Postcards from a scottish summer
As the seasons come to change, as spindrift and the white crests of waves lash beyond the wall of our new home here in the Crinan Canal Basin, it feels like time to say a little thank you.
To everybody who sailed with us this year, it was another summer filled with glinting memories, laughter and a whole lot of joy that has quite frankly absolutely flown by. Perhaps it was the addition of Sylvie to our team that has made the days fly by quite so quickly, but I can hardly believe that another season of sailing has come to a close.
Eda Frandsen at anchor in Crinan, Argyll.
Every season begins with a departure, but this year it felt a little different. When we slipped our lines in Falmouth this spring, we knew we wouldn't be returning in the autumn….
Rounding the Lizard, then Land's End, we set off across the Bristol Channel with the whole west coast of Britain ahead of us. At Milford Haven we had a hard decision to make; the weather window up the Irish Sea was tight, and the forecast was not quite on our side. We talked it through, looked at it again, and took our chances.
It was a windy passage, but Eda put her shoulder into it the way she always does; we arrived into the Isle of Man tired, salty and grateful, luckily Port Erin gave us a glorious day of sunshine to reset before continuing upon our way.
From there it was a breezy sail north through the North Channel and around the Mull of Kintyre. Then, off Jura, the sky caught fire. It was the most extraordinary sunrise either of us can remember, as if Scotland had put on a show to welcome us. A few hours later, we tied up in Crinan, which was to become our new winter home.
The early season was, as ever in Scotland, a test of thermals and good humour. We sailed right around Jura, which was a joy, then wove through the Small Isles and on up to Stornoway.
For six years we have been waiting for the right weather window to reach St Kilda. This summer, on our ten-day voyage from Stornoway to Mallaig, we finally saw our chance. High pressure settled over the Hebrides and stayed for all ten days.
We finally reached St Kilda, where we celebrated a very special birthday on board. Afterwards we sailed through the night to Mingulay where the wildlife seemed to have come out to meet us. We saw a pod of Risso's dolphins, and minke whale after minke whale along the west side of the Outer Hebrides. In the anchorage at Vatersay, a pod of offshore bottlenose dolphins came to visit. There were sunrises we'll be talking about for years. A blustery sail back to Canna rounded it off, a reminder that the Atlantic had been very generous to us all week.
Later we welcomed our Wilderness Scotland Walking group aboard, and then closed the season with our Islandness voyage alongside artist Hannah Close. (You can read more about that trip in our Artist Adventure Series post.) With a season finale of Taste of the Highlands, an exploration of the culinary delights of the West Coast of Scotland.
A huge thank you to Sylvie, who joined us for the whole season. She cooked many, many meals, kept spirits high in every kind of weather, and was an absolute delight to have on board. We're thrilled to say she's coming back for 2027.
Thank you also to our suppliers, Letterfinlay Foods, Williamson's and JM Breckenridge, who keep the galley stocked wherever we are. And thank you to all the other charter boats we meet out on the water. It's a good community to be part of.
Eda is now settled in Crinan for the winter. We're looking forward to some time on land, and to getting to know our new neighbours a bit better.
Our Norway voyages for 2027 are completely sold out. Thank you to everyone who has signed up. We're also delighted to have added another Islandness voyage with Hannah Close in May, which we're really excited about.
There are still a few berths available across the 2027 season. If you'd like to join us, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
Thank you to everyone who sailed with us, followed along, and helped us find our way north.
Stella & Mungo
