Sailors are spoilt for choice when sailing Scotland, what with all its beauty and remote anchorages the options are endless. No matter how many anchorage guides, pilot books, charts and people I listen too, I still find the choices overwhelming.
Luckly, the depth of the water, the prevailing winds and facility options narrow it down a little. However I do recognise that the 'Where to go next?' question can and does create some procrastination traits within Gary and I. Perfectionist, I am not so whats driving this hesitation? When blogging, I reflect and in doing so I constantly surprise myself, the learning is endless and my personal growth feels libarating.
So here it is, on reflection I know Gary and I opted for a nomadic lifestyle, independant of the norm, ensuring we had many explorer stories to tell the grandkids. However, that in itself has placed some self inflicted pressure in my head, we want to get it right, not wasting a minute, after all it is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Rubbish Tanya! You have your whole lifetime to master this adventure and to be fair the way things are going with covid restrictions we may have to tour Scotland for a few more years yet! With that timeline not a single anchorage will go unexplored. For sure money is limited and our futures are racked with uncertainty but I also know this adventure has to be taken one step at a time with an ever going flexible plan. We have no goal to sail the world, just to sail as far as we can, for as long as we can, as long as it is sustainable and fun. A simple review of our objective is often all I need to focus my mind and spur me into move on. My why, what and how is revitalized.
Where to next? Puffin Island also known as Lunga within the Treshnish Isles. It was settled weather and this forecast opened up a fantastic opportunity for us to see and experience another unspoilt wonderland of nature.
The sail up the Sound of Mull was exhilarating and the timing of my tacks was on point for a change. Some 7 hours later we approached the entrance to the bay of Lunga, directly ahead was a sea of small islands and submerged rocks, alittle dauting but yet spectacular to view in the dim light of the evening. The entrance is shallow but navigable with care and once again our antares charts and echo sounder were great aids.
Once in the bay we set about dropping the hook, all sounds simple but with little wind and strong tides running, turning the bow into the wind was tricky and therefore making backing down on the anchor challenging. With patience and determination the anchor was finally set in the most astonishing white sands and clear waters. Yeah!!! We once again championed our marriage savers (intercom headsets). Wearing these save us the embarrassment of hailing our frustrations back and forth along a 11 metre boat where nearby onlookers are transfixed and watching our every move. As you may have guessed by now challenging times bring out some not so lady like phrases. Especially when we anchored in kelp and had to start the process all over again!
The next morning we went a shore with our good friends from La Contenta, it felt so good to see our cruising buddies again. After stumbling over the rocks and clambering up the hill on a well trodden path we reached the plateau where hundreds of puffins were sitting on the cliff edge in their burrows. What a majestic sight, in some way they calmed my fear of birds. We watched them stretch their wings, rest, fish and fly. The flight amuzed us as it was a movement more like the wind up toy bird, almost a circular motion to each flap of the wing, so cute. You know these little guys almost cured me of the hitchcock syndrome. You know my fear, that whole the birds are going to swoop down, grab you by the hair and peck your eyes out sort of thing!!
My hitchcock syndrome was to reappear with vengeance when we ventured further on. As we meandered along the rocky trail and passed boulders and many wild flowers I saw a tall and elegant bird who stood proud in the centre of the path. I was sure he would move on as we slowly walked towards him just then there was a loud shriek and something aggressively poked out of the rocks in my direction. I jumped, crouched down, ran and screamed all at the same time before tripping over a rock in the path ahead of me. What the hell was that? When everyone had stopped laughing they told me Shags and Razor Bills nest in the boulders and they are simply pertecting their young. Now armed with a stick held high above my head and with my heart still beating through my chest I proceeded to see the views, my days of bird watching were over. My friend took this photo, I was well gone!
High on the hill top the views of the turquoise blue sea and surrounding islands were breathtaking. The creme de la creme however is watching the adorable puffins and them alone make this such a memorable Island.
An absolute must for anyone visiting Mull during May and July, take a tour boat or sail yourselves either way you will not be dissapointed.
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