Kyle of Lochalsh pontoons

[pagoda]

We came through a couple of days ago. Rumor has it they are yet to be put out. Due to lack of suitable work boat.

For what it's worth we dinghied over from Kyleakin to shop. Used the old ferry slipway.

There are also NO moorings in front of Raasay House. Just the riser chain markers. Apparently the council lifted them all very recently- due to some liability issues. They may come back? when?

We anchored, it blew 25+ Northerly all day. Good holding but with a ball of weed when we hauled the anchor.

A few decent moorings at Rona however.

Stornoway is heaving with foreign boats!

 

[Trop Cher]

I noticed today, that the first bit of pontoon has been installed.
Real shame about the new visitor moorings at Rona.

 

[NormanS]

I noticed today, that the first bit of pontoon has been installed.
Real shame about the new visitor moorings at Rona.

I used to like South Rona. Now it seems to be full of notices, including ones about a "Landing Charge". I'm not at all sure about the legality of a "Charge". If they asked for a donation, I would happily contribute.
One of the notices that really got to me , was the one on the visitor's mooring buoys, which gave the charge, " However short your stay". A good example of poor psychology. It didn't affect us as we anchored.

 

[Trop Cher]

Yip, I've seen 17 boats anchored in there, won't be possible now with the new moorings. The guy has a bit of an attitude towards yachts, always seems to be looking for an argument. Still there's always Fladday.

 

[NormanS]

Fladday. Have you ever gone direct from S to N? I was in S Fladday a few weeks ago, and was heading north the next day. Stupidly, I didn't look at the possible passage at LW, and it was HW the next morning when we were leaving. We went round the long way.

 

[Trop Cher]

No, never tried it. Was heading that way today but the wind took us to Plockton instead.

 

[Sgeir]

Fladday. Have you ever gone direct from S to N? I was in S Fladday a few weeks ago, and was heading north the next day. Stupidly, I didn't look at the possible passage at LW, and it was HW the next morning when we were leaving. We went round the long way.

Not sure I follow. You can walk across the causeway between Fladday and Raasay at mid tide and below. Antares suggests it dries out to 3.2m. I wouldn't attempt taking our yacht over it. Perhaps I've misunderstood what you were suggesting.

Caol Fladda's a nice spot.

 

[NormanS]

The fact that one can walk over at half tide, doesn't necessarily make it impossible to sail over when the tide is in. It was just that when leaving S Fladday, and going to be heading north, I wished that I had sussed out the possibility/ best way of going over the causeway. It's not important.

 

[afterpegassus]

I believe him up in Rona is a caretaker for a Danish owner, but is very proprietorial but I stand to be corrected. This is just the sort of person that needs to take a long walk of a short plank.
Boaties berthed at Kyle pontoons today.

 

[Quandary]

Last time I went in there I found him welcoming with good advice, we brought our dog ashore and he instructed us not to bag our dogs shit but to kick it in to the bracken for the beetles to eat which is advice I agree with. I suspect there may be reasons for his apparent hostility, not all sailors are polite or respectful. Like Trop Cher I regret the appearance of moorings in such a sheltered anchorage but I suppose there mat be some money to be made, I will be surprised if many boats do not opt to use them. We can not really complain about them appearing when so many of us want them. Look at Canna, you can anchor closer than the moorings but when you go in there all the moorings are taken before anyone anchors.

 

[dunedin]

Kyle pontoon certainly there when passed yesterday. But is it as big as it used to be? Difficult to tell from a distance but didn't see the finger berths. And most of length occupied by one 80 foot OYS boat

 

[dunedin]

L

I used to like South Rona. Now it seems to be full of notices, including ones about a "Landing Charge". I'm not at all sure about the legality of a "Charge". If they asked for a donation, I would happily contribute.
One of the notices that really got to me , was the one on the visitor's mooring buoys, which gave the charge, " However short your stay". A good example of poor psychology. It didn't affect us as we anchored.

We were very happy to use one of the 5 visitor moorings at Rona last night, and paid the extremely reasonable £10 fee. 4 out of 5 moorings were in use, with one boat anchored.
They are a useful addition for Rona, for people who want to use them, and able to use the tight spaces between rocks more efficiently than the longer swing circle of anchors. Masses of space elsewhere for those who prefer to anchor. So a positive addition to capacity.
And the £1 per head suggested landing fee requested as a donation to contribute to maintenance costs for landing pontoon etc does not seem unreasonable. It only a £1 a head!!!

It’s ironic that some on here complain about “grumpy custodians” (NOT my experience) who are living day to day on an island, and keeping it beautiful and accessible for the rest of us to visit - whilst themselves being very grumpy about things like a £1 landing fee donation. Chill and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

 

[NormanS]

L

We were very happy to use one of the 5 visitor moorings at Rona last night, and paid the extremely reasonable £10 fee. 4 out of 5 moorings were in use, with one boat anchored.
They are a useful addition for Rona, for people who want to use them, and able to use the tight spaces between rocks more efficiently than the longer swing circle of anchors. Masses of space elsewhere for those who prefer to anchor. So a positive addition to capacity.
And the £1 per head suggested landing fee requested as a donation to contribute to maintenance costs for landing pontoon etc does not seem unreasonable. It only a £1 a head!!!

