My dad would describe the trek along Etive as character building. Very scenic but not easy at the best of times. Today, the mass of thick mud and boulders in front of me was even less appealing as I was laden down with more gear than usual. Up close, the damage was impressive. A huge… Continue reading A Trek along Etive
Category: Camping and Outdoors
Peace and Quiet on Etive
I’m often across at Etive over the winter months, both on my boat and from the shore. Whilst the fishing is unspectacular, it is one of the most sheltered places to sea fish in a very windy country. If, like me, you enjoy scenery, solitude and the smoke of a campfire, then Etive is also… Continue reading Peace and Quiet on Etive
How (not) to Catch a Pike
I’ve toyed with doing a little pike fishing for a year or two now, mainly to get out during quiet times of the year or when the weather is too vile at the coast. I caught a few when I was a teenager but I’ve rarely fished for them since. My opportunity came at the… Continue reading How (not) to Catch a Pike
Etive Spurdog – and a Hot Tent Overnight Camp
What with lockdowns and life generally, it’s over a year since I was afloat on Etive. I finally remedied that last month with an overnight trip with Ian. The local swans hassled for a payout as we launched at Taynuilt and headed out into a calm loch. We planned to camp well up the loch… Continue reading Etive Spurdog – and a Hot Tent Overnight Camp
Exploring Rum, Eigg and Skye
The Small Isles – Rum & Eigg When the wind and sea allow, I like to take a longer trip in the boat. Normally I potter around doing a little fishing, a little fossicking about and quite a lot of general chilling. Generally that means somewhere up the west coast of Scotland, usually exploring one… Continue reading Exploring Rum, Eigg and Skye
Rannoch Trout – an Overnight Catch and Cook
I’ve been fairly busy since lockdown ended but I haven’t been camping for 6 months now. Even longer since the kayak got wet, so it was definitely time to do something about that! Rannoch Moor is a wide expanse of heather and bog, covered with small pools and shallow lochs. The main road to Fort… Continue reading Rannoch Trout – an Overnight Catch and Cook
Hot Tenting in Scotland
One of my readers (hi Mark!) asked about my glamping set up the other day, and the answer started to get quite long so I’ve converted it into a blog post. Basically, you won’t need to be hot tenting very often in Scotland, but on those occasions you do, it’s pure dead brilliant. Warm toes,… Continue reading Hot Tenting in Scotland
Return to Sunart
I’ve not floated my boat on Sunart during the winter months in ages, so it was high time for a return visit! I last visited on a kayak in March, just before lockdown crushed the life out of us. This was exploring rather than fishing, so doesn’t really count! However, I did find a decent… Continue reading Return to Sunart
A Perfect Kayak on Etive
The Scottish sea lochs are beautiful but I haven’t actually paddled my kayak on Etive for over a year now. Fine autumn weather coupled with the gloomy prospect of impending lockdowns made it an easy choice, however. I dusted down the plastic log, dug out my buoyancy aid and generally made ready! Even so, despite… Continue reading A Perfect Kayak on Etive
The Sea of the Hebrides
I’m not long back from a very memorable long weekend on Skye, exploring a small corner of MacLeod country amongst sunshine, calm seas and giant volcanic cliffs. We camped above the beach on a deserted little island and spent 3 days fishing on the Sea of the Hebrides. Some very nice fish. No midges. Perfect…… Continue reading The Sea of the Hebrides