A VOYAGE AROUND THE CUILLINS
The Hebrides is where I was introduced to cruising following the encouragement of long-time friend, Roger Chisholm. He first sparked my interest in 1988 by taking me on a cruise to the Isle of Skye. As a keen mountaineer, I immediately saw the attractions of using a small boat to reach out-of-the-way Scottish mountain summits accessible from Hebridean waters. It is where my Vancouver 27, Martha Maria, has been based for the last six seasons.
Sadly, my friend succumbed to an aggressive brain tumour in the spring of 2018. His wish was that his ashes be scattered in Loch Scavaig in the heart of Skye’s Cuillin mountains, so in June I found myself leaving Oban aboard Martha Maria accompanied by another of Roger’s friends, Peter Davies.
Our route involved passing around Ardnamurchan Point, the most westerly point of the British mainland which seems to brew its own weather. Experience has taught me not to assume it can always be passed so we allowed a good couple of weeks to be sure
