Slow round-Britain plan advice....

Captain Crisp

Captain Crisp

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Starting to fantasise about a slow circumnav of our sacred isle... maybe over 3-4 years... starting from Essex and heading North... but allowing plenty of time to explore areas along the way...

I work full time, so this would involve leaving my Twister for significant periods, especially winters, in various locations along the way...

Something like 1st winter Inverness... 2nd winter West Coast Scotland... 3rd winter Wales then home...

Do people do this? Any obvious pitfalls? Good sources of info?

Thanks,

Crisp
 
We sailed up the east coast and turned left through the Caledonian Canal this year. After a summer of sailing around the west coast of Scotland we left the boat in the Clyde and will return next spring to start again.

When you can change the question from “how long does the journey take?” to “how long do we have?” it opens up the possibilities to visit the places you want to and linger at places when you want. You’re not rushing past places or missing out visiting so many amazing stops that may not lie on a convenient or direct circumnavigation route.

Go for it.
 
Youtube and similar have all sorts of videos of people that have done the UK Circum ..... the major factor that I found with them, all ... the time needed to do it justice is far longer than initially planned !

Look at Keep Turning Left ... Sailing Brothers etc ...
 
Captain Crisp said:
Starting to fantasise about a slow circumnav of our sacred isle... maybe over 3-4 years... starting from Essex and heading North... but allowing plenty of time to explore areas along the way...

I work full time, so this would involve leaving my Twister for significant periods, especially winters, in various locations along the way...

Something like 1st winter Inverness... 2nd winter West Coast Scotland... 3rd winter Wales then home...

Do people do this? Any obvious pitfalls? Good sources of info?

Thanks,

Crisp
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Loads of people do this every year - and Concerto of this Parrish comprehensively documented his trip (though he was in a bit of a hurry latterly to get back to Southampton, so missed most of the Hebrides which to me is the best bit).

Sam Steele wrote a good book on this UK and Ireland Circumnavigator’s Guide

And the Cruising Association have a lot of information on this route as many of their members do this each year. And have a Celtic Waters seminar at CA House on 31 January 2026.

In terms of stopovers Inverness is a secure location with good transport links. But bear in mind that 2/3rds, maybe even 3/4, of the UK coastline - and arguably the best cruising grounds - lie between Duncansby Head and Corsewall Point (ie the N and W of Scotland, including Orkney, Shetland and the Inner and Outer Hebrides).
From Essex to Inverness you have probably only covered the first 2% of the cruise, so too early to stop there - unless do a circuit round Orkney and Shetland first.
Flexibility and patience is essential, rather than a fixed itinerary. If heading anti-clockwise review the weather at Inverness - if favourable head N for Orkney. If not circuit through the Caledonian Canal then back round the top via Cape Wrath to Orkney and Shetland. Equally when departing Orkney, look at the weather and head for Cape Wrath or back to Inverness depending on weather.
Have a great trip.
 
ProDave said:
My top tip is when you need a break and want to return home, put your boat in a safe marina or harbour. Do NOT think you can just leave it at anchor somewhere and leave if for a couple of weeks.
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Why is that? I did precisely that for several years, leaving the boat for four weeks at a time. OK, it needs some planning, and good ground tackle, but it worked for me in Shetland and a couple of places in the Western Isles.
 
4 years to circumnavigate and you have planned to secure boat safely; sounds like you have planned pretty well.

I cannot add more than you have already thought of.

You have a means to keep boat ventilated over the winters I presume?
 
Sounds a sorted idea, not sure what advice you might need?
Only things I can think of is get antares charts if you don’t have them and have good ground tackle with plenty of chain.
Oh and I suppose the important one, don’t shortcut through the cally canal, take the time and go round top and visit orkney & shetland.
 
ProDave said:
There have been at least 2 cases, one local to me, on this forum of boats either sinking at anchor or the anchor failing and the boat wrecked on the shore. If only they had spent a few ££ for the safety of a harbour or marina.
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If you want to leave a boat on the West Coast or somewhere in the Outer Hebrides, it would be very limiting if it had to be in a harbour or a marina. In the whole length of the Outer Isles, there are only two weather secure marinas, and very few facilities on the mainland coast north of Ardnamurchan. On the other hand, there are innumerable sheltered places where a boat can safely be left at anchor.
If your boat s going to sink because it's left at anchor, there's more wrong.
When I left mine anchored in various places, I used two anchors, in a Bahamian Moor, and made sure that both anchors had a secure hold.
Harbours are not necessarily safe. Once when on passage up the east coast, I was weatherbound in a well known fishing harbour. Another yacht on passage was having to be left for a week. The skipper asked me to check on his boat, because the local fishing boats would be sailing on the Sunday night/Monday morning, and he feared that they would just throw off his lines and leave the boat adrift. His fears were justified. That's exactly what happened. We secured his boat, and then sailed.
 
