May in Scotland

 Very unsettled weather this year, the west coast was the front line of high and low pressure, gales out in the Atlantic sent in heavy swell to join the local wind and rain. Nevertheless I enjoyed my 3 weeks lone paddling. Great campsites, some new bits of coast and even a couple of sunny days. Around 190 nautical miles in 15 paddling days and many miles on foot in the stormy times.

 Campsites with great views, 'red sky at night', but there was not much cheer for the shepherd in the morning.

At this camp the surf suddenly got up in the early hours so I had to recover the boat from the shingle bank as HW threatened it around 01.30

 Then torrential rain raised the level of the burn to near the tent at dawn around 03.30 so it was a short night in terms of sleep. As always after a cup of tea...

and a small amount of sparkling sea, all is forgiven.

A Great Week on Anglesey

Anglesey has become so much playing the Stacks and Penrhyn that one forgets what good touring country this is. We had a week of easy touring and fun.

We hardly get to use the VHF outside of the Solent but we had a chance during the week:
-Stena Adventurer (43,572 tonnes) to Holyhead Port Control, 'approaching South Stack',
-kayaker (0.075 tonnes) to Port Control 'we are crossing the harbour and are 10 minutes from the  breakwater'
-Port Control 'all copied go ahead'
-Stena Adventurer 'I am 6 minutes from the breakwater'
-Kayaker 'we have change our minds and will stop and pass astern of the Adventurer'
-Port Control 'thanks for that'
-Dublin Swift (6000 tonnes, 40 kts) 'I'm leaving port'
-Adventurer to Dublin Swift 'those kayaks who were kind enough to wait for me are now 350m off my stern'

-Dublin Swift,' very well I'll give them a wide berth'.

 Amlwch Harbour so much more picturesque from the inside than the outside with the oil industry 'pens' spoiling the view. However, the old port was built for what were the cutting edge chemical industries of the age. What makes the difference is that the old port was built with hand craftsmanship, the new pens by pouring concrete.

 Puffin Island, plenty of guillemots and even the odd puffin, many more birds than when it was rat infested in the 1970s,

 and the seals.

 Interesting coast and with some planning the most tricky corners can be rounded in comfort

 so no need for heroics in the races if you don't need it. Even so 'round Holy Island' is a hard day out with only a small window to get through the Stanley Embankment.

 The Menai Straits, any local difficulties like the Swellies can be enjoyed or avoided with a spot of ferry gliding or just letting the eddies carry you along.

And that wow factor of sea and mountain.