The Mull of Kintyre – Day 3 Macrahanish to Cara Island

Day 3 – Macrahanish to Cara Island by Eamon H

It was a weary group that emerged one by one from their tents on day 3. Those tents had been pitched hastily after sunset the previous evening, following a tremendous effort by the team to get around the Mull of Kintyre and up the west coast. A ‘short’ day 3  was planned, this would still involve an initial 3-hour section without breaks due to the westerly swell and limited get-out options. 

The group was paced expertly again from the start by Catriona, who had done similar sterling work the previous evening as the group neared the end of Macrahanish and summoned all reserves of energy to get off the water by dark. 

Catriona again kept us out of the worst of the swell and potential for breaking waves close to shore as we headed for Glenardoch Point and up the coast looking for a landing spot for lunch. The coastline was comparatively uninspiring compared to the previous day, low lying and dotted with occasional houses and static homes.  The rhythm of paddling through the gentle chop, however, allowed the mind to wander and recount the previous day’s excitement.

We eventually settled on a sandy landing near Sgeir Mhor, Mausdale, for lunch and soon after were heading north west across calm seas to Cara Island and our camp for the night. Adya set the pace and kept the group aiming right of our golden sand target to account for the drift of the ebbing tide. On reaching the beach, we spent a short while scouting for a better location, namely one with ‘his and hers’ outdoor facilities. It soon became apparent that the initial location was best, so we returned and set up camp. As we did so, the owners of the island diverted from their evening wandering and popped by to offer a warm welcome.

The evening weather was again superb; we’d really struck lucky so far. It was enough to tempt some of the group for a swim in the still chilly but refreshing waters. Aches and pains were eased, and an added bonus for some was the stimulating caress of the various varieties of seaweed. 

The group convened to cook and chat as the sun sank lower, and it was a relaxed end to another great day of paddling. Discussions on the next days’ options were had as the forecasts for days 4 & 5 had begun to shift.