Back in 2016 we were enjoying a land-based holiday in Scotland when we decided on the spur of the moment to charter a yacht and we enjoyed a long weekend sailing in the Firth of Clyde on Midnight Mirage, a Moody 376. A few years later we planned to revisit the area, this time chartering with friends Ian and Julie, but Covid put a halt to that.
This year we were finally up for travelling internationally again, so the four of us booked 13 nights on Midnight Mirage, leaving from Largs on the 26th of August.
We arrived at our B&B at 1am the night before the charter, sans Jackie’s luggage (thank you very much Loganair!!), so we were not off to the best start. We decided to stay nearby so that we could return to the marina to pick up Jackie’s luggage when it arrived, so we made a quick run across to Rothesay – entering the inner harbour under a lifting bridge and into a tight 8m berth. The town is a bit down at the heel, but still boasts a grand Victorian era public loo – apparently the gents is stunning! Dinner at a Polish restaurant was followed by a pint at The Black Bull – a pattern that was to continue throughout the trip.
The next day we shot back to Largs to pick up Jackie’s bag (which finally arrived from Shetland!) and headed off again for a couple of days cruising around the Isle of Bute. The Kyles of Bute, the waterway separating Bute from the mainland, reminds me of the D’Entrecasteaux channel – low wooded hills with little settlements dotted along the shore. The heather was at it’s peak!
We stopped in Tighnabruaich in the west Kyle and, after a late lunch of black pudding, square sausage, eggs and tatie scones (thank you Ian for this thoroughly Scottish meal!), we went ashore for a drink, then motored a further 1nm to pick up a mooring at. Kames. Dinner and a pint or two at the Kames Hotel went down well!
The next day we had a good sail (albeit through a few rain squalls) to Tarbert, a lovely village on Loch Fyne. It has a great marina, just a short picturesque walk from shops, restaurants, a ruined castle and the necessary pub or two!
The four of us discussed our itinerary – we could either go through the Crinan canal and on to Oban/the outer islands or stay in the area around the Firth of Clyde. We ultimately decided on a leisurely cruise in the Firth with plenty of time for exploring the towns and visiting pubs.
We took a bus trip to Ardrishaig to have a look at the Crinan canal – it looked like it would be a lot of work to get through the 15 locks in a day!
Back in Tarbert, Ian managed to grab some freshly shucked scallops from the fishmonger and cooked up a tasty dish of leeks, kale, garlic and scallops!
The next few days saw us cruising up and down Loch Fyne, with a glorious downwind sail to Otter Ferry, and on to Strachur, where we enjoyed a great meal at Creggan’s Inn. Most nights saw us finish the evening with a wee dram!
We headed back down Loch Fyne and on to Lochranza on the island of Arran – the main draw was the opportunity to visit the Arran whiskey distillery, but the island is a dramatic beauty, with high, heather covered hills and a picturesque ruined castle.
We decided to head back through the Kyles of Bute from west to east – stopping in Tignabruaich for the night and then a lunch stop at Caladh Harbour. Ian and Julie took the dinghy ashore to see the remains of Royal Navy mini-submarine activity during WW2.
After more than a week of amazing weather, the wind was forecast to pick up that night, so we continued on to Colintraive and picked up a mooring. Ashore for the obligatory pint or two, then back on board for the evening. In the morning we saw a cheeky seal perched on a drying rock not far from the boat – he stayed there until the incoming tide washed him off!
The next day we motored against 5-15kt winds back to Rothesay – it was unbelievably hot for Scotland – 23°C! Fortunately we found a good ice cream shop and, of course, cold beers at the Black Bull. We used up our provisions by making a cooked breakfast for dinner (bacon, eggs, black pudding, beans, toast) followed by a final dram for our last night out.
Throughout the trip, we were pleasantly entertained by Ian’s nostalgic recollections and stories of his early years in this wonderful part of Scotland.
