2023 Scottish Sea Kayak Week from Mallaig Day 2 24/07/2023 Ian Bell
Long Beach camp site to Ruin via Sourlies bothy.
With the weather for the latter part of the week still looking uncertain we decided to spend the next couple of days in Loch Nevis, which would then give us a choice of what to do later in the week.
Packing this morning was far less challenging than the previous day with most finding additional space in their boat and questioning how much they had already eaten. The paddle today was relatively easy with us following the North / East shore of the lock. The wind was light and favourable for most of the day. Our first break was just before the loch narrows at Kylesmore. Once we got through the narrows, I started to look at options for campsites should the bothy be busy, or we wanted to do a bit more paddling. As we passed the pier at Torr Cruinn and a couple of moored boats, we started to look for the bothy. It was quite difficult to see as it is in a slight dip and the roof blends into the hillside.
On arrival at Sourlies we found it occupied by a group of walkers who had stopped for their lunch. They were welcoming and happy to share with us. We then had a group discussion over our options. We stopped here for the night although we had not done much distance or had lunch and paddled a little further. Most would have been happy to stay at the bothy until it was pointed out we had landed close to high water, and it was receding quickly so we would have another long carry in the morning. We got back in the boats and paddled back to the beach close to the pier for lunch.
After lunch, we crossed the end of the loch and paddled a short distance to a point with an old ruin and some sheep pens that looked like a good option for camping. The landing here was on to a rocky beach but then only short carry. I landed and confirmed it was a suitable campsite, so we then set up for the night. Today we had paddled a more respectable distance just short of 20km. Once camp was set up some of us explored the area and then set about making tea. After tea Catriona produced a birthday cake to help celebrate my birthday. This was enjoyed by all.
