Well after some Brownie Point negotiations I managed to get permission for a dawn paddle. Stuart_Blink and Zippy (from SotP) volunteered to come along too.
I did not get to bed till just before midnight and had to get up at 4.30am to get to the ready and be at the out in at Ardochy (Loch Lomond) for 6am. As I climbed from my bed I wondered if it would be worth it. It did not feel much like a holiday yet.
But Oh yes it sure was worth it.
Anyway the plan was to paddle from Ardochy (where the telephone is shown on the map) round some of the islands and enjoy the dawn, peace and tranquillity you get at that time of day.
I arrived a little before 6 am at the put in and got the canoe unloaded and ready. Prompt at 6 Stuart and Zippy arrived.
The water level has dropped a good foot since last I was here about a fortnight ago. There was a bit of a chill in the air but not too bad and there was only a slight breeze.
We headed round the north of Inchtavannach and down into the straits.
We headed right down the straits and to the near the mid north point on Inchmoan for breakfast, just as the sun was starting to think about making an appearance.
There were probably about a dozen boats dotted about the straits so the camping season for the bigger boats has obviously started. All the islands we visited had at least one boat with people camping out, except for the small island with the castle, which is really too small.
After some bacon for breakfast and some hot drinks care of the Kelly Kettle we headed off between Inchmoan and Inchcruin and continued round Inchcruin anticlockwise and also did a lap of Bucinch before coming round the north side of Inchcruin. Here we for a while the wind stopped completely and we had it flat calm.
We headed back through the gap between Inchcruin and Inchmoan before heading along the south side of Inchmoan and across to the ruined castle at Inchgalbraith
A brief stop here than back to the cars as Stuart & Zippy were going to Aberdeen and I had to get home.
We were loaded up and ready to head home by 10.10am. We were still the only cars in the lay-by and only four hours had passed but it was like a lifetime. In that four hours we had seen ducks, geese, deer and much more. Now a really felt like I was on holiday
Every morning should start like this
I did not get to bed till just before midnight and had to get up at 4.30am to get to the ready and be at the out in at Ardochy (Loch Lomond) for 6am. As I climbed from my bed I wondered if it would be worth it. It did not feel much like a holiday yet.
But Oh yes it sure was worth it.
Anyway the plan was to paddle from Ardochy (where the telephone is shown on the map) round some of the islands and enjoy the dawn, peace and tranquillity you get at that time of day.
I arrived a little before 6 am at the put in and got the canoe unloaded and ready. Prompt at 6 Stuart and Zippy arrived.
The water level has dropped a good foot since last I was here about a fortnight ago. There was a bit of a chill in the air but not too bad and there was only a slight breeze.
We headed round the north of Inchtavannach and down into the straits.
We headed right down the straits and to the near the mid north point on Inchmoan for breakfast, just as the sun was starting to think about making an appearance.
There were probably about a dozen boats dotted about the straits so the camping season for the bigger boats has obviously started. All the islands we visited had at least one boat with people camping out, except for the small island with the castle, which is really too small.
After some bacon for breakfast and some hot drinks care of the Kelly Kettle we headed off between Inchmoan and Inchcruin and continued round Inchcruin anticlockwise and also did a lap of Bucinch before coming round the north side of Inchcruin. Here we for a while the wind stopped completely and we had it flat calm.
We headed back through the gap between Inchcruin and Inchmoan before heading along the south side of Inchmoan and across to the ruined castle at Inchgalbraith
A brief stop here than back to the cars as Stuart & Zippy were going to Aberdeen and I had to get home.
We were loaded up and ready to head home by 10.10am. We were still the only cars in the lay-by and only four hours had passed but it was like a lifetime. In that four hours we had seen ducks, geese, deer and much more. Now a really felt like I was on holiday
Every morning should start like this
