Inchcolm

Our programme of late season sailing continues with a visit to the monkish island of Inchcolm. We had hoped to get a little further afield this weekend, but the weather hasn't been quite right for it, so we decided instead to do a bit of local pottering.
Inchcolm has been in our sights for some time so we decided yesterday to make the short hop across there and anchor up for the night.
The island, with the remains of its ancient abbey and more recent wartime fortifications is well worth a visit of several hours, particularly if you have the good fortune of arriving just as the last tourist boat of the day pulls out.




Apart from a mercifully brief visit by a disco boat, the peace of a thousand years' monastic contemplation pervaded the island and anchorage overnight and in the morning we were awakened by the sound of a seal splashing round the boat. A gem of a mini-cruise.

Fidra wildlife

Had to include a few extra shots of some of the creatures that make this wee island their home.

Morning seal
This friendly, curious and very cute seal stopped by for a visit first thing.

Cormorant rocks - almost exclusively

Cormorant sunset

Fidra weekend

After a rather damp and windy August, a weekend of great weather has finally come to the residents of central Scotland. We seized the opportunity to take off on an overnighter to the island of Fidra (we had intended to go a bit further, to Dunbar, but the wind packed in..). It was a very gentle sail out there in the warm autumn sun, a peaceful night and quite a thrilling beat back upriver into a stiff breeze the following morning.

On the approach
Glassy smooth (we were motoring by this time).

The light
An important beacon in the Forth. When the keepers lived there, all was beautifully maintaned and included an extensive vegetable garden. Today only the light itself is looked after.


Looking south

The bay at sunset
You can just see the light up to the right.