NormanS said:
If you want to leave a boat on the West Coast or somewhere in the Outer Hebrides, it would be very limiting if it had to be in a harbour or a marina. In the whole length of the Outer Isles, there are only two weather secure marinas, and very few facilities on the mainland coast north of Ardnamurchan.
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Four. There's now Kirkibost on Loch Roag, as well as Stornoway, Castlebay & Scalpay. If you are doing an occasional visit home you don't need lots of facilities. You need just one, and Stornoway is the obvious option in the Outers because of its security, ferry & airport. On the north west mainland there's Lochinver, Ullapool, Kinlochbervie, Mallaig. Again, only one is needed.

You are highly unusual in what you do. I'm pleased it works for you but I've never met anyone else who does that. I don't know about you, but for pretty much everyone else what you do would leave their boat uninsured.

In the Highland council harbor pontoons like Lochinver & Kinlochbervie the cost of 2 to 4 weeks is low, about £10-£15 a day for 35'. Public transport to England is possible from Lochinver in a day & because of the security, low cost & travel availability boats moored there for a couple of weeks while the owners are away is commonplace.

Some more thoughts. Secure anchorages don't usually come anywhere near ferry terminals, airports, bus/coach/train stations. The few marinas that there are often do. Remember, the OP wants to travel home.

When I return after 2 weeks away the first thing I need is a big Tesco shop - Stornoway, Ullapool or Lochinver. Not 3 miles up Loch Drambuie.
 
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Enterprise car hire have a depot at inverness & will drop the car to the marina for you, Then drive it to essex. When you want to go back hire from them again & drive north. You can cart loads of gear in a car & do not have a lot of trekking between buses & trains. If there are 2 of you it should be cheaper. Keep the car for a couple of days in Inverness & have a drive round. Do your shopping before you hand the car back . If you decide not to travel along the cally canal you can drive to Fort Augustus & have a look for future reference
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Four. There's now Kirkibost on Loch Roag, as well as Stornoway, Castlebay & Scalpay. If you are doing an occasional visit home you don't need lots of facilities. You need just one, and Stornoway is the obvious option in the Outers because of it's security, ferry & airport. On the north west mainland there's Lochinver, Ullapool, Kinlochbervie, Mallaig. Again, only one is needed.

You are highly unusual in what you do. I'm pleased it works for you but I've never met anyone else who does that. I don't know about you, but for pretty much everyone else what you do would leave their boat uninsured.

In the Highland council harbor pontoons like Lochinver & Kinlochbervie the cost of 2 to 4 weeks is low, about £10-£15 a day for 35'. Public transport to England is possible from Lochinver in a day & because of the security, low cost & travel availability boats moored there for a couple of weeks while the owners are away is commonplace.

Some more thoughts. Secure anchorages don't usually come anywhere near ferry terminals, airports, bus/coach/train stations. The few marinas that there are do. Remember, the OP wants to travel home.

When I return after 2 weeks away the first thing I need is a big Tesco shop - Stornoway, Ullapool or Lochinver. Not 3 miles up Loch Drambuie.
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OK, I wasn't really considering the West side of the Outer Isles, where if you could get a berth, there's also Meavaig. However, no way would I leave a boat long term at either Castlebay or the pontoons at Scalpay. The two that I was suggesting as safe in the Outer Isles, are Stornoway and Lochboisdale.
 
I hate to say it but if you’re working then 4 years isn’t slow. We quit work and set off from Solent in march. We only got to Tobermory and missed a lot on the way. You may end up doing very long passages to get the boat moved, we met several people doing this on the way up
 
NormanS said:
However, no way would I leave a boat long term at either Castlebay or the pontoons at Scalpay.
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My insurance company is fine for 2 weeks unattended in summer at either of those locations, whereas two weeks unattended at anchor is specifically excluded.

