Outer Hebrides & St Kilda

Glorious sunshine and settled conditions allowed a trip ashore to experience the magnificent birdlife on the Shiants. Then it was off through the Sound of Harris to land on Taransay  before heading out to St Kilda.  With the good weather holding we headed south taking in Barra and Mingulay, before heading back across the Sea of the Hebrides.

Shiant Isles

The Bothy, Taransay

Sound of Harris

There she blows!

Cleit, St Kilda

Village street, St Kilda

Museum, St Kilda

Village Bay

Old schoolhouse, St Kilda

St Kilda archipelago

Circumnavigating the stacs

Stac Lee

Boreray

Mingulay - spot our tender!

Sea cave - Mingulay

Mingulay cliffs

Castlebay from the top of Heaval

Castelbay, Barra

Castlebay from Kisimul Castle

Home to Dunstaffnage

Moonshadow in her berth at Dunstaffnage Marina

As the 2010 season got underway, April saw us heading north to our summer base at Dunstaffnage Marina.

Celebrations were in order, as we heard that the Wide Mouthed Frog is to open again under new management.

Gull chicks, Eilean Mor, Dunstaffnage

Nest on Eilean Mor, Dunstaffnage

Connel Bridge with Cruachan backdrop

Hercules landing at Connel Airport

Ardmucknish Bay

A Winter in Craobh

It's been a bitterly cold winter so far, with snow and frequent heavy frosts.  The marina staff have done a magnificent job of  keeping the pontoons well gritted for us - if only this extended to Moonshadow's decks, which have been quite lethal in these sub-zero temperatures. Despite the weather, however, we have been working away and are still on target with the winter maintenance schedule.

Craobh Marina from the top of Moonshadow's mast

Sunset over Scarba

View north to Mull

 Scarba sunset

Looking west to Jura and Scarba

Craobh - Moonshadow's mast just visible

Feathered friends

Boys and their toys

Where does this end go?

Definitely not a day for a dip

Tender love

The Master at Work

Overhauling Moonshadow's masthead. Thank Goodness for electric winches.

A birds eye view of  Moonshadow's 
decks.

 

Troon to Craobh

Following a routine maintenance visit to Troon Marina in November, Moonshadow headed back north to her winter berth in Craobh Marina.  Although the weather was somewhat  nippy, we were rewarded with spectacular starry night skies and fantastic views of the Kintyre peninsula and across to the Paps of Jura by day.  The cold did not deter the crew from a spot of sunbathing on the bathing platform - though not a swimsuit was in sight!