It was raining when I left home to travel the 6 miles to the "A Frames Dive Site" at the now-disused Finnart Oil Terminal on Loch Long. By the time I reached the car park, the rain had eased off a bit, but it was all a bit misty. At least it was nice and warm. Luckily, the tide was in, which meant it was less of a carry to get on the water. It is not the easiest of places to solo launch, as it requires a clamber down some rocks to reach the sea. I carried my kit separately in a bag to lessen the weight of the Taran and make the clamber a little easier. Having then loaded up the Taran, I set off for Loch Goil.
I've paddled in Loch Goil before on a Helensburgh Club trip. The entrance to Loch Goil from Loch Long, and indeed the whole of Loch Goil, is breathtaking. It reminds me very much of a Norwegian fjord, with its steep, tree-clad sides, topped off by the peaks of the rugged surrounding hills. This part of Scotland, the Cowal Peninsula, has to be one of the least visited areas, as it doesn't have much in the way of Munros, with most people heading north up the A82 and completely missing out on this gem.
Not long after setting off, the rain shower stopped, but it was still warm and humid. I did a couple of laps of Carraig nan Ron (Dog Rock) at the entrance to Loch Goil before proceeding into Loch Goil. I hugged the coastline, watching out for any wildlife. The last time I paddled here, I spotted a pine marten. But not today.
I headed across to the other side of the loch. As I neared the far side of the loch, I realised there were a large number of seals beached there. I moved out slightly so as not to disturb them.
At Douglas Pier, I decided to set off towards Lochgoilhead in the hope of finding a shop with ice cream. I was disappointed – there was no shop. There was nothing else for it but to set off in a straight line back to Loch Long.
There was quite a headwind blowing up Loch Goil. It wasn't until I neared Loch Long that the wind abated, and I had a nice, relaxed paddle back to the put-in at Finnart Oil Terminal. Luckily for me, a couple of divers offered to help me with my boat across the rocks and up the boulders to my car.
12.8 nm 3 hours 7 minutes
Fab!
GPS track
