This map shows clearly the rugged, rocky features of Islay and Jura.

Circumnavigating Islay

By Kevin Mansell

It was only on my third visit to Islay (pronounced "Eye-lah") that I actually stood on a road or went into a building. Several years ago, whilst paddling around Jura, Islay's wilder neighbour, we spent a night on a remote beach on the east coast. My other visit was even shorter: We nipped across from Jura for lunch on another remote beach before heading back across the Sound of Islay, to camp on Jura.

Those two fleeting glimpses of the coast ensured that when our friend, Janet, said she and Angus were looking at renting a house on the island and did we want to go, the only possible answer was yes.

Getting there is a bit of a mission for us Channel Islanders. It is a 4.5-hour fast ferry or 12-hour traditional ferry crossing to southern England. Then it's a 560-mile drive to Kennecraig followed by another two-hour ferry journey.

So it's a bit like driving from Boston, Mass. to Norfolk, Va., with possibly 14 hours of ferries thrown in for good measure. Now that may not sound too intimidating to readers in the US and Canada, but for somebody who lives on an island where the farthest one can drive is about 12 miles, it is a serious challenge.

Our three cars left on different days and took different routes, but amazingly we all found ourselves in the same car park at the same time for the ferry for Islay. Never underestimate the value of British Canoeing's Navigation modules!

Our rather ambitious plan was to circumnavigate the Island. I thought that it would probably take four days of 18 nautical miles each. We could have shorter paddles for six days, but in our experience six days of continuous good weather in Scotland in September was unheard of. So build in a couple of spare days and there was a slight possibility we would get round. That said, there was also a distinct possibility that we wouldn't be able to take the kayaks off the car and under sufferance we would have to use the bad weather as an excuse to visit the numerous whiskey distilleries on the island. For those whiskey aficionados amongst you think Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Ardbeg, Bowmore, Bruichladdich, and Bunnahabhain for starters. Those names have probably got a number of you already researching flights to Glasgow. What had emerged in the week or so before our arrival was the most amazing weather forecast. Every time we checked, the winds appeared to get lighter. In addition, Janet had arranged our visit over very small neap tides. The vertical movement is never that large but the tidal streams run at eight+ knots in several areas on spring tides, with not surprisingly some significant tidal races.

What was emerging was the complete opposite of The Perfect Storm. Light winds, small tides, a decreasing swell and a group of paddlers perfectly happy to paddle 20+ miles day after day. Retirement is the ideal opportunity to maintain or even increase your paddling fitness.

Paddling through the islets of the south east corner. A flat calm day and a perfect introduction to paddling on Islay.

Day 1 — Claggain Bay to Port Ellen 12 Nautical Miles

Our first day was along a sheltered stretch of the southeast coast. We explored numerous offshore islets complete with amazing wildlife. Hundreds of seals, mainly harbour but some greys, to illustrate the difference in size. A White Tailed Eagle watched us for a while before majestically flying off. Over the week we were on the island I recorded 70 different species of birds and this wasn't the prime birding season.

We also landed on the small island of Texa, uninhabited since the early 19th Century. There is a ruined chapel dating to the late 14th Century; unfortunately, the vegetation was so dense that it was virtually impossible to make any progress across the island, so we left this rocky hump to the resident population of goats.

There appear to be two commercial outfitters, Kayak Wild Islay and Adventure Kayaking, on Islay and on our first day of paddling we bumped into both, on the water with small groups, enjoying the late August sunshine.

Nicky paddling around the north west coast. We had been pushed offshore by the swell so missed out exploring some amazing geographical features.

Day 2 — Sanaigmore to Machir Bay 9 Nautical Miles

This was just a short day as we were getting the feel for Islay, which I was surprised to find is the eighth largest island in the British Isles. As a trained geographer I just love facts like that. The second day we decided to paddle the north west corner, which in hindsight was probably a mistake. There was a residual North Atlantic swell running, which meant that it wasn't always possible to approach the complex coastline. The occasional exploding wave (boomer) kept us on our toes but we did manage to find a delightfully sheltered beach for lunch. There were two possible landing places, the first had about six feet of surf rolling, whilst slightly to the south, a mile long sweep of sand had about three feet of surf breaking. No prizes for guessing where we landed.

I emptied my kayak of the day's kit and headed back out for the best sea kayak surfing session I have had in years. Long clean waves, breaking left and right and nobody else in or on the water. For 30 minutes I was in the equivalent of surfers' heaven. Those waves had prevented us from getting the most out of this coast, in terms of exploration.

It was also a serious carry from the beach to the cars, so as southern softies, we decided to leave the kayaks and most of the kit on the beach, trusting in the honesty of fellow islanders and assuming that all would be in place the next morning. Our faith in fellow man was justified and we avoided what would have been a difficult carry in and out.

Machir Bay on the west coast. I had a great 30 minutes surfing the day before and it felt remote enough that we were happy to leave our equipment overnight.

Day 3 — Machir Bay to Port Charlotte 16 Nautical Miles

The following morning we returned to Machir Bay, re-united with our kit and finding that the swell had dropped off over night, we jumped on the south going tide, aiming for the small village of Portnahaven. On spring tides or with strong winds the south west corner of Islay is a significant challenge. Tidal streams of eight knots, heavy overfalls and the North Atlantic swell combining to create some "interesting" waters. On this sunny Tuesday the conditions couldn't have been more benign. Portnahaven was a delightful spot to stop for a pretty dreadful cup of coffee. From there we wandered out to Orsay, to look at its lighthouse, which was built in 1825. It is one of four lighthouses on Islay built by Robert Stevenson, the grandfather of famous author, Robert Louis Stevenson. Besides building the lighthouses, "His many innovations included his choice of light sources and mountings, his reflector design, his use of Fresnel lenses, and his use of rotation and shuttering systems that provided lighthouses with individual signatures — allowing them to be identified by seafarers [Wikipedia]."

