We were really looking forward to today’s all day cruise aboard the MV Sileas with Loch Shiel Cruises. We’d made arrangements to park in the Glenfinnan House Hotel car park for the day at a cost of £5.00 (which you can get back if you eat in the hotel) rather than park up in the NTS car park at the viaduct/monument and walk down.
So yes we were very much looking forward to the day and were disappointed when we arrived to find it cold, wet and misty. We had all the suitable wet gear with us so got everything on before heading down to the boat. The back of the boat had a cover which offered some protection. However we spent most of the day on the open deck at the front of the boat and the weather didn’t spoil it at all for us, it was wonderful! There were blankets and ponchos to borrow if necessary, the ponchos did prove useful as they helped keep our cameras dry while on the open deck.
We cruised down to Acharacle and back with plenty of stops to watch and photograph the white tailed eagles. We were lucky enough to spot a group of 4 black-throated divers. The UK has an estimated population of around 200-240 breeding pairs so were incredibly privileged to see 4 together.
As well as learning about the birds from Aly the Captain we had a history lesson of the area from Sandy .
We cruised past Glenaladale, a historic glen midway down Loch Shiel, which is the historic homelands of a branch of the MacDonalds of Clan Ranald. The family played an active role in the Jacobite rising. In 1815 Alexander Macdonald erected the Glenfinnan Monument to mark. where the Jacobite standard was raised in 1745.
We slowed to look at Eilean Fhianain or the Green Isle which is a historic burial island. It served as the traditional burial place for the lairds and chiefs of Clan Ranald. The graveyard contains over 650 recorded graves.
We also stopped to look at Gaskan, an isolated cottage which was home in the 1970’s and 1980’s to the naturalist Mike Tomkies, it is only accessible by boat or by a very difficult walk in. Before this it was a settlement where the MacDonalds built boats from local oak. I can remember my parents having a couple of books by Mike and I was inspired to see if I could find copies, I think he wrote 10 about the area and I was able to find 6 of them on line at the Oxfam Bookshop He had an interesting life studying golden eagles, black-throated divers, pine martens and wildcats while there.
Sailing back we got good though misty views of the Glenfinnan Monument and Viaduct.
David did better with the photos than me as he had a bigger lens and a steadier hand, but I was happy just to see the magnificent eagles flying and diving for fish. We will certainly be booking a trip again but maybe next time it will be their Eagle Photography Cruise that runs every other Friday.
