Saturday 19 May 2012

Tarbert Harbour as seen on a postcard, and as we'd like to see it!




Jean says: Hallelujah! Today, we finally we had the sort of day we've been hoping for. We've waited nearly five weeks for a chance to sail peacefully through gently rippling water, with the sun warming our backs. We were bracing ourselves for another seven weeks of arctic conditions, and were about to parcel up the summer clothing and send it back home. When we sailed into Scotland two days ago, there was so much mist, we could only see the outline of the islands in varying shades of pale grey. Yesterday in Tarbert, it was cold and inhospitable, but this morning we woke up to clear skies and were finally able to see Scotland at its best.
In Tarbert, we were just a short hop away from the Kyles of Bute, which were on our list of desirable destinations. We decided to go along the Western leg of the Kyles, and find one of the numerous visitor mooring buoys dotted along the route. The improved weather must have inspired other yacht owners to venture out, and for once, we weren't on our own. The scenery here is stunningly beautiful. To think that we might have sailed right through it and not really seen it properly.
We moored on a buoy owned by the Kames Hotel near the apex of the Kyles and rowed ashore for a walk, and a beer at the hotel.
The mooring buoys are free, but they must get very good custom from visiting sailors like ourselves. The hotel bar was great fun and was gearing itself up for a fiftieth birthday party tonight, so they weren't offering food to outsiders, but the menu looked good, and normally we would definitely want eat there.
Bob also managed to watch the Heineken Cup Final in the pub's bar, which made him doubly happy.

The Kyles of Bute




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