A Date with Dr ABC on Easdale

Photo courtesy of www.easdaleislandhall.org

This morning we made the 5 minute journey on the 9 o'clock ferry to Easdale for a First Aid refresher course. Easdale was once the hub of the Scottish slate mining industry and the flooded remains of the old quarries are in evidence all over the island. 


The venue for our course was the community hall, originally built in 1871 as a drill hall for the island's volunteer force.  It has a 7m high central column, made from a ship's mast, believed to be from the "Norval" a 630 ton ship carrying wood from Montreal to Glasgow, which sank nearby in 1870. Heavy struts radiate from the central column like the spokes of an umbrella and support the huge rafters.  The newly renovated hall opened in 2003 and is a spectacular mix of the traditional and modern. 

Photo courtesy of www.easdaleislandhall.org

Our disarming skipper

Many thanks to Jeremy of West Coast First Aid (www.westcoastfirstaid.co.uk) for an informative and enjoyable day. For more information about Easdale island visit www.easdale.org.

Gordounston International Summer School Cruise 2011

Another West Coast Summer School comes to an end and as usual we are left with many happy memories of shared adventures with friends old and new. Our international crews enjoyed a month of fantastic weather and no encouragement was needed for daily swimming off the yachts and some very enthusiastic water fights under sail. Staff had their hands full with a fleet of 11 boats and over 80 foreign students sailing in company during the final week.  

We explored a variety of islands and anchorages during this year's cruise, including the slate quarries on Easdale, the beehive cells on Eileach an Naoimh, the main island of the Garvellachs, Craighouse, Jura and Tayvallich at the head of Loch Sween. On Lunga, the students were entertained by Kyle who played a selection of pipe tunes as the sun set over the anchorage. A visit to Tobermory and the Mull Highland Games was rounded off with a BBQ and games evening at Aros Park. Mussels were enjoyed in Loch Spelve and trips through Corryvreckan and the Grey Dogs kept everyone on their toes.  

During the final week, with the sun shining and the wind still light, we even manoeuvred the fleet into a Sunflower in Loch Craignish. The views from the top of Moonshadow's mast were amazing!