After our beautiful hike to the top of Ben Nevis it was time to leave the Caledonian Canal and put Guppy in salt water again. From Fort William we had a long but lovely day sail tacking most of the way to the southwest side of the island Mull. We found a lovely anchorage for the night in Traigh Ghael. The next morning we lifted the anchor again just after breakfast to make our way to Staffa. A small but very intersesting little island which is mostly known for it’s hexagonal rock columns. Still upwind most of the way but with a good breeze we got to the island just around lunch time. Construction work on the jetty prevented us from being able to go onto Staffa so we explored by dinghy, testing our echoes inside Fingal Cave.

With the wind as it was, Staffa did not provide for an overnight anchorage, so we continued 4nm to Gometra, finding yet another mesmerising and well-sheltered anchorage. Both the Guppy and 420 minicat were immediately built up, and the group enjoyed a few hours of sailing in the bay around Guppy.

Our next stop was Loch Scavaig on the Ile of Skye, a truly magical place I had wanted to visit last year but was prevented due to bad weather. With a light northerly breeze, this was a very good opportunity to finally go there. So we set out for another full day of tacking! We arrived in Loch Scavaig just before dinner and decided for an evening walk ashore. Many seals popped up their heads out of the water as we slowly dingied past to shore. And many more curiously looked as us from the rocks scattered throughout the bay. As it turned out early evening was a magnificient moment to go ashore as the golden rays of the sun shone through the valleys giving this already beautiful place a truly magical touch.