the Ferry” to Arbroath against a force 4-5 Northeasterly. After that Lunan bay and on a left and right and up and down road to Montrose. Originally, I had planned to cycle farther to St. Cyrus to get that photo of Montrose beach but I was running out of time. Instead I cycled around the Montrose basin and via Forfar and the Sidlaws back to Broughty Ferry. A cool 120+ km on a gravel bike. Then on to Bettina and Giulio in Tayport where we had a chat and then Halloumi burger dinner with them, Ana and Susanna in Duke’s in Dundee.
Here the first image of my windy 120 km bike ride: the Arbroath declaration sculpture in said village.
Saturday was sunny and Ana, Bettina, Giulio and I cycled into Tentsmuir forest to pick mushrooms. First to Giulio’s spot where we found a few. Then I spotted a spot with 1 kg of Chanterelles, Bingo. And then after a lunch break in the salt & surf cafe at the car park on to my spot where we again found what turned out to be 5 kg of Cep’s, Porcini or Steinpilze. We returned home and Giulio made a Chanterelle risotto which we washed down with a Sancerre. Lively chatting from a German and an Italian living in Scotland and a Spanish and German living in Munich.
On Sunday, the 11.9. we woke up and Giulio declared that he needed to better prepare his Sicily sea kayaking trip with Bettina. So only Ana, Bettina and I drove to Elie on the North Fife coast. The Tide was out so needed to carry the three kayaks many metres to the edge of the water. To the West an oil rig, on the other side of the Firth of Forth the Bell rock, where the bird infection had reduced the huge Gannet population. We paddled eastwards to St. Monans, Pittenweem and landed in Anstruther against a slow flowing tide. Some clouds but little wind and a beautiful day. Before Anstruther harbour, I shot off, landed on the sandy beach in the harbour and jogged to the Anstruther Fish bar, to get three Fish & Chips with salt & vinegar for the three of us. To my surprise, no one queued but I still had to wait a wee bit to get our fish fried. The Fish bar feels a bit like a British seaside time warp but the fish is “lecker” or “rico, rico”. When we returned, the skies turned grey. We saw the odd seal but it became a bit dull.
On Monday, the 12.9., we stuffed the car with our kayaking stuff, bicycles, art, waved goodbye to Bettina and Giulio and set off for Newcastle until Ana asked whether we could pass Craig to have another look at the pottery. Some pots, bowls and a tea cup later, we went around Edinburgh to drive down the A1 to Berwick upon Tweed where we left bonny Scotland after crossing the Tweed. A wee stop in a sea kayak stop and then on to South Shields onto the Amsterdam Ferry, where I am sitting now, watching the sun going down. We arrived in Britain with a queen and left a Britain with a (yet untested) king.
Afterthoughts: Our visit showed us again how beautiful Scotland is when the weather is good. In fact, no country is more beautiful than Caledonia and we love the Scots and others that live there. But Britain has plenty of challenges. The often Victorian houses are poorly insulated and many will suffer fuel poverty when the gas and other fuel prices rise. Britain is way behind the continent when it comes to transport infrastructure even though it is e.g., almost "made" for an East coast and West coast high speed rail line. But cool London, academic Oxford and Cambridge and bonny Scotland stand out as pearls. Let’s see how things develop. We will be back!
HW
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