Sailors and fishermen may think that God provided the north west coast just for them, with its scattering of tiny islands, shoals of easily-conned mackerel and deep, clear waters. But they’re wrong, of course. This ocean playground of isolated sandy coves, long horizons and close-up wildlife was surely designed just for the kayaker.
No-one else gets so close to the water, whether it’s sparkling blue or khaki-grey; no-one else is quiet enough to get close to the more shy of the birds and mammals that live there, nor slow enough to spot them. Paddling a kayak, you can concentrate on your surroundings; on a calm day you can even go along with your eyes shut for a bit and really tune into the sounds of the sea and how the salty air feels on your skin.
Saturday morning was like that as we eased our way out of Ardmair Bay, just north of Ullapool. It was an easy put-in, even if we hadn’t been staying at the adjacent campsite, with parking for several cars right next to the beach. It only took a few steps over the curiously flat pebbles to reach the water’s edge, where the shoreline is handily steep. We got off to a perfect start, watched from the parking bay by an envious grey-haired motor-biker who’d been unable to resist the view. Continue Reading »
Posted by Karen under Highland wildlife and nature | 2 Comments »