Sailing Lacerta around the UK: Robyn leaves us and we visit Skye

We finished the last blog at the Old Forge at Inverie, waiting for our meal. We can now report that the meal was excellent, haddock and chips to beat Rick Stein and a fantastic chocolate mousse (we shared 2 between 3 lest you thinks us gluttons!).

Although Loch Nevis didn't live up to the notes on the chart that it is dangerous in strong southerly winds it certainly gave us an unsettled night, it took us till the next morning to work out that the clanking in the night was the mooring line catching on the anchor, which I had meant to stow in the anchor well but was driven down below by the midges!

Views up Loch Nevis

On Tuesday we left Inverie with just the genoa unfurled. No mist this time so the views up the loch were stunning. We only had a short distance to go to Mallaig, where Robyn was leaving us, so we sailed, in an ever strengthening southerly breeze, up the Sound of Sleat. Our original lunch destination was Isle Ornsay but the 10 mile beat back to Mallaig after lunch looked like a lot of effort so we shortened the trip, anchoring off Doune, on the mainland shore for lunch.

Blue sky, warm winds, perfect!

The promised hot winds and sunshine arrived from the south as we set off after lunch with the staysail set on the inner forestay and 2 reefs in the mainsail. Sailing upwind in up to 30 knots of wind without needing full wet weather gear was fantastic, just what Robyn needed for her last sail with us. After waiting outside the harbour for the ferry to berth we entered Mallaig mid afternoon and tucked ourselves into a corner berth in the new marina. Mallaig has some fantastic new facilities to go with the new pontoons, very smart but unfortunately unfinished and not useable so we had excellent showers at the seamans mission.

Mallaig's brand new, unfinished, facilities!

Dinner in the cockpit.

Robyn ready to leave.

Robyn caught her train on Wednesday morning and we left a load of laundry at the seamans mission ( very useful place!), went shopping and aired the boat in the sunshine. By the time the washing had dried and the boat was sorted for sailing it was well into the afternoon. We left at 1600 to head for Loch Harport on Skye, home of the Talisker distillery. As there was no wind we motored, the monotony relieved by the back drop of the Skye coastline with the Cuillins rising in the background. We anchored off the distillery at 2230 and headed to bed.

The Cuillins backdrop.

Sea cliffs at Loch Bracadale on the way into Loch Harport.

Thursday dawned wet, with poor visibility and no wind so there was no rush to get up. We went ashore for the distillery tour and opted to stay put for the day. The tour was a little disappointing, not as good as Arran, but we did get it free as members of the friends of classic malts, and David did come away with a fine, expensive, malt as a Fathers Day gift (Richard and Robyn's contribution to be negotiated!). A visit to the local pub in the evening when the weather had cleared up finished the day nicely (midges excepted).

Talisker distillery.

Our original plan for Friday was to make an early start and head across to the Outer Hebrides but with Easterly force 5 to 7 forecast for Saturday morning we changed plan and headed around the North West of Skye and into Loch Snizort to anchor in perfect peace in Loch Treaslane, at the end of Loch Snizort Beag, to sit out the strong winds, heading for the Outer Hebrides when the wind backs to the South and eases off. This was still a 48 mile sail in a variety of conditions, from hard on the wind to running under spinnaker to motoring when the wind dropped, all in the common denominator of warm sunshine, shorts and not a lot else for David and even Debbie was persuaded into her shorts and do without her fleece for a while!

Leaving Loch Harport.