Day 22 - Mallaig

Thursday 14^th July 2016 – Portree to Mallaig – Day 22

Awake at 07.00 and a beautiful morning, the rib and its motor were brought back on board.

Portree Moorings

   

   

Choc box pic

At last, Scotland as you hope to find it, peaceful with a stunning backdrop.

We let go of our mooring buoy at 08.00 and just outside the harbour turned the boat around in circles and checked the auto-helm for compass deviation, then set off down the Sound of Raasay.

Exit from Portree

Sound of Raasay

It was not long before we were enjoying a breakfast of bacon and egg buns sat in the cockpit enjoying the scenery.

Narrows

Ferry

   

An hour later and we were passing through the narrows here the ferry connects the Isle of Skye and Raasay. 







Before passing through another narrow channel Caol Mor, the seals and porpoises began to show themselves.

Skye Bridge

At 12.00, we were lined up to pass under the Skye Bridge which caused controversy when it first opened due to the high cost of the toll to use it.  Nowadays it is free connecting the mainland to the island.

After passing through the Kyle of Loch Alsh, you turn south and enter the Kyle Rhea, here the currents are strong in the narrow channel with whirlpools and eddies clearly visible.  The auto helm was finding it difficult to react to these conditions. At the southern end the current was at its strongest, slowing us down, while at the same time there were more seals to be seen, obviously an ideal feeding ground for them.

Strange Ferry design

Here this strange design for a ferry took passengers and vehicles across the narrows.

Loch Nevis entrance

The weather was changing with a strong breeze from the south, as we neared our destination and crossed the mouth of the picturesque Loch Nevis.

With a lot of ferry traffic at Mallaig, you have to call the harbour control for permission to enter, who inform you of the traffic signals.  If the three red lights come on at the end of the pier, the ferry is on the move, you stop and wait.

At 17.00 we were safely alongside the pontoon, ashore an hour later for a welcoming shower, then off into the town.

Into the ‘Chlachain Inn’ for a meal with a starter of haggis, followed by haddock and chips, while Syd enjoyed his Cullen shink (fish soup) and a beef burger.

The night’s entertainment was a quiz which was very slow, as the host took an age between the questions, we became bored with this and moved to ‘The Steam Inn’ and caught the last part of the news on the tely but more importantly the weather forecast.

A very interesting day, a morning of beauty leaving Portree, underneath the Skye Bridge, the currents of Kyle Rhea and its sea life, and the safety of Mallaig, as the weather begins to change.