The Cretetree Hulk

Last time I was on Scalpay I spent four nights at Dail-na-Mara, a B&B on Scalpay's North Harbour. On the shore below the house was a massive, derelict barge that appeared to be made of cement. It was quite an eyesore, but was making itself useful as a jetty and storage area for the local fishermen.

Later I would learn that this no longer afloat boat was the Cretetree, a 180-foot-long concrete barge built by the Aberdeen Concrete Shipbuilding Company in 1919 for hauling iron ore. (The first five letters of her name come from her con-crete construction.) Cretetree's working life as a transport ended in 1953, and somehow they got her to Scalpay in 1955.  That's 60 years now, and she's so solidly built she'll probably be there for another 60 years. See this RCAHMS page for more on the Cretetree, and this Electric Scotland page for the history of the Aberdeen Concrete Shipbuilding Company.

MV Ocean Unity and a Surprise Visit to South Rona - 1995

A while back I posted on the various boats that have taken me on memorable island visits. (Click on the 'boats' link on the list of labels). I just came across some photos of another boat I've been on; one that took me on my first 'community' boat trip: MV Ocean Unity.

MV Ocean Unity - 1995

That trip happened during a visit to Raasay in 1995. My wife and I were the only ones staying at the Isle of Raasay Hotel and, as it turned out, a family reunion was happening on nearby South Rona. The family of Donald and Fiona Macalman, the Rona island managers at the time, had arranged for a boat to take them to Rona. The staff and owners of the hotel also wanted to go, and instead of abandoning their only guests in an empty hotel, they invited my wife and I to come along.

And so a caravan of six cars drove from the Isle of Raasay Hotel up to Arnish. We hiked down to the shore, where we were taken out to MV Ocean Unity, a 9 metre, steel hulled fishing boat, with a heavy-duty crane at its stern. On the way to Rona we stopped to fling fistfuls of fragrant fish feed (say that 10 times in a row) into a fish pen; it was tiring work, work that automatic feeders do these days. Once we reached Rona we were taken ashore in a large metal boat, appropriately named 'Tin Can'.

Below are a few grainy photos from that day in 1995. It was an amazing experience. For the full story, and how it led to a return visit nine years later, see chapter 5 of book 2. As of 2013 Ocean Unity was working mussel farms in the Western Isles.

Afloat off Arnish - my wife standing behind the wheelhouse

'Tin Can' departs from Ocean Unity in Big Harbour- 'Tin Can' was the Rona landing boat

Fiona and Donald Macalman at Rona Lodge

Return to Arnish

MV Loch Mor

The Loch Mor plied the seas between Mallaig and the Small Isles for many years until she was replaced by MV Loch Nevis in 2001. It was always an adventure getting to Rum, Eigg, and Muck on Loch Mor, because you would have to transfer to the small island flit boats to get ashore.

I sailed on Loch Mor three times; two were week-long visits to Rum in 1997 and 2000, where my wife and I stayed in the B&B rooms in the back of Kinloch Castle (book 1, chapter 28). Another time was in 1998, when I took the 5am Saturday sailing out of Mallaig to spend seven hours hiking on Rum (book 1, chapter 25).

Loch Mor is now called MV Jurassic Scene, and offers cruises in the south of England. Below are a few photos of Loch Mor from the journey to Rum in 1998. 

Aboard Rhouma (the Rum flit boat) as Loch Mor arrives in Loch Scresort (Rum)

Loch Mor in Loch Scresort

The Rhouma taking hikers ashore on Rum

Riding high atop Loch Mor after a day on Rum

Gemini - Epilogue

It is time to say goodbye to Gemini. Between 2002 and 2005 she took me to nine remote isles; trips that inspired five chapters in the book. They are days I will always remember. I had not seen Gemini since July of 2005, when she took me to Jura for a camping trip (see January 9 post). So it was a pleasant surprise last August when I came across her berthed in Tobermory. She's now under different ownership, and for information on her current offerings see this link.

