Heading east into the shadow of the
islands we were treated to glass like
water, sunshine and silence! We realise
we are actually here, taking in the true
beauty of stunning surroundings and the
realisation that after all the travelling we
are on the water. Proceeding through the
islands we met a head wind and chop
exactly as was predicted. Day one was
forecast to be the biggest challenge -
hopping and skirting our way along the
shore, finding sheltered areas to take
brief stops we slowly made our way
along the loch.
The feeling of being totally free from
the bustling everyday normal life is
something to be cherished. Relying on
our guiding skills and understanding of
the remote environment we decided
early to make camp on a sheltered
beach for our first night. As the sun slid
into the west and with our tents set we
ate a filling meal around our open fire
and sipped a wee dram before
wandering off to the comfort of our
sleeping bags!
Reflect, plan, think
Early morning and the stoves roared into
life slowly heating cold clear highland
loch water. Often we find that the early
morning and late night are the best
when guiding, a time to reflect, plan,
think and soa k up the wilderness. ’As the
sun rose behind the beach, the air slowly
warming and the wrapped hands around
mugs welcoming the first brew of the
day, silence was only broken by new
friends greeting one another as they
appeared from tents, before the silence
settled again and we all stared across
the loch to distant Munros.
The group was excited, as we stood on
the beach ready for launch into a slight
breeze drifting down the loch. We are
now in the groove, boards settled under
feet, rhythm found as paddles graced
the water and the true majesty of where
we are paddling grips us! ’Being thrown
back to basics and the realisation that
mobile phones really didn’t have a
signal and that being considerate about
everything we do matters. Being
considerate in this environment is an
education, following ‘Leave no Trace’
principals. This is now no longer a you
tube video or a conversation we would
rather avoid, but a practice to really
leaving no trace. We glided along
deeper into the wilderness, occasionally
passing a small empty croft or a
stalking lodge, no roads, no stress, no
hustle and bustle, no signal – perfect!