a trip around the cumbraes

on sunday we went for a wee paddle around great cumbrae and little cumbrae. the start was very cold with an icy start.

we circumnavigated the islands anticlock wise. down the west side and took advantage of the tide and wind. we enjoyed a following sea. the weather stayed cold and overcast but every now and again there would be a break in the clouds

by the time we were heading north again towards millport the sun had broken through.

looking north west we were rewarded with fantastic views of the snow capped mountains.

then we looked south west the view of the snow capped arran mountains took my breath away. wow!!!!

what a beautiful view

i sat in the middle of the tan and took in the beautiful view of arran. it took all my will power to leave and paddle on towards millport.

looking south we could see where we had paddled from. you can just make out the castle on the left.

tony in millport bay

heading out of millport bay enjoying the warmth of the sun as we head back to largs.

a fantastic sunset to finish off a fantastic day.

Loch Lomond

This is Loch Lomond last sunday. I drove through rain wind and sleet to get here. I worried that i was mayby getting a little obsessive and questioned my sanity!!!!

Its not until you drift slowly and silently through still waters that you realise that this is what it is all about.

You have to push yourself a little sometimes and you will be rewarded with views like this.

Just south of Luss in a little bay there is a statue of a child.

I remember as a child sitting in the back of my fathers car and seeing this statue in the loch. The urban myth about this statue was that it had been erected in respect of a child that had drownd there, but in actual fact it was erected in 1890 by a local stone masson. This was erected by local stone masson william kerr and is known as "wee peter" or kerrs folly. William kerr placed the statue were he was happy as a child. One story is that he found the statue in a London scrap yard and another is that he made it for a client that rejected it.

Wee peter

Looking south.

seals

while i was paddling up the west side of little cumbrae i got the feeling i was being followed! I could hear the sound of an inquisative seal following me. he came right up to me several times to check me out. i let myself drift along as he got more bold. i took this picture over my shoulder and caught him out.