Scotland Sea Kayak Trip – June 2021 Day 4 – Eilan nan Caorach (Poo Island) to SW Lismore – Andy Garland
We departed our island campsite around 9:30am and left our feathered friends (and appreciable amounts of avian poo) behind. The sea was calm, it was warm, and the scenery was fantastic. What more could you possibly want (apart from Second Breakfast)?
We glided across the water to the island of Lismore and followed its west coast southward. Our course took us around the tiny islands off the shore of Port Ramsay, and we took care not to disturb the attendant seals with young pups.
The coast continued to pass us by on our left-hand side…all was mellow, all was calm, we were at one with the world, but I needed Second Breakfast! Just before my stomach started digesting my head a superb breakfast-eating bay came into sight, next to the ruins of Castle Coeffin.
We relaxed in the sun and took in the serenity of it all. It was wonderfully peaceful. The only sounds that could be heard were me munching a tin of sardines, crisps, a mars bar and one of those cereal bars that are marketed to people who are too lazy to cook a proper breakfast. It would have been a wonderful spot to camp, but a notice from the landowners made it quite clear (in a very polite way) that they would much prefer people to camp on common land further to the north.
We continued our trip south until it was time for First Lunch. This was taken at the site of a disused limestone quarry in the bay at An Sailean. We explored the abandoned lime kilns and quarry buildings and imagined what it must have been like working here while it was operating in the 1920’s and 30’s.
It was soon time to move on. I smuggled a couple of cream cheese and chorizo wraps into my belly and paddled after the group towards the headland of Bernera Island. There then followed a crossing across Bernera Bay to the southern tip of Lismore – Eilean Musdile – which was marked clearly by its lighthouse. We were now pushing against a breeze, and we were looking forward to landing and camping. However, I made a scout of the island and found nothing but very tussocky tussock and very pointy rocks. This wasn’t what we had hoped for, but I then spied a bay to the south, on the ‘mainland’ of Lismore, that looked like it had a grassy area behind its beach of storm-piled cobbles. A short paddle and a closer inspection revealed a very agreeable spot to camp (although it would not be recommended if strong southerly winds were forecast). The tents were soon up and a quick Second Lunch was consumed, followed almost at once by First Dinner.
It was a beautiful spot, but I mused that the lighthouse was very close by and if the lighthouse had a foghorn it might get rather noisy if it were to become foggy during the night. Would a fog roll in? Read the next instalment to find out.
