Day 25: Portree to Loch Nevis

Wednesday 2nd May
ETD1030, CTS 080, 47nm

A good night on the lifeboat buoy, released the lines to depart the picturesque and hospitable Portree. Lootered at the head of the bay trying to spot the local Eagle, without success headed south along Raasay Sound.

I was navigating on a great day to juggle 3 tidal gates. First the Narrows of Raasay, next at Kyleakin under the Bridge to Skye, third the 2.5 nm of 8kt Kyle Rhea which connects Loch Alsh to the Sound of Sleat to the SE of Skye and down to Mallaig.

We needed the ebb south or east tide flow at each gate which opened for us at 1101, 1350 and 1706 respectively. Through the Raasay narrows turning east above Scalpay, young the racks and SE to the Kyle of Lochalsh to sail under the bridge. A gentle breeze made for light sailing and sausages in rolls for lunch. Sailing through the narrows user the Bridgestone 1410, perfect. Now the dilemma was how do we take 3 hours to cover the next 2 miles to the very narrow Kyle Rhea? Clearly we had no choice but to pass 5 miles beyond the top of the Kyle and lay anchor to wait at Loch Duich under the stunning Five Sisters of Kintail. It just so happened that the navigator brought us to anchor next to the photogenic Eilean Donan Castle. It was such a pity to have to lower the tender and leave the yacht for a couple of hours to visit this fabulous castle, rebuilt last century by Clan Macrae after the Royal Naval Jacobite bombardment when it was garrisoned by Spanish soldiers. This anchorage was in fact a 4th tidal gate for the day!

Weighed anchor at 1730 and backtracked (I nearly forgot to add 180 degrees to the original bearing!) to enter Kyle Rhea. A fabulous narrows with tide whisking us through, just look at the logged speed on the GPS chart screen shot!

Sailing SW down the Sound of Sleat, 11 miles past the dramatic Loch Hourn and on to Mallaig where we turned E in to Loch Nevis. Minty Halls croft appeared to be at the entrance, and we anchored in the tranquil Inverie Bay at 2100. The remaining sausages for supper and sleep; perfection, frustrated only by concern for a minor injury for one of the crew and by no broadband signal for 3 days although blogs were being written!