Lochaline

The gale force 7 winds arrived with a fury earlier than predicted and we were forced to battle our way towards the island of Mull. Our anticipated 3 hour sail turned into a marathon as we waged war against large seas, torrential rain and a bad-tempered skipper. Abandoning our planned anchorage we pulled into the nearest safe harbour and waited. An altercation with the skipper left us feeling fragile and confused. Clearly he'd missed the customer service part of his skipper training.

After a 2 hour delay as the skipper replaced fan belts, we set off for what would be our last days sail. Thursday's weather forecast promised little more than Wednesday, but the protection offered within the Sound of Mull made for much improved sailing conditions all round. We escaped ashore once anchored in the pretty harbour of Port Aline. A long walk through the local arboretum and a visit to the impressive Archimedes screw powering a local hydro scheme proved restorative. White-washed houses glistened in the bright sunshine, recent rains adding to the spectre. A pint at the local and it was back on board for a tasty meal (at least skipper was an excellent cook).

More inclement weather forecast limited our anchorage options next day and the skipper announced we'd be heading back to the marina for our last night on board. With little option for further exploration of the islands we decided to cut our losses and head back a day early. I managed to bring our car hire and accommodation forward a day so we could end this somewhat disappointing phase of our Scottish holiday.

Arriving back in Glasgow some hours later, we drowned our sorrows in several glasses of red wine and reflected on the beauty of the Western isles and how wonderful it was sail to amongst them. And of course our Highland adventure was about to begin!Read more