Trailer sailing in Scotland

[Romeo]

Solway would be a very interesting place to really explore in a small boat. Must be a bit like East Anglia, but with virtually no other boats. Interesting challenges of tide and lack of water, and interesting places to go when ashore. Thankfully the proximity of the Clyde will always keep it fairly undeveloped from a sailors perspective, and there are few enough places like that now.

 

[Trop Cher]

Lochcarron and Kyleatkin as already mentioned both have slipways which have parking for cars and trailers nearby, another couple of places with slipways and parking would be Dornie and Gairloch.

 

[Yosilas]

Near the Summer Isles there is Old Dornie that has a slipway. There is a place called Dornie near there but it has a bit of a drop to the sea. It's a nice area, and we take a small trailer sailer up there each summer to sail and fish.

 

[stooibrown]

I've used the Puffin Dive Centre slip just S of Oban and felt that my car and trailer were quite safe. Great wee marinas at Loch Aline and opp Isle of Shuna (Linnhe Marine). Managed to sail my Skipper 17 under the 'Bridge over the Atlantic' (Seil). If you make it all the way to the head of Loch Crerran you'll get a braw pint and nosh at the Inn.

 

[JimC]

Solway would be a very interesting place to really explore in a small boat. Must be a bit like East Anglia, but with virtually no other boats. Interesting challenges of tide and lack of water, and interesting places to go when ashore. Thankfully the proximity of the Clyde will always keep it fairly undeveloped from a sailors perspective, and there are few enough places like that now.

Unfortunately it's not like East Anglia in terms of weather and sea conditions. The prevailing wind blows straight into the Solway with a 70 mile fetch from Ireland. The seas run into the Firth and steepen and break in the rapidly shoaling water. The tides run very fast in the narrow channels when the banks uncover. Not at all like the placid East coast rivers. There are some interesting places to go and I would add the Islands of Fleet to those already mentioned but, if I had a trailer sailer I think I'd tow her a bit further and sail in the Firth of Clyde or on the west coast.