Scalpay is complete shelter from swell & visited twice a day by the attendant, a retired ship master so knows his ropes & boats. Boats berth all winter on the pontoons so I can't see what the problems are that you perceive. Castlebay pontoons are similarly attended and would be fine for a fortnight in summer. The main problem with both would be difficult onward travel. If a summer storm like Floris came through while I was away I'd much prefer my boat to be tied up to a pontoon in Scalpay than at anchor somewhere remote where no-one would do anything if there was a problem.

Maybe we just have different perceptions of risk. No way would I leave my boat unattended at anchor for 2 weeks, or even overnight. Insurance companies seem to think the same way.
 
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NormanS said:
If you want to leave a boat on the West Coast or somewhere in the Outer Hebrides, it would be very limiting if it had to be in a harbour or a marina. In the whole length of the Outer Isles, there are only two weather secure marinas, and very few facilities on the mainland coast north of Ardnamurchan. On the other hand, there are innumerable sheltered places where a boat can safely be left at anchor.
If your boat s going to sink because it's left at anchor, there's more wrong.
When I left mine anchored in various places, I used two anchors, in a Bahamian Moor, and made sure that both anchors had a secure hold.
Harbours are not necessarily safe. Once when on passage up the east coast, I was weatherbound in a well known fishing harbour. Another yacht on passage was having to be left for a week. The skipper asked me to check on his boat, because the local fishing boats would be sailing on the Sunday night/Monday morning, and he feared that they would just throw off his lines and leave the boat adrift. His fears were justified. That's exactly what happened. We secured his boat, and then sailed.
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For the OP, like Angus I don't recognise this scenario. NormanS has a very unusual approach.

We, like AngusMcD and countless of other boaters, have left our boat in secure marinas (or on attended boatyard moorings) to travel home from NW Scotland and the Hebrides. I would not leave unattended on anchor (other than a day trip ashore), not least as often insurers would not cover this.

Most people tend to leave boats for longer periods around the Oban area or the Clyde - not least due to faster travel home. But we have also left our boat in Stromness, Stornoway, Lochinver and Mallaig (nowadays only on a mooring).
Others have used Lochboisdale and moorings at Plockton and Arisaig. And as AngusMcD says, Scalpay pontoon is in an entirely landlocked bay so would be very secure.
Masses of options available.
 
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To those who consider that the pontoons at Scalpay are safe in all conditions, I would say two things.
Have you ever been there in a strong wind from the NW?
When asked, Fred Taylor, who is in charge of the pontoons at both Scalpay and Tarbert (Harris), said not to leave the boat at Scalpay, because of the lack of all-round shelter, and that Tarbert would be better. I didn't put it to the test, but Tarbert is completely open to the east.
One of the more sheltered bays in East Loch Tarbert is one of the places where we have left our boat. It was convenient for stores and the ferry to Skye, from Tarbert.
I realise that my approach is more independent than most. Generally, I much prefer to anchor, almost never tie to pontoons, and only use visitor moorings in places like Tobermory, where because of the number of moorings, it is now difficult to anchor.
Happily, being now retired from work, the necessity of leaving the boat for long periods has gone.
 
OP is starting from Essex so it may be useful to use more words to describe “Tarbert” which could be pretty much anywhere 🤣
Although I think I know where you mean, even “East loch Tarbert” feels a but ambiguous to a southerner.
 
To those who consider that the pontoons at Scalpay are safe in all conditions, I would say two things.
Have you ever been there in a strong wind from the NW?
When asked, Fred Taylor,who is in charge of the pontoons at both Scalpay and Tarbert (Harris), said not to leave the boat at Scalpay, because of the lack of all-round shelter, and that Tarbert would be better. I didn't put it to the test, but Tarbert is completely open to the east.
One of the more sheltered bays in East Loch Tarbert is one of the places where we have left our boat. It was convenient for stores and the ferry to Skye, from Tarbert.
I realise that my approach is more independent than most. Generally, I much prefer to anchor, almost never tie to pontoons, and only use visitor moorings in places like Tobermory, where because of the number of moorings, it is now difficult to anchor.
Happily, being now retired from work, the necessity of leaving the boat for long periods has gone.
lustyd said:
OP is starting from Essex so it may be useful to use more words to describe “Tarbert” which could be pretty much anywhere 🤣
Although I think I know where you mean, even “East loch Tarbert” feels a but ambiguous to a southerner.
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If someone has difficulty in pinpointing Tarbert (Harris), they may find navigating round the UK quite challenging. 😄
 
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