Sea kayaking expeditions

Survival Island and the Durness Highland Games

We sat out a thunderstorm and torrential rain on Wednesday morning with Rebecca showing the camp slides from her ground breaking Cape Horn sea kayaking trip and telling them stories from her successful attempt to become the first woman to circumnavigate the treacherous island. Once the rain and thunder cleared we were left with a beautiful day.

The Red teams packed up their sea kayaks for an overnight camp and set off early in the afternoon, in three pods, to paddle out of Loch A Chadh-Fi and into the larger Loch Laxford. The three pods joined back together again at a wild camp spot in the lower reaches of the sea loch. Tents were put up, food cooked on trangia stoves and a campfire lit on the beach.

Meanwhile the Blues had looked at the survival skills needed for the island, and were taken out by boat to survival island in the afternoon. The evening and night to put their new skills into practice and make their own decisions and judgments to survive together overnight.

Thursday was another beautiful day with blue skies, sunshine and a good easterly breeze that challenged the sea kayaking teams on their return from the mouth of Loch Laxford. The blues, having come off the island at 7.30am, went out in boats to pull up lobster pots and to see the 1966 Atlantic rowing boat at Ardmore. In the afternoon they built rafts to race on the sea loch.

On the middle Friday of the camp we have always been to the Durness Highland Gathering. A traditional local games day not far from Ardmore, with a pipe band and Scottish dancing along with traditional Highland events like ‘tossing the caber’. There are also a whole load of running, jumping and novelty events that the young folk can take part in… and win small cash prizes.

The good weather continues as we look to get the Blue teams out sea kayaking and the Red teams onto the island in the coming days.

More news to follow in the next few days.