It’s ironic that some on here complain about “grumpy custodians” (NOT my experience) who are living day to day on an island, and keeping it beautiful and accessible for the rest of us to visit - whilst themselves being very grumpy about things like a £1 landing fee donation. Chill and enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

Since you quote me, I will respond:- I am sure that the visitors moorings are a good thing for those lacking the confidence to anchor.
I remember South Rona from a time before there was a "custodian", and it was equally beautiful and accessible.
I have no knowledge about whether the said custodian is grumpy or not, and made no comment about him.
As I said, I would happily make a donation, but bristle at the DEMAND for a landing fee.
I am slightly dismayed by the plethora of signs, and some of the wording thereof.
Otherwise, it's a lovely place - enjoy.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

I am sure that the visitors moorings are a good thing for those lacking the confidence to anchor.

You are making the mistake assuming that everyone has the same anchoring capability that you have. That is not the case. As my boat is a small trimaran weight is critical. I therefore, like all small trimarans I've ever seen, anchor on predominantly warp. That means that I need more room to anchor, & somewhere like South Rona is difficult, especially if busy. What I need is shallow, spacious & flat - exactly what I have at anchor off Little Gruinard as I write this & what I had at Loch Mharabhig 2 days ago. So it's not always lack of confidence or knowledge that some boats choose not to anchor, but sometimes because there are many different types & capabilities of boats.

As I've said before to you, there's plenty of room in Scotland for all comers, so perhaps you should roll back denigrating owners of boats that are different from yours.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

..... “....... custodians” ...... who are living day to day on an island, and keeping it beautiful and accessible for the rest of us to visit - .....

I could not agree with that statement. Man only exploits for his own benefit, nature left to its own devices does pretty well at keeping the "land beautiful and accessible for the rest of us to visit". In fact I would suggest that custodians such as crofters, landowners and community buy outs adversely affect the wild beauty of many places.

Lat week, Ghia, with it's extended pontoon, crammed with yachts tied up to it, very unsightly; crofters splitting their crofts for children to build houses on ruining vistas; Lamlash Bay crammed with moorings; Rothesay Harbour pontoons wood split, cracked and down right dangerous (outer harbour). Compare this with many of the un serviced, un managed bays and inlets e.g. Tinkers Hole, where the wild beauty is still untamed. I think custodians are really just another form of land exploitation.

A couple of weeks ago on TV, there was a programme, Landward or Country Watch or whatever these inane programmes are called with their high fashion outdoor clothing presenters wearing a new coat every scene are called, that was filmed right up north. Some twat was dragging a dear carcass to lure Golden Eagles so he could charge people for watching them from the hide. He was also a custodian.

The new generation of custodians will trash the place in their quest for money making ventures just as much as the landowners have in the past. In their wake they will leave an even bigger mess.

 

[steve yates]

What he says, the idea of a landing fee being demanded is outrageous. Access to land in Scotland is very different than what you are used to in England, and things like this should be actively flouted.

 

[Quandary]

You are wrong, Boots, the character and interest of our landscape has generally benefited from human intervention. The contrast between land grazed by sheep and that totally covered with bracken is an example. Your post reads as if you want to evict the crofters but admit yachties so that they alone could enjoy this new wilder landscape, it sounds remarkably selfish and takes no account of the benefits most of the rest of us gain from being allowed to share the harbours and villages that these folk live in all year. The landscape you promote is available in places like Greenland, but if that was where everyone like you wanted to go how long would it last. You can not have it both ways, if you visit places you change them with less justification than those who take on the struggle to live there.
Interesting that when you went to Gigha you stopped at Ardminish bay, the centre of population, surely you could have selected a different anchorage? The same applies at S. Rona, there are still plenty of remoter 'unspoiled' anchorages.

 

[Quandary]

What he says, the idea of a landing fee being demanded is outrageous. Access to land in Scotland is very different than what you are used to in England, and things like this should be actively flouted.

No, Steve, he put in a pontoon to make it easy to get ashore, that is a benefit, a small contribution to its upkeep is justified, no one is compelled to use it, or even to pay the £1-00 if they do not want to.

 

[Kelpie]

No, Steve, he put in a pontoon to make it easy to get ashore, that is a benefit, a small contribution to its upkeep is justified, no one is compelled to use it, or even to pay the £1-00 if they do not want to.

That's my understanding as well. The landing stage makes getting ashore much easier. If you don't want to pay the £1, scramble up the rocks instead.

 

[ctva]

You are wrong, Boots, the character and interest of our landscape has generally benefited from human intervention. The contrast between land grazed by sheep and that totally covered with bracken is an example. Your post reads as if you want to evict the crofters but admit yachties so that they alone could enjoy this new wilder landscape, it sounds remarkably selfish and takes no account of the benefits most of the rest of us gain from being allowed to share the harbours and villages that these folk live in all year. The landscape you promote is available in places like Greenland, but if that was where everyone like you wanted to go how long would it last. You can not have it both ways, if you visit places you change them with less justification than those who take on the struggle to live there.
Interesting that when you went to Gigha you stopped at Ardminish bay, the centre of population, surely you could have selected a different anchorage? The same applies at S. Rona, there are still plenty of remoter 'unspoiled' anchorages.

There is a big difference between crofters and others making a living and the ‘custodian’ that are becoming more common, not that I was around but it seams to be a rerun of the clearances with rich absentee landlords buying estates and islands to turn into their own private playground.

I find it a shame that well used anchorages are slowly being commercialised, we visit these places to be in the wild and nature, otherwise, I’d visit marinas or theme parks.

Im a bit grumpy just now as we’ve just anchored in Vatersay after having to avoid two or three dozen tiny, dirty buoys in the Loch presumably, unregistered pots and the SW corner filled with more mooring detritus... These remote areas are not what they used to be. :disgust: