Day 22 Port Patrick to Kildonan (Arran)
Posted by glyn brackenbury on Sunday, May 12, 2013
So after a weatherbound day yesterday, conditions this morning looked significantly better. There was a bit of breeze but nothing like the gales of the last two days. The fotrecast is due to worsen tomorrow, so I decided to get as far up the Firth of Clyde as I could.
The remainder of my journey up the North Channel was straight forwards, as the ex harbourmaster from Portpatrick had shown me where all the eddies and tidal lifts occurred. The ferries crossing to N Ireland, were the next problem but you can see them approaching from a good distance, but I still always feel I'm playing a marine version of frogger!
Ailsa Craig was the next target, and it was looming like a dollop on the horizon. It's a volcanic plug of granite, really tall and steep sided, it looks like somone designed it with magic sand. As I approached, you really get to appreciate how tall it is. Although you can stop on the island you're not allowed to camp, as it's an RSPB reserve. There were literally thousands of birds, the cliff looked white where they were all nesting, and looking up there wasn't a patch of sky without birds in it. Think Jurassic park with birds, and that pretty much sums up Ailsa Craig.
The wind started to pick up and the drizzle turned to rain, which spurred me on to go a bit quicker. I was heading for Arran, which arrived a couple of hours later, and a set up camp at a really nice campsite on the SE corner. This will hopefully mean I can creep up the E coast tomorrow hiding from the Westerly gales that are forecast. The further up the Clyde I go the more shelter I should be able to find, which I think I'm going to need...
Been paddling for 30 years mostly as a surf and whitewater boater. Living on the N coast of Devon and growing upon Anglesey has meant that the sea has never been more than a couple of miles away.
