The hunk of rock above is Out Stack, which happens to be the northernmost point of Britain. It’s located a short way north of Muckle Flugga Lighthouse, which is a short way north of the Shetland Isles. I certainly wasn’t on my own, out on the water up there on top of the UK. The [...]
Archive for the ‘Solo paddling’ Category
Out Stack Leave a comment
Rainy Monday Leave a comment
Yesterday I launched from Swanage in the rain, paddled in the rain, played in the Peveril Ledge tide race in the rain, rockhopped beneath Durlston Head in the rain. All good.
An ill-advised open crossing 1 comment
Here’s an account of my crossing to the island of Islay this summer, which was previously posted and discussed on UKRGB. Several ways to end your days – an ill advised open crossing Just thought I’d relate an interesting experience I had earlier in the summer – my crossing from the mainland to the island of [...]
Ardnave Island 2 comments
Alone at dusk on Ardnave Island, off the north-west corner of Islay. The ruined building is an old church, but the chimney is a much later edition, for processing kelp. A quiet spot, with only the porpoising seals disturbing the silence. I returned to Islay in darkness and managed to precisely locate the lochside spot where I’d launched [...]
Flannan Isle Leave a comment
This photo was taken on our last night in the Western Isles. We were stood on the cliffs looking out west to the Flannan Isles, around twenty miles offshore. These uninhabited isles are known as the ‘Seven Hunters’ due to the toll they have exacted on ships. There is a lighthouse on Eilean Mor (‘big [...]
Muckle Flugga Leave a comment
Right at the very top of the Shetland Isles is the island of Unst, the most far northerly bit of the UK. Just north of that is the lighthouse of Muckle Flugga and just north of that is Out Stack, a rather unimpressive rock. Nothing else to be found, north of there. That’s it.
Dry Run Leave a comment
Apologies for the underexposed image…but when I took this picture at around 7 am this morning, I was less preoccupied with photographic perfection, and rather more preoccupied with the tide race I was in, a rather cold NE wind, an encroaching container ship and the fact that I was just setting out on a 21 [...]
East is East Leave a comment
I’ve gradually been working my way around Britain’s coast, paddling solo for a few weeks here and there when I have time free. I think that I’m now about three quarters of the way around (must check …). Anyway, last summer I paddled 280 miles down Scotland’s east coast. This coast was all completely new to [...]
East Coast of Scotland Finished (nearly) 2 comments
The above snap was taken as I left Lunan Bay last week. The folk who took the pic had kindly fed, housed and entertained me on the previous night. Just before arriving at that spot, I’d met a large pod of dolphins. Must go back to Lunan Bay sometime … I ran out of time [...]
Greetings from Banffshire Leave a comment
Still plodding along the east of Scotland. Progress to date here.
Fair Isle, Cromarty, Forth, Tyne … 4 comments
Very self-indulgently, for this post I’ve borrowed a couple of photos of myself paddling locally, taken recently by friends. I probably should have asked them first, cheeky of me. The picture above is by Eurion Brown and shows a tunnel in Worbarrow Bay, whilst the photo below is by Maria Dolton and was taken below [...]
Fear of 40 3 comments
All the photos in this post but the last were all taken aroundabouts John O’Groats, Scotland’s NE extremity. It’s where I ended up at the end of last summer’s holiday. I was thinking about this today because my kayak has only just made it back to England, and should be reunited with me soonish. Huge thanks [...]
Winter Wight 6 comments
Note: Dog lovers are best advised to skip this post… I’ve just returned from a very enjoyable and very exhausting jaunt around the Isle of Wight, 85 miles in just over 60 hours. I had a few days spare (school half term, and no water in the rivers) and the forecast looked good. My boat [...]
North by North West 10 comments
Below is an article that I wrote about my 2008 summer jaunt. It was earlier published in Canoe Kayak UK magazine. I hope that it’s an enjoyable read … North by North West Last summer, I paddled from Cumbria in England to Scotland’s north-east extremity, John O’Groats. This journey was nearly 600 miles long (557 actually, [...]
Lethargy 1 comment
On the final morning before I left the Scottish coast, I woke before dawn for a call of nature. Having done my business, I took this photo from my tent flap. These chaps had kept me awake with their mournful wailing over three nights, indeed managing to drown out the noise of more than one storm. That was [...]
Hairy Angus Leave a comment
This hirsute chappie lives on the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, up in Scotland. The lighthouse behind denotes the most westerly point on Britain’s mainland, just a few miles further west than Cornwall’s ineffable Land’s End. Arriving at the lighthouse at a glorious sunset after a headbanging 30 mile slog into a headwind was certainly one of the highlights [...]
John O’Groats 11 comments
The photo above shows me at Sandwood Bay, a few miles short of Cape Wrath – Britain’s north west extremity. I waited there for three nights until the wind and surf settled enough to go around the Cape itself. I’m back home having completed my trip at Dunscanby Head, the far north east corner of [...]
Nearly but not quite 3 comments
After 19 paddling days and about 450 miles covered, I’m now camped within sight of Cape Wrath – splendid! Most importantly, I’m still having fun and managing to endure my own company. However I have to take a little time out to call in at work before I resume paddling; so here I am back [...]
Cumbria to Cape Wrath Leave a comment
Well, I’m still alive and well, but currently pinned ashore by strong winds at Machrinhanish. The good news is that (by playing join-the-dots with a series of headlands) I’ve actually made it out past the Mull of Kintyre to the true west coast of Scotland. It’s everything I hoped it would be, and more. I [...]
Plymouth Sound 6 comments
The giant fish/lobster thing above is located beside the Mayflower Steps, on the city of Plymouth’s waterfront. It probably represents/means/signifies something, but I’m currently too tired to recall or research. I was in Plymouth for the past few days with a load of my Sixth Formers, giving them an introduction to ‘student life’ at the [...]
