Caladh Harbour

[Quandary]

Lovely place. And near the Colintrave Hotel where there is a shower for visiting yotties and great food. No midges around at the end of June 2012.

Item recently about the hotel in the Squeak (our local paper) less commonly known as the Argyllshire Advertiser. Some jobsworth has forced the hotel to apply for Planning Permission for the sign they had painted on the rock facing the kyle drawing attention to their visitors moorings and bar. They have since been refused and are to be made to remove it.
Of course, here we are world famed for the warmth of our hospitality exemplified by the oft heard phrases like 'the chefs gone home' and Argyll and Bute Council is also renowned for its warmth toward the yachting community.

NOTE This post may contain traces of sarcasm or irony.

 

[scottie]

For many years there was a iconic calendar /post card photo of Caladgh featuring the yacht seawolf .
This boat was part of the Fleet of yachts "liberated" at the end of WWII and at the time owned by Simpson Lawrence family it was suggested that it had been Gorings personal yacht .
Another well known yacht was the Lady Prudence or lazy pudding that when one owner decided to strip her back with the intention of varnishing was put off by the large number of beautifully fitted 50mm square patches throughout the hull.

 

[MM5AHO]

Earlier last summer we came in there to anchor for the night.
It was fairly full, perhaps 8 boats there. We anchored just off the island on the south entrance. I've anchored there before and its a rocky bottom, and I've used a tripping line on my CQR to be sure I don't end up having to dive to unstick it from a rock.
About 0200 or so, and I was sleeping in the bow. There was something knocking on the hull. It was fairly calm, but a north breeze was coming out of the harbour, and heading south downtowards Arran!
I got up to investigate, trying not to wake the others. I was really surprised that the gentle knocking was another yacht which had dragged, and was fouling our bow, possibly our anchor chain and tripping line. They were still asleep.
I woke the others, got the engine running and then went to knock on their hull.
Various states of dress and undress staggered on deck, initially indignant at us being so close!
I suggested they start their engine but not put it in gear, risking fouling their prop on our tripping line (I could not see the float) or chain. By this time we were dragging too, both boats quietly slipping out the south entrance heading for the "Maids of Bute".. We headed upwind, towing them, then retrieved both anchors and trip, and we both anchored again and all went back to bed.

I've never had problems before in Caladh, and hope not to again, but it made for an adventurous night. A bottle was passed to us the following morning, and reluctantly accepted.

 

[ctva]

... Some jobsworth has forced the hotel to apply for Planning Permission for the sign they had painted on the rock facing the kyle drawing attention to their visitors moorings and bar. They have since been refused and are to be made to remove it. ...

Well, when we passed it in October, it just looked like graffitti on the wall. Not needed and an eyesore. Welcome Ashore and pilot books have all the details needed to know that they are there.

 

[mainsail1]

Many years ago I went ashore onto the Island and felt very spooked.
On a previous occasion a fellow crew member had taken a dog ashore with him. He told us that as they walked on the Island the dog suddenly froze, started whining and its hair stood on end. The dog would not go an inch further and they had to retreat.
After that he learned that the Spirits of those clan members who were hanged on the shore nearby over two hundred years ago haunted the Island.
Anybody heard of this? I seem to remember the Campbells were fighting the MacDonalds at the time.

 

[Jcorstorphine]

The island at Caladh.

Many years ago I went ashore onto the Island and felt very spooked.
On a previous occasion a fellow crew member had taken a dog ashore with him. He told us that as they walked on the Island the dog suddenly froze, started whining and its hair stood on end. The dog would not go an inch further and they had to retreat.
After that he learned that the Spirits of those clan members who were hanged on the shore nearby over two hundred years ago haunted the Island.
Anybody heard of this? I seem to remember the Campbells were fighting the MacDonalds at the time.

About 40 years we went onto the island and found the graves where there was a bronze gallion as a headstone for a 9 year old boy who drowned. There was an inscription giving the details of the boy. I found it a very sad and moving place and although we visited Caladh many time since, I have never gone back onto the island.

 

[Quandary]

There are few parts of Scotland where the Campbells have not killed somebody but it would be a brave MacDonald who penetrated so deep through their territory. Our dog is less sensitive than yours he does not react,even in Glencoe but we have never landed him on the island at Caladh because we regard it as a graveyard and therefore to be respected. There are family graves on the island but they are relatively recent.

I suppose I am less sensitive to useful graffiti than CTVA, I find it much less obtrusive than the signs on hoardings that the Council does approve and I appreciate the efforts of hotels that stick down a couple of free moorings near there premises. It is not as if there is not plenty of room for anchoring for those that do not want to use them.