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!

Loch Moidart and Castle Tioram

We enjoyed some beautiful evenings in Loch Moidart over the summer and had the chance to explore the ruins of Castle Tioram (pronounced Cheerum), situated on the rocky tidal island Eilean Tioram (the Dry Island) where the waters of Loch Moidart and the river Shiel meet. The castle is the ancestral home of the Macdonalds of Clanranald and is one of the foremost surviving examples of a 13th century castle in Scotland.

Skye, Raasay and Rona

Skye, Raasay and Rona, a set on Flickr.

A visit to Rona would not be complete without a walk over the hill from the beautiful anchorage of Acarsaid Mor to the east coast of the island and Church (or Giant's) Cave.  Before Rona's Church was built in 1878. islanders worshipped in this cavern and used it to celebrate weddings and baptisms.  Beyond the large Gothic-like archway, the cave opens out to reveal its intriguing contents.  Rows of stones span the width of the cave; these were used as pews for the congregation. A low stone pillar was used as a pulpit and beside it a hollowed out stone, fed naturally by drips of water from the cave roof, served as a font.  The views from the Cave across to Applecross  are magnificent. 


On Raasay, a wander along Calum's Road was in order. You can read about this remarkable project, the achievement of local islander Calum Macleod, on the community website:
http://www.raasay.com/RaasayBooks-CalumsRoad.html

The Small Isles

Moonshadow was a regular visitor to the Small Isles this summer.  Guests soaked up the sunshine and enjoyed exploring the contrasting landscapes on Rum, Eigg, Muck and Canna.

Dolphins

It's been a great summer so far for dolphin spotting and guests have enjoyed some excellent close encounters with these beautiful creatures. This pod accompanied us through the narrows at Kylerhea.

Potholing Adventures on Skye

In June we paid a visit to Spar Cave on the Strathaird Peninsula on Skye. Settled conditions allowed us to anchor off the narrow inlet which hid the entrance and excitement built as our intrepid crew headed ashore in the tender, headtorches at the ready to explore the Cave's hidden depths. 

 In the 18^th Century, the Cave had been a fashionable destination for well-heeled Victorian tourists, drawn north to the area by Sir Walter Scott's poem “The Lord of the Isles” in which he wrote of a mermaid who 'bathes her limbs in sunless well, deep in Strathaird's enchanted cell... where dazzling spars gleam like a firmament of stars'.

The “spars” referred to in the poem, gave the Cave its popular name, but its true Gaelic title is Slochd Altrimen, or Nursing Cave. This dates from the ninth century when a local princess fell in love with the son of the chief of Colonsay who was shipwrecked on the Strathaird coast. Unfortunately the fathers of the young lovers were sworn enemies and when she gave birth to a child, the baby was concealed in the cave to ensure its survival until the feud was settled.

As we approached the Cave entrance we passed the moss covered remains of the wall built by one-time landowner, Alexander MacAllister, to keep out the unwelcome Victorian visitors. It was eventually destroyed by cannon fire from a disgruntled passing sailor.   

Once inside the cave, our head torches lit up the glistening, marble-like Spar or Flowstone (Calcium Carbonate) which covered the surfaces and the huge columns formed by centuries of water dripping through the limestone. Once upon a time stalactites hung from the high ceiling, but these were taken as souvenirs by the aforementioned Victorian sightseers.  The staining from their candles and torches can still be seen on the roof.  


After a nerve racking scramble up the steep flowstone staircase, which despite initial qualms had surprisingly good grip, we marvelled at the strange rock formations and watery pools which emerged from the darkness around us. The floor levels out at the top of the staircase to descend a short while later to the deep pool featured in Scott’s poem.  This marks the end of the cave. We didn't linger much longer – time, tide (and torch batteries) wait for no man - so we formed an orderly (well, there were a few shrieks resulting from the water dripping down our necks) queue and went backwards (literally) down the staircase.  

As we emerged, from this secret underground world, blinking in the late afternoon sunshine, we were surprised to see that the world was as we had left it.  Filled with a real spirit of adventure, we made our way back to Moonshadow with magical images of swimming mermaids in sparkling pools filling our thoughts. 


Share this adventure with us in the following video:

May Cruises 2011

Despite an unusually wet and windy May, Moonshadow's guests enjoyed some exhilarating sailing, beautiful sunsets and close encounters with some of our local wildlife.   

Seals, Canna

Sunset, Sound of Mull

Chocolate and tulips

Dolphins off Ardnamurchan

Dolphins off Ardnamurchan

Minke (very far away!) off Rum

Calm waters

Kingairloch