Summer cruise of Scotland

I don't think it's been mentioned yet, but Hamish Haswell Smith's 'The Scottish Islands' is an excellenent reference. 'Welcome Anchorages' is also useful, but only includes places with some sort of commercial interest.

It always seems a bit strange to me that a publication calling itself "Welcome Anchorages", doesn't actually mention anything about anchorages. It's all about moorings and pontoons. As Kelpie says, it's purely a commercial thing.
 
I love the way that the Scots contributors to this thread refer to moorings with an honesty box as FREE.

Quandary - you need to review these posts again. The only "free" moorings mentioned were in the north of Oban Bay - I took that as a reference to the old, and very uncomfortable, HIDB yins that are long gone but were originally free. I would hope that you and the other Scots who sail the west are punctilious in recompensing those who supply moorings. I admit to postponing payment when I have used but not gone ashore but I think I've paid my dues. Duncan at Cardingmill may disagree!
 
Did the circuit anticlockwise in June last year.

My route was:
Troon
MoK
Gigha - (Anchored in Druimyeon Bay to avoid the crowds in Ardminish)
Oban (marina wasn't having a good year, but good stop for provisions and diesel)
Corpach - anchored across Loch from Canal entrance)
Caledonian Canal (stops at Laggan, Fort Augustus and Inverness (Seaport Marina included in transit fee). Give yourself at least three days for the canal transit.
Portmahomack - no usable harbour (tidal), decent anchorage but open to the North
Wick - new pontoons and very helpful harbourmaster. Makes a good stop while waiting for decent conditions to cross Pentland Firth
Stromness - pontoons in inner harbour. Diesel and water available - worth a stop to explore Orkney for a few days
Talmine (Kyle of Tongue) - nice anchorage but open to the North
Loch Roe (a nice wee anchorage near Lochinver)
Lochinver (for provisions) - a fishing port with good pontoons. Harbourmaster helpful, but a long walk to the shops.
Badachro - visitor moorings, and a popular hotel with good food and local real ale
Plockton - visitor moorings and dinghy pontoon. Good restaurants
Loch Moidart - tricky entrance, but stunning views in the inner loch. A must if the weather is good.
Tobermory - pontoons, diesel, shops, tourist trap
Oban (crew change)
Craighouse Jura - visitor moorings, hotel, distillery
Gigha - Ardminish Bay, popular visitor moorings. Boathouse Cafe Bar has fabulous food
MoK
Carradale Bay - I preferred to anchor for my last night rather than face the horrors of Campbeltown on a Saturday night
Troon


I suppose we were lucky because the weather was favourable most of the month. We only had one weather problem, and that was the infamous Hoy Sound, when we had a wind over tide situation on the day we planned to leave. We set off to have a look to see if it was as bad as its reputation, and promptly did a 180 back to Stromness for another day.
 
Inverness my home port has great facilities, and is well connected to the rest of the world by road, rail and air. No midgies either....!

Places I like.
Isle Ornsay just loved this place - nothing there cept a pub where the barman was loth to serve me (not posh enough?)
Rhum - had a shower in the Castle - biggest bathroom I was every in - Go and use the WiFi upstairs among the priceless antiques.
Oban - I would move there today to live forever.
Canna harbour, a number of moorings and space to anchor in a superb setting?? Canna shore was absolutly covered in plastic waste 2009
Gairloch, a few places on a jetty, friendly harbourmaster < ha ha
Badachro, Gairloch - much better - visitor moorings, and a popular hotel with good food and local real ale
Tobermory - pontoons, diesel, shops, tourist trap - Like a wee Oban but much worser.
Arisaig - fun to miss a pole when going in the long windy entrance to this Ahole place.
Puilladobhrain eight miles from Oban via the Sound of Kerrera. - I crept in thinking it shallow and small - later the OYTS Challenge 72 came flying in !
Lochaline, Sound of Mull - Good anchorage - Years ago went there as a seaman in coasters to get the white sand to take to Manchester MSC -
took dinghy over to the cafe at the ferry terminal - twats in RIB nearly drowned me - Now pontoons at Lochaline.
......................


Map not to be used for navigation - I did.

Shafa (1) Trip here http://www.davehighland.scot/index.php/sailing/shafa-1-trip
Watch oot fur the Mull o Kintyre....
shafatrip.jpg
 
Quandary - you need to review these posts again. The only "free" moorings mentioned were in the north of Oban Bay - I took that as a reference to the old, and very uncomfortable, HIDB yins that are long gone but were originally free.

Highland council do still have a few free moorings, but not many. There are some at Kyleakin and Churchton Bay. A quick call to the harbours office in Lochinver confirms their location and maintenance. These are for short stays, not dumping your boat on for 2 weeks and boogering off.
 
Thank you all so much for your replies and for sharing your local knowledge and experience. Cant wait for the season to start. Lets hope the weather holds up.
 
Highland council do still have a few free moorings, but not many. There are some at Kyleakin

Highland Council mooring buoys are NOT free. It is true that nobody will come to collect the money, but you are supposed to 'fess up at the local HM, in this case Kyle of Localash. It is quite OK for leaving the boat for a week or so on these; in fact preferably to the pontoon at Kyleakin (the pontoon at Kyle is only suitable for a short stay due to wash/traffic/exposure to the SW).
 
Plenty of free moorings with the proviso that you use the pub's / hotel's hospitality. Welcome Anchorages (yest incorrect name for the pedants) details all the ones generally known.
 
Last edited:
I'm a bit puzzled by all this................

If you are in the south and have a boat capable of getting to the West Coast of Scotland why would you go there? Your boat will take you further south to warmer more comfortable places, France, Galicia and further. Just as quick getting from Falmouth to A Coruna as to Oban. No midges, much better food and drink, almost no rain, T shirts, shorts , swimming, suntans. Much cheaper.

I've done the west coast: lived there, worked there, sailed there. This morning I looked out my window north over a sparkling sea to Rhum, Eigg and Muck with Canna and Skye in the distance: all very beautiful but this year I'm sailing back to north west Spain

But if you do insist on going, then this should whet your appetite

DSCF0089_zpsnohpo3vi.jpg
 
Top