Scottish Yachties and Motorboat peeps - advice for an Aussie yachtie please

[HinewaisMan]

Sailing around the world, you soon learn that every time you make a plan, god laughs. Generally, she has good reason to.

For us, it looks like we might be hanging around northern Europe a tad longer than planned. But where to stay?

Well, have wintered down south, but that’s where I did most of my sailing before moving to Australia.

And with our winter contract here ending in March, we’re thinking about heading north – picking somewhere in Scotland as a base for the next year or so.

So we’re asking for any suggestions about a good place to consider.

What we’re looking for is somewhere nice – part of a good community, somewhere that doesn’t mind liveaboards, indeed has a good liveaboard group, interesting sailing grounds, close to a good pub (nice beer, live music and a dartboard?), oh, and shops possibly.

Plus – a good secure haul-out and storage facility – it might be we have to head back to Oz for a while.

And, if we can earn a few bucks while there it would help – so maybe not too far from a biggish town or city (So glad I kept my UK passport.)

(If anyone works in the advertising or fundraising worlds, feel free to PM me – I’ll love a chance to chat about what’s happening there in those fields)

Blast – this is getting close to a plan – I think I can hear giggling from on high

Peter

 

[alant]

Sailing around the world, you soon learn that every time you make a plan, god laughs. Generally, she has good reason to.

For us, it looks like we might be hanging around northern Europe a tad longer than planned. But where to stay?

Well, have wintered down south, but that’s where I did most of my sailing before moving to Australia.

And with our winter contract here ending in March, we’re thinking about heading north – picking somewhere in Scotland as a base for the next year or so.

So we’re asking for any suggestions about a good place to consider.

What we’re looking for is somewhere nice – part of a good community, somewhere that doesn’t mind liveaboards, indeed has a good liveaboard group, interesting sailing grounds, close to a good pub (nice beer, live music and a dartboard?), oh, and shops possibly.

Plus – a good secure haul-out and storage facility – it might be we have to head back to Oz for a while.

And, if we can earn a few bucks while there it would help – so maybe not too far from a biggish town or city (So glad I kept my UK passport.)

(If anyone works in the advertising or fundraising worlds, feel free to PM me – I’ll love a chance to chat about what’s happening there in those fields)

Blast – this is getting close to a plan – I think I can hear giggling from on high

Peter

Oban?

 

[snowleopard]

We spent some time in the marina at Inverness on the Caledonian canal (BW, not Caley marina) and met a German couple who had come down from Spitzbergen to overwinter. Pretty chilly but a pleasant place and you can always wander up the canal for a few days if you're bored. A mile to the town centre but a big supermarket alongside.

p.s. at this time of year, St Kilda marina looked a much pleasanter prospect when I was there last week

 

[FishyInverness]

We spent some time in the marina at Inverness on the Caledonian canal (BW, not Caley marina) and met a German couple who had come down from Spitzbergen to overwinter. Pretty chilly but a pleasant place and you can always wander up the canal for a few days if you're bored. A mile to the town centre but a big supermarket alongside.

p.s. at this time of year, St Kilda marina looked a much pleasanter prospect when I was there last week

Snowleopard - Not sure if you know but when referring to the marina at inverness there is now "Inverness Marina" which is not British Waterways ( which itself is soon to become something like the Scottish Canals and Waterways Trust or whatever, but that's another story) "Inverness Marina" is formally run by the harbour trust but was substantially funded (and has an advertising and service provision bias towards) Caley Marina. Inverness Marina at the harbour isn't held in the highest regard by some users (see a recent posting for a full critique) but I believe it is relatively cheap. Seaport Marina in Inverness at the Canal Basin which you refer to is lovely (I have chosen to live just over the road!) - just wanted to make the distinction to avoid confusion!


HinewaisMan - The marina at the canal basin is Seaport Marina which is the one I think SnowLeopard refers to and reading your list of requirements, appears to meet a lot of them - Excellent facilities, Local Pub (The Clachnaharry) is very welcoming with a good atmosphere, good local and traditional beer and good food (No live music - But "hootenany's" is about a 20 minute walk into town and supplies the trad music in spades!), plenty of local shops including big retail parks within walking distance, Inverness is a very friendly place and the town centre has everything you could want, large and small. Two well-stocked chandleries nearby and Caley Marina has servicing, haul out, and hard standing facilities, as does "inverness marina". Plenty of P/T work around - As for advertising, New Century Publishing run many of the local papers for much of the area from Fort William up to Caithness and have a large advertising department located at inverness as well a lot of local little magazines and catalogues are always looking for telesales advertisers (done it myself, for my sins when times were hard, and never again!), but I doubt that's what you meant!!

 

[RAI]

I would look a bit further south, say Troon, To be closer to an international airport.

 

[baggypipes]

I would look a bit further south, say Troon, To be closer to an international airport.

Troon good for allround access easy to get to Glasgow/Prestwick, nice town, great walks, good services available in the marina. However don't expect to get work in the area. Also very quiet no liverboard community in the marina. little protection from High winds but no swell.

 

[dcr]

In addition to Troon you could consider Largs Yacht Haven (afloat or ashore) and Fairly Quay Marina (ashore only), but Google and check first if still OK for liveaboards. There have been some in the past, but may depend on how long you wish to stay.
Both have good rail and bus connections to Glasgow & Prestwick airports all onward links.
Cheers, dcr

 

[island163]

We had our boat in Troon for a year and liked it for access to the town, trains, planes and golf. Not sure there is much of a liveaboard community though.

We now keep our boat in Ardfern marina. Ardfern village seem to have a great community feel, it's a much more rural place. It has a pub and a good village shop and well used village hall. The marina has a good boatyard, good chandlery, on shore storage and really nice people. The nearest station to Ardfern is in Oban about 30 minutes away by taxi.