Almanac/Pilot book for north east Scotland

[dunedin]

That doesn’t cover me, the boats in Findhorn which is east of Inverness and we’re hoping to take her to the Black Isle and up to John’oGroats. Really I need north Scotland but as we’re just cruising locally at first I wanted something smaller and hopefully less pricy

From Findhorn I suspect you will want to visit Orkney pretty soon. Hence the CCC directions for NE Orkney and Shetland is likely to be a worthwhile investment. But check if a new version is due soon #
Orkney and Shetland (including NE Scotland) : Clyde Cruising Club
# Update - see post #63 below from the editor of the CCC directions, confirming that the new version for NE, Orkney & Shetland is indeed out soon. Big thanks to MM5AHO (his forum name) for all the great work.

 

[Neeves]

Being in Australia I don't know why I think this but

The owner of Knox Anchors was tasked with updating a Scottish cruising guide. He occasionally posts on YBW but being in the business of making money (from selling anchors (and maybe cruising guides) he is not a prolific poster.

Making money from things marine and YBW are not compatible

Give Knox Anchor a ring or email and ask for Geoff (he is also a galvanising expert)

But I am often wrong

Jonathan

There seems something poetic about a Cruising Guide being produced edited by an anchor maker.

 

[MM5AHO]

Being in Australia I don't know why I think this but

The owner of Knox Anchors was tasked with updating a Scottish cruising guide. He occasionally posts on YBW but being in the business of making money (from selling anchors (and maybe cruising guides) he is not a prolific poster.

Making money from things marine and YBW are not compatible

Give Knox Anchor a ring or email and ask for Geoff (he is also a galvanising expert)

But I am often wrong

Jonathan

There seems something poetic about a Cruising Guide being produced edited by an anchor maker.

Jonathon, thanks for bringing to attention.

I spend most of my time (winter especially) as a galvanizing consultant, helping hot dip galvanizers improve their process. I'm replying from Morocco just now at a galv plant here. From here I go to Thailand and 3 plants there, and then on to China. I live (when at home) and sail in Scotland.
I also work in the anchor business as a director of Knox Anchors, a UK brand of new generation anchor.

In the summer mainly, I sail the Scottish waters researching for the Clyde Cruising Club's series of 5 sailing directions books. I am the Club's editor for these books.
The latest version of the CCC sailing directions for Orkney and Shetland is in printing now. The final proof was just agreed this week. I expect it will on sale in a few weeks (printing, binding, distribution etc isn't instant! This volume covers the area from Cape Wrath to Inverness on the mainland, and the island groups Orkney and Shetland. I spend most of my summer there last year. Each book is typically re-written each 5 years or so to try to capture the latest developments. In between years, there are amendments published on important navigational changes etc. Been caught out before calling a transit of "line the church spire up with the red roofed barn", for the farmer to paint the roof a different colour!

The CCC sailing Directions are greatly informed by the input from its users. (Those that notice the roof colour change etc). There's a webmail link on the CCC website (Contact : Clyde Cruising Club ) where you can contact me direct. Your input helps sailors using subsequent editions.
Some will argue that the "rocks don't move". That's indeed correct, but we do refine their position, and many unfortunate skippers keep discovering new ones. Our cooperation with CCC member Bob Bradfield, of Antares Charts brings even more detailed information on the sea-bottom, at high resolution. Many new rocks have been discovered this safer way, and the feedback to the Admiralty helps keep their charts up to date too.

So if you're heading to Orkney and/or Shetland this summer, get the latest info. Our books available from Imray and many chandlers as well as online booksellers.

 

[ProDave]

That doesn’t cover me, the boats in Findhorn which is east of Inverness and we’re hoping to take her to the Black Isle and up to John’oGroats. Really I need north Scotland but as we’re just cruising locally at first I wanted something smaller and hopefully less pricy

For local facilities on the Black Isle, there's an anchorage in Munlochy Bay, then Avoch Harbour and Fortrose, then round in the Cromarty Firth there's visitor moorings just outside Cromarty harbour.

And just up the coast is Balintore harbour.

You need to get a copy of Welcome Anchorages. Download or view on line here Welcome Anchorages – The Established Guide to Cruising Facilities In Scotland And The North Of Ireland or get a paper copy for free in most Tourist information offices.

 

[KompetentKrew]

… I wanted something smaller and hopefully less pricy

I have a big stack of cursing guides that I've picked up for free in marina and boatyard libraries, and would hesitate to buy a new book if one of those covered the area. Nevertheless, I consider £40 for a book to be one of the more modest and reasonable costs of yachting.

Imran Explore has a free trial if you get stuck, unfortunately only 3 days, but it contains the content from all of Imray's books. Includes the aforementioned East Coast of Scotland (Andy Carnduff) book, The Cruising Almanac (Cruising Association & Imray) for the area and much more.

 

[lustyd]

cursing guides

I've never needed a guide for cursing, it comes naturally. Usually when doing boat jobs

 

[jamie N]

What boat do you have, as that would affect access to many places here and here about as they dry out? Lybster is good further North for example, Helmsdale is very nice but now virtually dries out. Wick is good, but they charge at a minimum length of 10m, which is a straight rip-off. Avoch, where ProDave is based dries out, but is fairly well run, whereas Fortrose is a much nicer village, and an accessible wall to dry out against, and so on.
The sailing is very good though as you know, with as many challenges as anywhere else, even before getting up towards the Pentland Firth.
If you were to PM me, I'd be happy to converse at more length, as would ProDave, I'm sure.

 

[teensailer]

Thanks for all the replies. The Welcome Anchorage’s looks great, I’ll download plus look at it properly later.

My boats a Swift 18, a fairly small but fast swing keeler but with tons of interior room. I share her with a friend but our parents are not convinced of our abilities to cruise alone so we want to plan shorter voyages at first so they get more confident with our capabilities.

Thanks Jamie N I’ll try PM you but I’m not the most tech savvy person!

My hope now is that I can try get a second hand guide and in combo with a chart and the welcome anchorage’s that will be enough for planning first voyages. We hope to be sailing by Easter but like to sit in the half stripped cabin and dream of where we’ll go…

 

[ProDave]

Is your choice of Findhorn because you live close by or other reasons? It is hardly an easy place to get in an out of and not conducive to simple day sailing. One of the nice things about Avoch is you can hoist the sails and be sailing within a few minutes of leaving your berth. As already stated it does dry at low tide but would not trouble your Swift 18. Most of the sailing boats at Avoch are lifting keel or twin keel like ours so sit upright when the tide is out.

 

[teensailer]

the boats at Findhorn because we live near Forres and that’s the closest place were we can get a swinging mooring as we can’t afford a marina or harbour birth. We’ve been sailing in the bay lots in the dinghies and know the channels there really well so navigation is not that big of an issue

 

[trythalljohn]

Thanks that looks good, I guess they’re all gonna be in the region of that price so can’t really help that…

We have the previous edition of the CCC pilot to spare that you can have foc. Let me know if you are interested and I will DM you to arrange. We are not far from Forres. Covesea, between Hopeman and Lossiemouth.

 

[teensailer]

Wow, that’s very kind of you, I’ll DM you in a moment.

 

[trythalljohn]

Wow, that’s very kind of you, I’ll DM you in a moment.

Have just sent you a DM. John

 

[ylop]

Thanks for all the replies. The Welcome Anchorage’s looks great, I’ll download plus look at it properly later.

Be aware: 1. It’s not particularly reliably updated - it’s a marketing brochure for the shore facilities really so people are good at getting it updated for new stuff but there doesn’t seem a robust way to have out of date stuff removed; 2. It’s nowhere near as detailed as the proper pilot books; 3. Whilst called welcome anchorages it’s a bit of a misnomer as it mostly doesn’t include all the handy anchorage’s but is a marina/mooring/pontoon guide.

That said it’s a useful thing for planning, especially alongside other things.

I share her with a friend but our parents are not convinced of our abilities to cruise alone so we want to plan shorter voyages at first so they get more confident with our capabilities.

it sounds like you have got a kind offer of a book - but the other place to look would be your local library (apologies if telling you stuff you already know - but many young people don’t): even if your branch doesn’t have a book they can usually get it from another library in the council area, for free or very little. The staff are usually very happy to help young people with a genuine interest. You can probably even search the catalogue on line.

This might help if you are exploring other areas or need access to books for advice on planning etc.

 

[teensailer]

those are good points, but I think that now i am hopefully getting the CCC pilot book i wont need the welcome anchorages. I would use the library ( i already do a lot) but ideally i want to have it for reference on voyages and in the future, dont want to bring library books on the boat! I will try the library thoughand maybe that will help me plan in the meantine.

 

[lustyd]

Welcome anchorages is still useful, much faster to find phone numbers and marina layouts, although Reeds Almanac is good for that too

 

[jamie N]

As you'll be aware, inside Inverness Firth, even up to Beaulieu Firth is pretty good sailing, although the current at Chanonry Point and beneath the Kessock Bridge require respect, however with your outboard, it shouldn't ruin your day.
Within the Inverness Firth it's easy to stay safe in your Swift, and you've always the option of Inverness Marina, or if a South Westerly arrives a bit suddenly, to nip around the corner and hide behind Rosemarkie if you're at the Eastern end.
Yeah, as lustyd has stated, Reeds Almanac is terrific, albeit the current one is always pricey, but if you can get hold of an out of date item, 95% is still relevant and current, except (obviously) the tide tables, but the general info/tips and phone numbers are brilliant to have. I use one from 2013 because I'm Aberdeen mean.

 

[lustyd]

There have been two 2025 editions of Reeds on the shelf in our marina in the last couple of months (one was ours) so worth keeping an eye out. We also ditched the CA 2025 one in September at Howth. One or two years isn’t very out of date at all for these aside from tides

 

[dunedin]

I am hoping to get my first ’big’ boat in the water this season and just wanted something for getting in and out of anchorages near where I’m based. But maybe I don’t even need one in addition to a chart?

Now you have the pilot book sorted, as I am sure you are aware the other major priority for a small boat is getting a really good handle on the expected weather - wind and waves.
If not already familiar, worth reading up on the different weather models (as opposed to apps) that are available - GFS, UKMO, ECMWF etc.
The free version of PredictWind is a cheap way of viewing multiple weather forecast models - and at least one wave model.
No need to spend money on PredictWind - free one should be fine for your needs. Other alternatives available but worth researching.

 

[cpedw]

those are good points, but I think that now i am hopefully getting the CCC pilot book i wont need the welcome anchorages.

I think Welcome Anchorages (free download pdf) is worth having in addition to the pilot. Though it's got a few errors, it's still handy for local information. Even better when the 2026 comes available.