Leg 4 - Part 2 Oban to Rum - the Classic Malts Cruise

Day 12 - day 16: 2nd July to 6th July - We had arrived in Oban a few days ahead of schedule, better that than not making it for the start of the cruise.  This gave us plenty of time to victual and do a few jobs on the boat.  The marina at Oban is on the Island of Kerrera, where you can buy locally produced beef from the farm, but there are no shops. The Marina runs a free water taxi across the Sound to Oban.  This makes it easy to visit the 'big town'  and to  enjoy the total calm of the island which offers lots of walks, exceptional views and good food in the seafood bar at the marina, where most of the produce is island grown.  This includes the beef, the oysters and the salmon.  Needless to say we paid the restaurant a visit.

By Thursday many of the boats entered in the Malts cruise had arrived ready from registration which began on Friday morning. We were booked in by Claire from the World Cruising Club, with ease and efficiency.  Our prefered options for timings of visits to distillaries, castles, eagle watching etc were made. 
We were now in possesion of Malts Cruise hats and fleeces - the increased visibility assisted the creation of a new community.  The anticipation of what was to come was building as crews started to discuss the coming trip.

Oban harbour

A visit the Oban distillary was included as part of the cruise and we had reserved the 'Classic Malts Selection' - 6 bottles of single malt comprising Oban, Lagavulin Distillers Edition, Glenkinchie,Talisker, Cragganmore and Dalwhinnie, at a considerably reduced price.  That should help us to perfect our 'nosing' technique and to contemplate the different flavours produced by different distillaries, at our leisure. But first they had to be collected and brought back to the boat via the water taxi!

The guide was excellent and we found the tour (which included 2 wee drams each) a good introduction to our education about single malts.  We still had some final victualling to do and six bottles of malt are not light.  David took them over the sea to Kerrera whilst  Chris headed to Tesco, and then recrossed to Oban to help carry the shopping back. No more 'big' shops after here! Good job this water taxi is free and not West Country prices... we did wonder about the cost structure the marina was operating but that is another story.

On Saturday 6th July we welcomed Kathryn and Gaz on board.  They were joining us for the first leg of the malts cruise. We dressed Noisette 'over all' before a series of presentations - 'an introduction to cruising on the West Coast' by Andrew Bishop, Director  WCC, 'West Coast Wild Life' by Mark from the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust and the Malts Cruise Rally briefing.

At 19.00, we were led along the pontoons by a piper and  gathered, in cool, gentle drizzle, on the lawn outside the marina office, to be greeted and warmed by a dram of Oban malt.  We were piped into a superb welcome supper, with lots of very high quality local produce and staff who showed so much pride in the food they had produced it was a real treat.  As soon as we had all eaten far to much the ceilidh began and we danced and danced till the band played no more. But it was still raining!


Day 17: 7th July - The day dawned fine - all drizzle had gone.  We slipped our mooring at 10.40 and joined Skyelark of London, the lead boat for the cruise, and the other cruise boats in a parade of sail  around Oban Bay.  Once again we were led by a piper,  this time standing on Skyelark's foredeck. More pictures here - 9/21 shows Noisette in the foreground.

After 2 complete laps of the bay the fleet broke formation, removed code flags (dressing overall is only permitted in harbour waters) and set sail for Tobermory on the Isle of Mull.

The wind was light and although we sailed as much as we could we had to use the engine to maintain a reasonable speed at times.  The scenary along the Sound of Mull is stunning and we logged sightings of several groups of harbour porpoise to report back to the Whale and Dolphin Trust.

Moored in Tobermory next to Sailing Swiss  HR 39

We arrived in Tobermory at 1635 to take the last but one marina berth available.  Those behind us would be on a swinging mooring or at anchor.



Trip statistics:  Time - 5 hours 55 mins, Log - 25.8 nautical miles

Images of Tobermory are well publisised and known around the world.  It really is as pretty as the pictures portray.  In addition there are lots of interesting shops and places to eat.

Tobermory

The Tobermory Harbour Association is developing the harbour facilities and they are excellent. 

