View Full Version : Knoydart, solo.
Knoydart is a peninsula on the west coast near the Isle of Skye. You can only get there by boat, or by a seven mile walk in along the sea loch of Loch Hourn.
So, after a long drive, including 22 miles of single track hairpin bends, I set off just before high tide on Loch Hourn, heading west.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart025.jpg
The water was gin clear, and I made good time, hitting the narrows at high tide. You cannot paddle against the current here, so you have to time it right. A mile later I was beaching the canoe on Barisdale Bay.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart039.jpg
I found a place to bivouac near the foreshore.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart049.jpg
After sorting out camp, I did some fishing, had supper, and sat on the beach watching the sunset.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart075.jpg
The next day I went hill walking.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart088.jpg
Mobile phones don't work anywhere around here. Even at 900m above sea level, there was no signal. However, morse telegraphy woks just about everywhere, and after tuning around the 40m band, I contacted station ON5TO in Bruges, Belgium. Omer was very impressed I was using just 2 watts. I would have liked to ask him to phone my wife to tell her I was fine, but the rules don't allow 3rd party messages. One day I'll have to teach her morse.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart109.jpg
Another sunset later, and I was heading east home.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart136.jpg
But not before catching a bonny sea trout in Loch Hourn. The rod is from the local 'Poundshop' and cost, er, a pound. The silver toby is my favourite lure for subsistence fishing in Scotland.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart139.jpg
A fine trip. One day I'll be back.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/pewing/knoydart102.jpg
w00dsmoke
20-05-2008, 23:11
Outstanding and very adventurous Doc. You have really impressed me with your adventures and very quickly putting me to shame by reminding me I'm not getting out as much as I should!
I've not done Knoydart yet by canoe, I quite fancy the Morar-Tarbet-Loch Nevis route but the solo on Loch Nevis is putting me off! I'm up there next week and maybe will check it out!
Well done and thanks for posting such an inspirational post! Will you compile all these adventures and publish a table top book with photo's and sign it for me?
:You_Rock_
hedgepig
20-05-2008, 23:20
Awesome pictures and story! Knoydart is an area that fascinates me and this little glimpse inside it is great.
Thanks :)
Scots_Charles_River
20-05-2008, 23:20
Good stuff. You had good weather, an unusually easterly wind ?
Nick
I'm vaguely thinking about a trip through a bit of knoydart in the summer, should be about 5 days of relaxed walking, climbing and fishing. Nice wee fish you've got, I don't use spinners much, prefering the multimono fly.
Could you buy/build a smaller morse code machine? I was thinking it might be useful to have as I might as well not bother taking my phone on trips.
Thanks guys.
The weather was unusually good, so I cannot claim it was a particularly intrepid trip. However, the Barisdale bothy book records one canoeman who was stuck there for 4 days (in winter!) and eventually walked out, and recovered his canoe at a later date.
The wind was variable but was easterly going home:) . I was able to easily overtake the walkers using the lochside path. The path does go up and own a bit of course.
I prefer the fly for sport fishing, but for food the spinner gets my vote.
There are much smaller morse transceivers- I'm currently building an Elecraft KX1 which is capable of intercontinental communication and weighs 9 ounces: http://www.elecraft.com/
You need to sit the exams to get the necessary licence and callsign, but the foundation licence is just a weekend's study. Proficiency at morse takes a bit longer but with modern computer morse trainers 12 hours work will get most people up and running.
Nice looking trout... how did you prepare it? YUM...
sandbender
21-05-2008, 08:23
Inspirational photographs Doc :)
Where was your 'get in' and where did you leave your vehicle?
Another fantastic looking trip out there Doc, I really have to get myself a canoe.
Sandbender, the trailhead is at Kinlochourn, for both paddlers and walkers. There is a 'long stay' car park for £2 per night. You pay at the farm, and he notes your registration and when you'll be back, just in case.