Gemini at Tobermory - August 2013

Gemini - 2

My second time on Gemini we visited remote Eilean Mor, to see St Carmaig's Chapel and his hermitage cave. The island's name, Eilean Mor, is a shortened version of 'Eilean Mor Mhic O' Charmaig', and was once home to Saint Abban Mac ua Charmaig. The island lies off the coast of Knapdale, 15 miles south of Crinan. There are no regular boat trips to the island, so you are on your own to find a way to get there. See chapter 4 of book 1 for the description of a visit to Eilean Mor.

Gemini at Eilean Mor - summit with cross in the distance

Eilean Mor Chapel and the vandalized cross

Pilgrim Chapel and Cave

Standing at the highpoint of the island is this replica of the Eilean Mor cross. The original was severely damaged, and the head of the cross was lost for a while. But the cross has been mended and is on display in the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh. See this link for a photo of the 'severed head', and this one for an early drawing of the cross.

Atop the island stands this replica of the Eilean Mor Cross - the original is in the Museum of Antiquities in Edinburgh

Gemini - 1

I have fond memories of the catamaran Gemini. Between 2002 and 2005 I chartered her five times. Back then she was owned by Mike Murray, who ran the boat out of Crinan. These days she's under different ownership and does day trips from Tobermory. The first time I charted Gemini, Mike dropped me off on the south shore of Scarba near the Corryvreakan Whirlpool. I spent the day wondering across Scarba and climbing to the top of the island. The day was capped by an exciting ride through the whirlpool before returning to Crinan (see book 1, chapter 6).

The other trips I took on Gemini were to Eilean Mor (of St Carmaig); the four Garvelach Islands of Dun Connel, Garbh Eileach, Eileach an Naoimh and Cul-i-Brennain; Belnahua and Fladda of the Slate Isles; and a camping trip to the north end of Jura. Below are a few photos of the trip to Scarba. Over the coming days I will share photos from the other trips.

Mini whirlpool off the stern of Gemini

In the centre of the Whirlpool

Gemini coming in to take me off Scarba

My wife happy so see me safely back to Crinan

Automatic cattle feeder on Scarba - Kilmory Lodge in the distance

Happy Hour on top of Scarba

MV Elizabeth G

The 70-foot Elizabeth G had her 50th birthday last year. She is a sister ship to Halmar Bjorge; same initial design with similar modifications to increase the size of the main cabin. She is owned by Rob Barlow, and mainly does dive trips, but they also offer a few wildlife cruises each year. On the cruise I took in 2007 we visited Canna, Lochmaddy, St Kilda, Rodel, Shiants and Inverie. It was a great trip.

See this link for info on the trips available on Elizabeth G.

Anchored off the Shiants

Elizabeth G Berthed at Inverie Pier

Anchored in Village Bay (St Kilda)

MV Western Isles

I've only been aboard MV Western Isles once. She makes regular runs to Inverie out of Mallaig, and also visits remote Tarbet. It was the Tarbet service that inspired me to do a long, one way walk from Malliag to Tarbet. So on a wet spring morning I walked down the highway from Mallaig to Morar. From Morar I headed east along the northern shore of Loch Morar to Swordland. As I walked along the loch I had great views over to the many islands in the loch. I promised myself that someday I'd visit those islands. (And I would, eight years later, as recounted in Book 1, Chapter 21.)

From Swordland I climbed the small pass of Bealach Tarbet to reach the tiny settlement of Tarbet on the shore of Loch Nevis. I ended up walking 12 miles in the rain, and had to ford several rain-swollen streams, so I was soaking wet. At Tarbet I found shelter in the porch of the church-bothy. After sitting there for an hour I saw the Western Isles motoring into Tarbet Bay. On the ride back to Mallaig I sat in the warm cabin to dry off and soak up the heat. For the complete story of the hike see chapter 25 of book 1. 

Western Isles arrives in Tarbet Bay

MV Western Isles