Fingal's Cave.

Loch Harport, on the Isle of Skye, is thankfully a spacious loch with 360-degree shelter from the sea, as over 100 yachts gathered there for the second of the distillery parties.

We were fed on delicious Scottish shellfish and wonderful salmon, and sampled haggis, with whisky sauce of course. A feature of the parties was Scottish dancing, which we all attempted to master aided by the whisky (or possibly hindered by it).

The organizers did a terrific job of making everything happen smoothly and took the sensible precaution of laying on RIBS to take us ashore and back for the parties. And although by now we were missing the warmth of Thailand, the whisky did a good job of warming us up.

Kinloch Castle.

South of Skye are the islands of Egg and Rhum. We visited Rhum, having read about its interesting castle. It has a population of only 25, but boasts the infamous Kinloch Castle. Built in 1900 by a George Bullough who, as the heir to his family's fortune, sailed round the world, then built the castle as his holiday home. It was the scene of notoriously risqué parties (you can hear the echoes of the tut-tutting of the highly conservative local population of the time) and unusually it has never been allowed to fall into disrepair, so we were able to see it in its full, albeit faded, grandeur. What's more, we discovered that we could have dinner there by prior arrangement, and as we had a guest on board whose birthday it was, we spent the evening celebrating in Kinloch Castle. A working version of a 19th Century juke box provides music. One of only three ever made and original destined as a present for Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, but installed instead in Kinloch due to Albert's death, the wind-operated orchestrarium plays music using a punched paper tape. Like a player piano on steroids, most of the instruments of an orchestra are represented, and it plays astoundingly well.

	Inland loch.

There were so many beautiful places to see, we were spoilt for choice. We couldn't miss sailing by Staffa to see Fingal's Cave, and we reached gently down the side of the spiritual island of Iona. But our favourite anchorage was the unpronounceable Loch Scavaig. Not only were we surrounded by seals basking on rocks, but a waterfall ran into the anchorage. Ashore, a short walk took us up to a lake, not visible from the shore, and it felt like stepping back in time, not 100 years like Kinloch Castle, but 100 million years. It was as if time had stood still and was offering us a glimpse of how it all began. One of the other pleasures of the Malts Cruise was that it once again felt like serious sailing. Unlike the months and months of downwind sailing we experienced to arrive here, we now had winds from every possible quarter. There are also very significant tides to be taken into account (though we rarely did and spent many hours achieving embarrassingly low speed over the ground). It was worth being rather more diligent when passing through the many narrow straits that run between the islands. These comments from Clyde Sailing Directions were definitely to be taken seriously:

"The overfalls close to the 29m sounding are invariably the most awesome, with breaking crests and spume at their tops. In calm weather at springs the overfall can rise to a height of 4m, accompanied by a loud roaring noise. A heavy west swell can double its height. In extreme conditions the roar can continue for several hours, audible 6 miles distant. In quiet weather a well-found boat and experienced crew can chance a passage on the flood."

While we consider ourselves quite experienced, and the boat is certainly well-found, we were totally without local knowledge, which we decided was a prerequisite for this particular passage.

We were more fortunate than many boats on the cruise in that we have a long distance offshore cruising boat so we were able to fuel, water and provision for the whole cruise. Most anchorages have nothing ashore and even those off small villages had little to offer to a yacht, other than a pub of course. Our substantial RIB and outboard was also of great benefit when getting ashore in lively weather. And the weather can be quite challenging at 58 degrees north. We wore oilskins for the first time in years and discovered that Brian's sailing boots had rotted during their long sojourn in the tropics.

	Sailing through some of the loch entrances required great care.

So was it worth it? Yes, of course it was. It was terrific and good to enjoy the boat in such different conditions from what we've experienced for most of our cruising life. Normally we sit in the deckhouse to get out of the sun; in Scotland it proved a wonderful rain shelter, and sometimes dramatic scenery such as you find in Scotland actually looks better in the rain.

NOTES
The Malt Whisky Cruise takes place annually in July and lasts for 12 days. Organisers are Worldcruising (see www.worldcruising.com). Maximum number of boats is 110, so apply early (January) as it is always oversubscribed. Entrance fees: GBP 100 includes 2 crew, plus 50 pounds for each additional crew member. Charter boats are available for the cruise. Information from www.sailscotland.co.uk. Contact info@sailscotland.co.uk.

(SetSail note: Colleen and Brian have finished their circumnavigation, and their beloved Theta Volantis is now for sale. Even if you're not in the market for a new boat, click here to check out a very detailed listing that is full of interesting information.)