From the small group of islands off the southwest corner of Islay, we headed north into Loch Indaal, completing our third day's paddle in the pretty village of Port Charlotte. We were gradually joining the dots together.

Rhinns of Islay lighthouse on the small island of Orsay. Built is 1825 by Robert Stevenson. One of many Stevenson lighthouses around the coast of Britain.

Angus and Janet paddling out from the pretty village of Portnahaven. An ideal place to stop when waiting for the tidal window to continue the journey. Tidal streams reach eight knots in this area.

Day 4 — Port Ellen to Port Charlotte 19 Nautical Miles

There are some days on the water which remain etched in the memory and Wednesday was one of those. As we pushed off the beach in Port Ellen, little did I realise that it was going to be one of my best days paddling ever. The aim was to paddle around the Mull of Oa, before heading north to Port Charlotte. From the beginning the scenery was dramatic, set against stunning blue seas and sky.

On the Mull itself there is the American Monument, which commemorates the awful loss of life in 1918, when in separate incidents two troop ships sank. The total loss of life was 680, mainly American troops.

Carraig Fhada lighthouse Port Ellen. The first significant feature on one of the most memorable days we have ever had on the water.

Approaching the headland of Sgeirean Buidhe. The rocks taking on a distinctly reddish hue. The Jura Quartzite, which is the main rock in this area, has been stained by iron oxides and various manganese minerals.

Nicky off the Mull of Oa. The American Monument is visible several hundred feet above the water.

A sea otter hauls out on the rocks to snack on some fish.

Sun reflections prismed into some amazing colours are to be found inside the caves and arches.

On this memorable paddle we were accompanied by quite a large pod of bottlenose dolphins, for probably 20 minutes, plus a few otters and numerous seals along the shore. Overhead there were the inevitable eagles, of the White Tailed variety. It is the scenery that remains clear in my mind though, a reflection of the complex geology found in this area. Some of the rocks had a distinctly reddish hue due to the fact that the quartzite has been stained by iron oxides and various manganese minerals. The whole area is a physical geographers dream with numerous caves, arches and stacks, with the features taking on a unique perspective from the cockpit of my Nordkapp.

This paddle was quite simply a day of superlatives. By the time we arrived at Port Charlotte we were pretty certain that we were going to complete the circumnavigation.

Raised caves and arches on the north coast. The path is the result of goats walking into this area. Access on foot is really challenging with numerous miles to be walked across boggy terrain with no footpaths.

Day 5 — Sanaigmore to Port Askaig 18 Nautical Miles

Thursday was potentially the most committing. It was pretty much the whole of the north coast plus a portion of the Sound of Islay. 18 nautical miles in total, with only one possible exit point after 16 miles.

For most of the north coast the backdrop to the paddling are extensive raised beaches and other physical features. These are the result of isostatic adjustment after the retreat of the ice sheets. The temptation to land and explore some of the features was just too great to ignore. This would have been a great length of coastline to paddle into and camp for a couple of days. Sadly this wasn't for us.

Nicky paddling south in the Sound of Islay. The Paps of Jura are visible behind. They are a really wild walking area. This was where we reached ten knots, as the tidal streams pushed us south.

The north east corner of Islay is marked by another Stevenson lighthouse, Ruvaal, after which the paddling became quite interesting. We entered the Sound of Islay, at the start of the ebb tide, and immediately started to feel the impact of the current. Five nautical miles just flew past, with some hard sprinting we managed speeds of just over ten knots, all set against the dramatic backdrop of the Paps of Jura.

Half of the group celebrated our arrival at Port Askaig with a couple of pints whilst the other half of the group sorted out the car shuttle.

Day 6 — Claggain Bay to Port Askaig 10 Nautical Miles

The final day was going to be an easy ten miles along the sheltered east coast. Just make sure that we went with the tide and within three hours the circumnavigation was complete.

McArthurs Head Lighthouse on the east coast of Islay. Our last day on the water, along a stretch of coast ten miles long with no road access.

My initial calculations required 72 NM of paddling to circumnavigate this Scottish island, which is closer to Belfast than to Glasgow. I thought four days of paddling 18 NM would see us round. I also thought who gets four flat calm days in this area in September? The reality was 84 NM in six days. It could have been farther if conditions and time had allowed us to explore in greater detail.

Many sea kayakers talk about a visit to Scotland, a quick look at a map indicates the scale and potential. The Inner Hebrides, the Outer Hebrides, Orkney, and Shetland. Four large, geographically spread regions, all with amazing paddling. How can you possibly decide where to go? I have spent at least one week paddling in Scotland every year since 1995, apart from 2020. Frequently several weeks each year but until this year I had missed out on some of the best. Islay was a revelation.

Islay offers a range of paddling, sheltered waters, exposed surf beaches, fast moving tidal streams and all set against a rich cultural and historic background. Throw in a few exciting wildlife encounters and you have a great kayaking location. As if that is not enough Jura is just across the Sound of Islay, with equally superb kayaking, but with fewer people.

Landing at Port Askaig at the end of our circumnavigation. The kayaks resting on the beach whilst we had our celebratory pint on the lawn of the hotel.