Boats, Buttocks, Bagpipes and Balnakailly Bay

I was very fortunate to be invited by an old university friend to join him on his yacht for four days - Thursday to Sunday - sailing in the Clyde. He very kindly picked me up at Largs Marina, and I'll Blip separately about the other days of the trip. Today, Friday, we sailed south-east out of Tarbert and up into the Kyles of Bute. The wind was kind to us and we got the spinnaker up as we headed towards Tighnabruaich. You sailors out there will know that getting the spinnaker up is a sign of success and that you'll be flying along with the wind. We were, and it was exhilerating, with the sun pouring down on us.

As we headed towards the mouth of Loch Riddon, we had to bring the spinnaker down and we sailed slowly towards the little harbour at Caladh. It was still early, so we decided not to stay there and headed further round the Kyles, past the anatomically named Buttock Point. Just past that, we reached the idyllic Balnakailly Bay, just west of the Colintraive Ferry, and dropped anchor.

Supper was made and we ate on the deck in shorts and teeshirts - it was so warm - till long after sunset. The skipper put on a wonderful CD of solo bagpipe music by the genius Pipe Major Alasdair Gillies, and over a glass of wine we watched the sun set and pour its myriad of colours over the sky and water to the echo of a beautiful pìobaireachd.

This is God's country, right enough.