Kelp Warriors in Harris

April 10, 2008 on 9:15 pm | In Sea Kayaking |

After a week in Uist grounded by bad weather it didn’t bode well for Saturday’s paddle with more wind and snow showers forecast. So when I drove off the ferry and up to Am Bothan (the bunk house in Leverburgh) to met Ruari it was blowing well and bitterly cold.

After Benny had fed us with strong coffee to steel us for the weather, we put in at the back of his house in the bays of Harris. It was straight into the gates of hell except it was cold not hot and the wind was howling. Once we were out of the bay we found some shelter from the cliffs and the sun came out. It could have been spring but for the stinging pain every time the water touched your skin.

We headed south and pulled out for a bite to eat at Lingabay, I had never been there in a boat before and wow is the only way I can describe it. The back of the island has a lagoon with a sandy bottom and the contrast of the azure water next to the brown of the rocks with the snow capped mountains behind was just what I needed after a hard week inside. Ruari was telling us how they mined the felspar for explosives during the war there and then we were overflown by a juvenile sea eagle.

Paddling out was interesting battling through the kelp.

We poked into Rodel and with the big spring tides, it was time to jump out of the boat for a short portage into Loch Rodel and then on to Renish Point.

Round the point we were faced with the wind in our faces and by now it was freshening and to say it was a hard slog would not be putting too strong a case. I was exhausted and hurting by the time we reached the Anchorage. Thank goodness they were open for the first time this season and so tea and buns was the order of the day. Benny was hungry so it was a large slice of chocolate cake, scampi and chips and then more chocolate cake.

A great day paddling an unexpected gem.

Tim Pickering
http://www.canoehebrides.com
My regular mantra - Everyone should visit the Outer Hebrides, it is the extreme outdoor capital of Scotland. CanoeHebrides.com - Sea kayaking Expeditions BikeHebrides.com -Quality Mountain Bike Hire