In the evening we were treated to an informal pub supper at MacGochan's - and took the opportunity to sit outside in the sunshine -  a very pleasant evening. 

Ardnamurchin Point

Muck with Rum in the background

Day 18: 8th July - Other than an opportunity to visit the Tobermory distillery there were no organised cruise events  today - it was designated free sailing.  The forecast was for light winds and the weather was warm and sunny.  We planned to leave after lunch and take the tide around  the notorious Ardnamurchan Point, to one of the Small Islands - Eigg or Muck - as fair weather is needed to visit these anchorages, and who knows when the opportunity may arise again. Having purchased and stowed the fresh produce we needed, Gaz returned to the Chocolate shop to take the opportunity of WiFi  and do some studying (well that is what he told us) whilst David, Chris and Kathryn explored the Harbour Visitor Centre and the Tobermory Distillery.

We returned to the boat for lunch to find that she was aground.  Nothing we could do but enjoy lunch and delay our departure by about and hour and a half until the tide came back in!

Spotting wildlife

At 14.50 we slipped the mooring and motorsailed to Eigg. The passage around Ardnamurchan Point was glassy - again we got our timings right!


We enjoyed the spendour of the mainland coastline and the mountains on Rum and Skye.

Several more sightings of small groups of harbour porpoise were recorded before we anchored at Poll nam Pantan, on the South East of Eigg at 18.50. Only one other 'Maltster' at this anchorage - the catamaran Duet.

Anchorage at Eigg

Trip statistics:  Time - 4 hours , Log - 19.3 nautical miles

Fog banks over North of Eigg

Day 19: 9th July - As is often the case after a warm day at sea, we awoke to fog.  There were signs that it would burn off, and by the time we had breakfasted the visibility had increased considerably. 

We weighed anchor at 08.45   There was no wind and we motorsailed, with Duet following behind us, through fog patches to anchor in Loch Scresort on the Isle of Rum.

Emerging from the fog (for a short while)

  



Trip statistics:  Time - 2 hours 5 mins , Log - 11 nautical miles

Fog persisting in the anchorage at Rum

In the afternoon Mike Werndly, the Ranger on Rum, led a group of us on an Eagle-spotting walk.  We walked uphill to the centre of the Island and although it was warm the fog persisted on the mountain tops.  We were not hopeful of spotting eagles.  We did meet a deer warden who was returning with his land rover with the carcasses of 3 deer he had just shot.  There are approximatly 1000 deer on Rum and as part of their management 10% are culled very year.  The meat is prepared by the local community for sale onwards to a game dealer.

As we descended most of the group had lost hope of spotting an eagle and gone on ahead when suddenly the fog lifted and one keen eyed sailor spotted something sitting on the top of a crag.  Mike checked and confirmed that it was indeed a Golden Eagle.  It was a long way away, a small speck, and not flying -  but at least we had seen one!

After tea and homemade cakes, prepared and served in the village hall by the residents, we joined a guided tour of Kinloch Castle.  A fascinating insight into the social history of the Bullough family.  The castle is under the care of Scottish Heritage and is a huge financial drain on them.  It was only built to last 80 years and has already exceeded that but is in a bad state of repair.  If you get the chance go and see it, whilst you can.

A fascinating and enthusiastic castle guide (also mountain guide and new crofter) meant that we missed the beginning of the presentation that Mike, the Ranger was giving on the Isle of Rum.  What we saw and heard was very interesting with some great photos of the wildlife and an insight into life on the island which has 30 permanent residents.

Cheers

The evening continued with a barbeque prepared by the residents in the village hall.  The menu - venison burgers of course - and very good they were too.  

Kathryn heading for the bottle bin

The village shop stayed open and provided the beer etc. The lady serving told me they had had a very busy evening - not sure why, as we did not drink much!

Walking home

 Then there was the walk back to the tender - good job it was still light at 22.15.

And then the challange of selecting the right tender

Finally the sun sets on Rum. 

We feel so priviledged to have been welcomed and treated so generously by the people who live on this very special island.  A truely magical experience.