West coast of Scotland - is it cruising friendly?

[JumbleDuck]

Midges (please not midgies) can only fly at 4mph, so realistically are seldom a problem when you're afloat.

Midge is the effete English word. The Scots word is midgie. Cf "midgie-motor" (a municipal refuse collection vehicle in Glasgow).

There is probably an interesting random walk calculation to show how midgie density decreases with distance from the shore. In my experience you are pretty safe at 50 yards off, although the ones which fly out above the dinghy can take a while to disperse.

 

[NormanS]

Midge is the effete English word. The Scots word is midgie. Cf "midgie-motor" (a municipal refuse collection vehicle in Glasgow).

There is probably an interesting random walk calculation to show how midgie density decreases with distance from the shore. In my experience you are pretty safe at 50 yards off, although the ones which fly out above the dinghy can take a while to disperse.

Midgie is nonsense. Anyway, only real softies are put off by midges, the much more serious, and increasing problem is with Ticks. Midges are a temporary annoyance, whereas some ticks, even the tiny ones that you don't find until a couple of days later as an annoying itch being your knee, can carry Lyme Disease.

Lyme disease is serious, affects the central nervous system, and can have all sorts of nasty symptoms. Apparently, Cornwall and North Uist are particularly afflicted.

Little plastic claw-hammer devices, available from vets etc, are good for extracting the critters. If you do develop the classic "ringed target" on your skin, go and see a doctor. A specific antibiotic course will be prescribed, which should clear it up.

 

[scruff]

Midgie is nonsense. Anyway, only real softies are put off by midges, the much more serious, and increasing problem is with Ticks. Midges are a temporary annoyance, whereas some ticks, even the tiny ones that you don't find until a couple of days later as an annoying itch being your knee, can carry Lyme Disease.

Lyme disease is serious, affects the central nervous system, and can have all sorts of nasty symptoms. Apparently, Cornwall and North Uist are particularly afflicted.

Little plastic claw-hammer devices, available from vets etc, are good for extracting the critters. If you do develop the classic "ringed target" on your skin, go and see a doctor. A specific antibiotic course will be prescribed, which should clear it up.

That is actually a very good point - my partner was at an outdoor ed focused first aid course last month. The percentage of Lymes carrying ticks is increasing and thought to be in excess of 30% now. Also the red target mark doesn't always show up when contracted Lymes from a tick so cannot be taken to be a reliable indicator.

 

[mm42]

Loch Scresort st Rum saw the midges come out to our ship even though we were at anchor right in the middle of the bay.

 

[ctva]

It's only the female midge that is a problem.
They look for a meal (blood) before mating.
The male just look to mate.

Just like us.

 

[JumbleDuck]

Midgie is nonsense. Anyway, only real softies are put off by midges, the much more serious, and increasing problem is with Ticks. .

If you think being deterred by midgies is soft, you clearly have not met the real thing. That said, I agree that ticks are an issue as well, and I carry a set of tick removers such as you described, just in case.

 

[jdc]

...only a fool or a masochist would head that way from south of 52 degrees N when the whole of Normandy and Brittany awaits in the other direction, ...

Indeed, and and once one gets to Scotland, one might as well carry on: Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard all on your doorstep!

More seriously, I'm obviously weird as I turn N at Land's End pretty much every time. September and October are also fantastic times to cruise the W coast of Scotland. The weather is often beautiful and the midges (which don't really reach you if at anchor) have gone.

 

[JumbleDuck]

eptember and October are also fantastic times to cruise the W coast of Scotland. The weather is often beautiful and the midges (which don't really reach you if at anchor) have got.

Good point. I haven't had much luck in Septembers, but Octobers can be lovely, although often quite cold.

 

[jamie N]

+1, +1, +1.

Stornoway, and possibly Lochboisdale (although I have not visited recently) afford decent shelter. Lochmaddy I would not consider in any sort of a blow. East Loch Tarbert is pretty grim next to the ferry berth, and untenable with wind with any east in it. The pontoon at North Harbour Scalpay is far preferable, but you have to accept the 'facilities' there are pretty limited.

