Got back late last night from a few days up at Loch Goil. We were blessed with sunshine and flat calm waters one day and torrential downpours and gale force winds the next, a typical Scottish mixed bag.
Our usual camp back on Loch Long had been trashed recently, we found a folding camp chair next to a couple of rubbish bags full of beer bottles and food waste. A bit of a half job lean-to had been built and left, maybe the fact it was built on a stream bed put them off ?
There were also bottles hanging from tree branches which had been used for target practice, we found some of these on a previous visit so somebody else must enjoy this spot too. Why trash it then ?
A combination of the damp and long day yesterday has knocked me for six, a severe dose of man flu I had brewing has now taken full control. So now I'm sat at home feeling sorry for myself with bags of damp gear I need to unpack but I just don't have the energy or enthusiasm to tackle it.
A few pics then ...
View from camp on night one
At home under the "Big Oak"
I was up first as usual so crept around camp like a mouse for an hour, got topped up on caffeine with my new Gsi coffee contraption and then grabbed the boat and went off for an hour while the others slept.
"Big Oak" just right of centre
We decided to go and gather some firewood from the forestry down the loch a few hundred yards.
Grooveski getting a boat load
Gailainne happy to be out
Stuart away for a bit of fishing
Some shots around camp
Gailainne gutting a mackie from yesterdays paddle in, very tasty it was too
Later in the afternoon the heavens opened and it didn't stop raining all night. We had a giggle trying to get the 'chute up before the storm, I think I won the prize for throwing the rock-on-a-rope over a branch contest
The camera went away for the rest of Saturday whilst we huddled round the fire, there was that much rain the inside of the 'chute walls were like rivers. It kept off 99% off the rain though and inside became a weird mix of wood smoke and fine mizzle. An early'ish night was had by all.
When I woke for the first time on Sunday, the rain was still battering my bivvie just inches above my face and the wind was still as strong. I lay there dozing for ten minutes or so and then had to get up for a morning constitutional.
After I got layered up I crawled under the sorry looking 'chute and made a quick brew with the kelly kettle, sorry if I woke you with my clanging Stu
Once warmed up I set about sorting the guy lines on the 'chute, dropping the sides down and generally getting it straight after the overnight storm.
Grooveski poked his head out of his bivvie at some point and just laughed at the chop on the water and disappeared back inside again. We didn't see him again for a couple of hours or so.
Dreich
and windy too
We had a few visitors on Sunday, mostly MOD Police checking us out but this was far more pleasing on the eye. Can't remember the name though, Stu/Josh remind me ??
As the day went on we were getting used to the idea that we might be stuck here on the point for an extra night, then around five o'clock it was like somebody flicked a switch and it all went calm again. So in no great hurry we got our stuff together and got ready for the crossing back to Loch Long.
'Chute looking a bit drier
Our usual camp back on Loch Long had been trashed recently, we found a folding camp chair next to a couple of rubbish bags full of beer bottles and food waste. A bit of a half job lean-to had been built and left, maybe the fact it was built on a stream bed put them off ?
There were also bottles hanging from tree branches which had been used for target practice, we found some of these on a previous visit so somebody else must enjoy this spot too. Why trash it then ?
A combination of the damp and long day yesterday has knocked me for six, a severe dose of man flu I had brewing has now taken full control. So now I'm sat at home feeling sorry for myself with bags of damp gear I need to unpack but I just don't have the energy or enthusiasm to tackle it.
A few pics then ...
View from camp on night one
At home under the "Big Oak"
I was up first as usual so crept around camp like a mouse for an hour, got topped up on caffeine with my new Gsi coffee contraption and then grabbed the boat and went off for an hour while the others slept.
"Big Oak" just right of centre
We decided to go and gather some firewood from the forestry down the loch a few hundred yards.
Grooveski getting a boat load
Gailainne happy to be out
Stuart away for a bit of fishing
Some shots around camp
Gailainne gutting a mackie from yesterdays paddle in, very tasty it was too
Later in the afternoon the heavens opened and it didn't stop raining all night. We had a giggle trying to get the 'chute up before the storm, I think I won the prize for throwing the rock-on-a-rope over a branch contest
The camera went away for the rest of Saturday whilst we huddled round the fire, there was that much rain the inside of the 'chute walls were like rivers. It kept off 99% off the rain though and inside became a weird mix of wood smoke and fine mizzle. An early'ish night was had by all.
When I woke for the first time on Sunday, the rain was still battering my bivvie just inches above my face and the wind was still as strong. I lay there dozing for ten minutes or so and then had to get up for a morning constitutional.
After I got layered up I crawled under the sorry looking 'chute and made a quick brew with the kelly kettle, sorry if I woke you with my clanging Stu
Once warmed up I set about sorting the guy lines on the 'chute, dropping the sides down and generally getting it straight after the overnight storm.
Grooveski poked his head out of his bivvie at some point and just laughed at the chop on the water and disappeared back inside again. We didn't see him again for a couple of hours or so.
Dreich
and windy too
We had a few visitors on Sunday, mostly MOD Police checking us out but this was far more pleasing on the eye. Can't remember the name though, Stu/Josh remind me ??
As the day went on we were getting used to the idea that we might be stuck here on the point for an extra night, then around five o'clock it was like somebody flicked a switch and it all went calm again. So in no great hurry we got our stuff together and got ready for the crossing back to Loch Long.
'Chute looking a bit drier
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