After a very rolly night on a mooring buoy – having been forced into the saloon to escape the motion – we set off from Armandale Bay at 07:00 for Plockton.

It was not long before we had our first view of the Cuillins which where in bright sunshine on the other side of Skye. We had grey murk.

The Cuillins from the Sound of Sleat

Plockton is on the south side of Loch Carron, just past the Kyle of Lochalsh. To get there you have to go through a narrow channel – the Kyle Rhea – between the mainland and the Isle of Skye. The channel, only a few cables wide, is about 3 miles long and has big changes in depth as well as being subject to tidal currents of up to 7 knots on springs.

Fortunately we went through on neaps with no wind. We still saw 10 knots over the ground and Dawn Treader lurched from side to side with a mind of her own.

At the end of the Kyle Rhea lies the Skye bridge which now joins the Isle of Skye with the mainland at the Kyle of Lochalsh. The bridge has a 29 metre air draft, Dawn Treader’s is 16, but we held our breath as we went under.

On the other side of the bridge the wind appeared and we had an hours sail up to Plockton’s entrance.

The view from Plockton

Now on a visitors mooring with plans for dinner ashore and some re-provisioning.

Today’s Passage Details

Armadale Bay to Plockton: 30 nm 5 hrs

Sailed 1 hour / motored 4 hrs

Total distance: 721 nm

 

 

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