The West coast of Scotland is famous for having a plethora of snug anchorages; shelter from the storm no matter which point of the compass it comes from. But it also has hundreds of magical secret treasures rarely accessed because of their exposure to thousands of miles of open ocean all the way to the Americas. Truly lonely places that have no road access (so no camper vans!) but rarely suitable for an overnight stay at anchor. It’s all very well to feel safe anchored in no wind; with no forecast of wind, but dinner with an Atlantic swell on the beam and the boat rolling like a fairground waltzer can be messy. Sleeping can be difficult too; and don’t even think about trying to get ashore through the surf.
However, there are occasional exceptions during spells of settled high pressure, when there has been no wind for several days allowing those otherwise constant Atlantic rollers to become a bit more Pacific, lapping at rather than crashing onto the rocks. Such conditions are usually accompanied by sunshine from dawn ‘til dusk, which this far North means 0400 to 2200 in midsummer, when it doesn’t get completely dark even at midnight, and night sailing becomes a joy rather than a penance as you can see where you’re going. Don’t forget your ensign is meant to come down at