Stornoway is great, and the 'new' marina for the locals will make it better; Lochboisdale has great facilities & Lochmaddy is slightly challenged I'd say, also I've never seen it in a blow. East Loch Tarbert I like a lot, with the village being so close and good. I was there in a small Easterly, and wasn't too bothered, nor found the ferry an issue. My wife and her sisters have kept their family house there, so it's difficult to slag off, and it's handy for dhobi! Scalpay is undoubtedly a better shalter, PLUS it's got the BISTRO, which has the best food that I've ever tasted, anywhere, but hasn't got anything else really!
Midge aren't really a problem for me, as they hardly drink anything.

 

[JumbleDuck]

PLUS it's got the BISTRO, which has the best food that I've ever tasted, anywhere ...

Try Ballygown on Mull. Good anchorage, though a bit exposed to the south, directly outside the restaurant.

 

[armchairsailor]

Beware the following phrase: “Will ya hae’ a wee dram?”
You will end up crawling back at 5in the morning to your bunk and getting the worst hangover of your life. Don’t ask me how I know.
And that was with the Canna “harbourmaster”.

 

[Spyro]

Arran is the only place I've Benn in a pub and the midgies are inside.

 

[Sgeir]

There is also the language 'Yooffa yat, wat yat yoooffa'?

Dearie me, you're not from Glasgow are you? Bearsden, perchance?

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

Beware the following phrase: “Will ya hae’ a wee dram?”

and the theres the ceilidh...

 

[rotrax]

For those unfortunate enough to find a tick has become attached to their skin and dont have a removal device about their person the following might help. Working dog people cover said offensive insect with vaseline when found on their dogs. Ticks breath through their bodies-cover the breathing ports and they die. After half an hour or so, detach with tweezers, twisting slightly as you pull to ensure the head comes away. If the head-or any part-remains-it can go septic quite quickly.

 

[mainsail1]

And nobody talks about the industrial scale Norwegian owned fish farms and massive wind turbines, trashing the beauty that people go to the West Coast to experience.
Oh and that's not to mention the way the islanders seem to think the rest of their Island is best used as a free rubbish dump....example Barra with its discarded rusting cars, fridges, washing machines and so on.
Sorry Scotland, you are not doing yourselves any favours.

 

[Lon nan Gruagach]

And nobody talks about the industrial scale Norwegian owned fish farms and massive wind turbines, trashing the beauty that people go to the West Coast to experience.
Oh and that's not to mention the way the islanders seem to think the rest of their Island is best used as a free rubbish dump....example Barra with its discarded rusting cars, fridges, washing machines and so on.
Sorry Scotland, you are not doing yourselves any favours.

Thats a rather offensive, incorrect sweeping generalisation, innit?
Is your back yard spotless?

 

[Kelpie]

And nobody talks about the industrial scale Norwegian owned fish farms and massive wind turbines, trashing the beauty that people go to the West Coast to experience.
Oh and that's not to mention the way the islanders seem to think the rest of their Island is best used as a free rubbish dump....example Barra with its discarded rusting cars, fridges, washing machines and so on.
Sorry Scotland, you are not doing yourselves any favours.

It is indeed very inconsiderate that some of us actually live and work here.
We shall endeavour to remove all traces of modern human life and turn it into a giant theme part/ museum.

 

[Motor_Sailor]

And nobody talks about the industrial scale Norwegian owned fish farms and massive wind turbines, trashing the beauty that people go to the West Coast to experience.
Oh and that's not to mention the way the islanders seem to think the rest of their Island is best used as a free rubbish dump....example Barra with its discarded rusting cars, fridges, washing machines and so on.
Sorry Scotland, you are not doing yourselves any favours.

It doesn't have to be a theme park, but there is an element of truth in this.

Simply waxing lyrical about the west coast, can lead some first time visitors to be pretty disappointed if they end up in some of the wrong places. It's surely better to at least tell them that is an area which combines stunning beauty with a variety of downsides, including a number of social-economic challenges. Most of the 'drop dead gorgeous' stretches of coastline in the more popular English cruising grounds are usually backed by at least a 'quaint veneer of prosperity', but with the exception of the usual candidates (Tobermory, Plockton, Ullapool, etc), there are loads of places on the west coast where life is a struggle. These often do not prioritise 'the look of the place', and although it is perhaps better than it was, it's still true that there are still bays and anchorages blighted by waste from the fish farm industry, abandoned cars, derelict mobile homes, etc.

 

[AntarcticPilot]

Is the Pope Catholic? The West Coast of Scotland is widely regarded as the finest cruising ground in the UK. I regret having to move away!