Paddling a different craft

At last year's Scottish Traditional Boat Festival I jumped at the chance to paddle a coracle. It was certainly very different to paddle... but great fun for a short time.

You got to paddle the replica ones which were made of modern materials, but they also had a more traditional built coracle there too.

It was really interesting to see it, and to get a close look at how it was made. I got chatting to the gut in charge, and - after having successfully paddled one of the other coracles round the harbour - was extremely pleased to be allowed to go of paddling the beautiful skin and wood one. It was definitely more difficult to paddle than the more modern replicas, as it was a lot more tippy and harder to steer. I was pleased I managed though!

All great fun. I'd been paddling my kayak a few times prior to the show last year, but due to now living further from the sea I've not paddled at all yet this year, so I might not be as successful if I try paddling a coracle again this year ...  And if I do fall in, there is unlikely to be any sun to dry me off!

Portsoy Boat Festival

I'd heard about the Portsoy Traditional Boat Festival years ago but it wasn't until I moved to the north east that I had the chance to visit it. Last year I was there on a beautiful, sunny day. This year's festival is being held this weekend but somehow I don't think the weather is going to be as good this year ...

It was a really enjoyable day with lots to see and do. There was live music on various stages, and buskers too, right round the harbour and beyond.

The traditional boats were beautiful and it was great to see them getting ready to leave harbour, being rowed out and putting their sails up ready for the kipper race.

There were also rowing races. Having tried rowing a yoal in Shetland last summer, I know what hard work that is, but also what fun!

There was a small boat which is going to be rowing the Atlantic. Although it says on it Atlantic2011, they've changed their attempt to 2013. They were using the festival as some extra rowing practice.

It's funny how your perception of things change ... above it looks really small - and certainly is when you think that these guys will be living in it for several weeks as they cross the Atlantic. It looks a tiny craft to be facing the sorts of conditions they will face out there.

When they rowed out and you compared it to the traditional sailing boats, it suddenly looked a bit bigger...

I wonder if it'll be there again this weekend?

There were also traditional crafts on display, stalls, food and coracles. More on the coracles later...

I loved this tapestry map.

Kippers were being smoked, and there was a huge queue for them, along with beer from the Black Isle Brewery which was being advertised as "great with fish". Lots of people were enjoying the live music whilst having their food and drink. Tomorrow we may be sheltering beneath our waterproofs instead...

Changes

Normally when I return to Arran all is much the same as it always was, or with only the odd change. This time though there seemed to be a lot of dramatic changes - all in a small area, my old 'stamping ground'.

This is for my friend Ann who won't be able to see the changes in person as she now lives in Australia.

The old church in Lamlash is finally being restored. It's been talked about for as long as I can remember (i.e. since I was a small child, first holidaying in Lamlash when I was at primary school.)

I'm not sure who now owns it - for years and years there was talk of it being turned into a festival theatre.

Lots of changes at the Marine too...

It looks really weird to see it like that, minus the room we used to stay in! Although it does make it look more like old postcards I remember being shown as a child by the owners.

Time will tell whether the changes are all for the better.

Clarity

The weather was just gorgeous in Arran a few weekends ago compared to recent weeks. It wasn't that warm, but it was sunny and clear. In fact, it was the clearest I can ever remember seeing from Lamlash...

I've never before seen Culzean Castle so clearly from Lamlash (right across the Firth of Clyde) with the naked eye.

We went for an evening stroll along Shore Road, and enjoyed the clear views over to the mainland... the wind farm and the paper mill at Irvine both really stood out.

We even spotted the fast cat from Ireland heading for Troon - that's the first time I've ever seen it. Here it's passing Culzean - and the lighthouse on Holy Isle.

Last interesting sighting of the evening was a nuclear sub being escorted down the Clyde from Faslane.

It was going at a fair pace and it didn't take it long to appear again at the south end of Holy Isle.

 A beautiful evening. One to remember.

Transit of Venus

The weather has changed dramatically here; after a gorgeous weekend camping in Applecross where it stayed dry the whole time, it doesn't seem to have stopped raining since I got back to Inverurie! As a result I most definitely didn't see the transit of Venus today as I didn't see the sun at all... however, I did see the one back in 2004. The next one won't occur until 2117 so I guess I won't be seeing that one either.

This was an early digital image from well before I got a digital SLR, showing the sun being projected through a telescope onto a piece of paper, with Venus clearly visible.

Supermoon

Last weekend we had the closest full moon to Earth of 2012. I was lucky enough to be in Arran for the weekend, and the weather was clear, so I had the chance to fully appreciate the moon.

I've missed seeing the moon shining over the water since I moved to Inverurie, and the sun shining over the water too, so it was a real treat to catch this.

Just stunning.

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May weather

The weather's been pretty awful in April, after summer started and finished in March. I was away over the May Day holiday weekend, and luckily the weather was the best it's been in weeks.

We spotted these 2 huge yachts off Ardrossan. They were just too far out for me to be able to get a good enough photo to zoom in and find out what they were. They seemed to be significantly bigger than any other yachts out on the seas that day though.

Ailsa Craig appeared to be floating.

The car park at the Ardrossan ferry terminal was by far the busiest I've ever seen it - I've never seen cars parked right up by the lighthouse before! Judging by the length of the queue of foot passengers waiting to board when we arrived at Brodick (also by far the busiest I've ever seen it in years and years of travelling to Arran), I'd guess a fair few of these cars were day trippers.

Flat calm crossing.

A great start to a great weekend.

Balmedie

Balmedie beach in April - when the weather was better than it is just now!

Sheltering ships ...

... and the Northlink ferry. I wonder how long she'll be sailing in that livery now?

It's amazing how quickly the scenes can change as the sun comes and goes.

I'm finally getting out and about and exploring the local area a bit. All good.