The Isle of Mull gave us our first taste of the dramatic Scottish coastal scenery we’d been hearing so much about. In just one morning we saw spectacular waterfalls, a striking sea arch and imposing cliffs. After exiting the Crinan Canal, we sped north in the high-current Sound of Jura and anchored at Loch Spelve…
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The Crinan Canal
The Crinan Canal is a 9-mile, 15-lock passage between the Scottish villages of Ardrishaig and Crinan. The canal came online in 1801, largely serving commercial traffic and allowing them to avoid the longer run around Kintyre Peninsula and the exposed and current-swept Mull of Kintyre. Today the lock system is used by recreational boaters either…
James Watt Dock Marina
We had an excellent month-long stay at James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock, Scotland near Glasgow. The marina was convenient for making train trips to explore Glasgow, Edinburgh and the West Highlands, and was a secure place for Dirona while we returned to Seattle for a couple of weeks. We also took a few deliveries…
Falkirk Wheel
The Falkirk Wheel was completed in 2002 to connect the restored Union and Forth & Clyde Canals, replacing 11 locks that once covered the 115-ft difference in level. The wheel is a unique rotating boat lift that raises and lowers vessels between the two canals. Falkirk is essentially on the route between Edinburgh and Greenock,…
Edinburgh
Edinburgh came into being beneath Castle Rock, a rocky crag overlooking the coastal route to central Scotland from northeast England. A fortification existed there since at least the 7th century, and a royal castle since the reign of King David I in the 12th century. Today Edinburgh Castle is one of Scotland’s most popular tourist…
Return to Seattle
We left Dirona in Scotland, with Spitfire at “The Resort”, while we returned to Seattle for a couple of weeks. This mostly was a work trip for James, but we did find time to enjoy the city, make a day trip to Victoria, and receive and pack over 200 pounds of boat spares to bring…
West Highland Line
The West Highland Line was voted the world’s best train journey by Wanderlust Magazine. The trip runs through the scenic Scottish highlands and across the Glenfinnan Viaduct to Mallaig on the coast north of Oban. The Glenfinnan Viaduct is the dramatic span crossed by the Hogwarts Express in the Harry Potter movies. We had wonderfully…
Glasgow
Impressive Glasgow Cathedral is one of the few cathedrals in Scotland to survive the 16th-century Protestant Reformation mobs nearly intact. The building is huge and seems to go on forever. On a day-trip to Glasgow from Greenock, we toured the cathedral, took in the city views from the adjacent Necropolis, and spent several hours walking…
Greenock Arrival
We booked a berth at the James Watt Dock Marina in Greenock near Glasgow way back in February while we were still in Daytona, Florida. Five months and 4,500 miles later, we’re actually here. En route, we met up with the only US-flagged vessel we’ve seen since leaving Newport, RI. Nordhavn 55 Odyssey arrived into…
Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island is Northern Ireland’s only inhabited island and also is home to one of the largest seabird colonies in the UK. The West Light Seabird Centre is perched on a clifftop above the lighthouse at the western end of the island where visitors can take in the spectacular scenery, watch the thousands of seabirds…
