2023 Scottish Sea Kayak Week from Mallaig

Day 3 South East shore of Loch Nevis to Torr Mor, Sandaig Bay by Catriona Hare

We had rain overnight and woke up to a damp campsite. Following a blissfully short carry we were on the water for a relaxed 9:30 start. The conditions were benign as we paddled through the narrow part of the Loch to the former Tarbet church bothy. Some of the group had stayed here many years ago and had been entertained by the renowned Frank Conway. The site is now a private residence, so we paddled on to Ardintigh Bay and an unusual whale siting. A bit further up the coast, we stopped for first lunch.

Launching off the beach I heard a loud crack, but after a quick boat inspection and no obvious issues, I decided to set off. Not long after this, we had a strong headwind, and I realised I couldn’t put any pressure on my foot pegs in my boat, and as I was pretty sure I hadn’t shrunk that the crack must be more significant than my initial investigation had suggested.

In a sheltered bay, we discussed how we all felt about heading north across the loch with a strong side wind so we could continue our journey up the Sound of Sleat. Here, we decided on second lunch and in my case a more thorough investigation of my boat. Some excellent wobbling by Ian and Tony on the rocky shore provided the materials to tie my broken seat base in place and I adjusted my footpegs.

Even better by the time we had finished eating and boat repairs the wind had vanished, and we had an uneventful paddle across the loch. It was still quite early so we gave ourselves an hour to find a campsite in the sound. It soon became apparent that there were no suitable spots without houses, and we returned to the first beach we spotted. Here we camped on the sand just above the high tide line and spent a warm midge free night on the beach.

We had a phone signal here and we reviewed the ever-changing wind forecasts before deciding if it was time to head back to Mallaig or if we had a weather window to carry on to Loch Hourn.