When I get time I'll put a thread on Song of the Paddle with a bit more info on the tides, but the standard plan of hitting the narrows at high tide is a good one.
Mungo, that sea trout is in my freezer awaiting the next barbecue (I caught it on the paddle home), but when wild camping I would cook the smaller ones in tinfoil over the embers, and ponasse the bigger ones. I'm interested in hot smoking them but haven't got round to it yet, and I'm not sure how feasible this is in back country.
Andy, get a canoe. You know you want to.:)
crazyclimber
22-05-2008, 14:07
right, now I'm jealous! :D Looks like a stunning trip what with the hillwalking, paddling and radio as well. Thanks for posting, and nice pics :You_Rock_
Note to self............"finnish the boat get out and do something!"
Nice one!
gregorach
22-05-2008, 15:47
Very impressive Pete - not sure I'd want to take on Knoydart alone!
Absolutely great photos.
Open canoe solo and on cold water too. I salute you.
What sort of shelter did you put up or did you just sleep by the fire?
Very impressive Pete - not sure I'd want to take on Knoydart alone!
You'd probably be safer solo in Knoydart than tandem canoeing with me on the Tay.:)
Bod, I often sleep under the canoe with a tarp awning but this time used the one man tent. It was starting to get a bit midgey and the tent is pretty midge proof.
There are some trees in the area so hammocking would be possible but a bit restricting.
Great post, thanks for sharing. Chris
Sandbender, the trailhead is at Kinlochourn, for both paddlers and walkers. There is a 'long stay' car park for £2 per night. You pay at the farm, and he notes your registration and when you'll be back, just in case.
That is really good to know, thanks Doc.
I'm interested in hot smoking them but haven't got round to it yet, and I'm not sure how feasible this is in back country.
Depends what you can find or bring with you, you could easily use two large foil trays to make an improvised smoker box.
Andy, get a canoe. You know you want to.:)
Yup - currently waiting on the funds that I have ear-marked - either that or I'll annoy Mr Visa :D
hammock monkey
24-05-2008, 04:07
fantastic pics, looks like a great trip,
good on you Doc.
bushcraftsman
24-05-2008, 08:49
nice one!
great pics looks like you had a good time.
that sunset was something else!
nice trout there mate ...
johnnytheboy
10-06-2010, 21:06
Another great post doc, fantastic
Thanks guys.
This was a blast from the past. Brings back happy memories.
andybysea
11-06-2010, 13:57
Very nice post enjoyed the pics and read.
Lovely photos. It is threads like this that have caused me to start looking at SOTP & I am going along to join my local canose club on Sunday. Once I have done the BCU 1 & 2 then I will be forced to buy a boat....
Nice wee fish you've got, I don't use spinners much, prefering the multimono fly.
What is a multimono fly? Is this something different from a fly fishemans standard wet fly?
davyowens
13-06-2010, 21:54
Awsome mate & solo as well...Knoydart by way of loch hourn or loch nevis is high on my "to do list" ...I like my VHF's & scanners & once even thought of getting an epirb but...morse code....superb who'd have thought of it...the simplest & most reliable form of radio & still going strong....
drewdunnrespect
14-06-2010, 03:11
wow wish i had seen this first time round and that radio looks impressive
Doc another fantastic trip ...nice one
Twodogs
davyowens
14-06-2010, 09:12
How was knoydart with regards to the ticks & midges? (I've developed a wee dislike for ticks after ecountering tens of them during a sea kayaking trip last year).
No ticks and very few midges, but that was in May. I'd guess the midgies could be a problem in high summer but the sea breeze helps.
The radio is an FT-817 by Yaesu. It has general coverage receiver, and transceives on all the HF amateur bands, plus 2m and 70cm. It does SSB and FM as well as morse, but morse is far more effective when using low power (it does 5 watts out).
The morse key is the classic British wartime 8 amp model.
Morse is still going strong on the amateur bands - about 40% of traffic still goes through the key.
Good trip, Knoydart, but you won't get solitude unless you go off season.