Thursday 18 June

Thursday 18 June. Campbeltown to Lochranza, by the Cock of Arran.

A sporting run up Kilbrannan Sound to Lochranza, on the edge of Inchmarnock Water. It all started lovely and sunny; by the time we exited Campbeltown Loch, the weather had socked in. We could just about make out Arran on the east side of the sound, so we pressed on, passing a RIB, whose occupants were diving on a wreck just outside the loch. Arrived in Lochranza at 1435 and picked up a mooring for the night. With the wind hammering down from the hills around the loch, we felt we would sleep better on a mooring rather than at anchor.

A NOTE ABOUT PLANNING (OR LACK THEREOF…)

We seem to have managed to get this far without too much (or any) real long-term planning. With our target of Orkney now starting to loom large we have decided it is only fair to let the family up there know approximately when we will arrive.

So, we have decided to set ourselves up with a 3 chapter plan to get from where we are now to Orkney.

Chapter One Messing about in the Clyde and ending up at the Crinan Canal

We want to explore some of those places Steve visited during his time in HM SUBMARINES. So the sort of places may include (but not be limited to) Rhu,
Rothesay Holy Loch, Loch Goil, Skipness, Tarbert and anywhere else that springs to mind, but ending up at the southern end of the Crinan Canal

Chapter Two, Crinan Canal to Fort William
A couple of days transitting the Crinan Canal, then places like Craobh, Lochaline, Tobermory. We had thought of going further afield to places like the Kyle of Lochalsh and Portree, but are not sure we really have time.
We need to end up at Fort William for the trip on the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness up to Inverness.

Chapter Three, Inverness to Orkney.
We will have a long-ish trip up to Wick then a short hop across the Pentland Firth into Scapa Flow. After that, we need to identify how long we have before we start the run south. We know we want to visit Edinburgh and a few other places on the run south, but we know that once the pull of home takes over………..Read more