26 – 28 May 2023

For the holiday weekend we planned to kayak camp for a couple of nights this time, on the north of Inchconnachan provided we found a good spot. The option was Friday & Saturday or Saturday & Sunday night, as we had the Monday off. The main issue was that the winds were forecast to be a bit blowy on the Saturday, so in the end we opted for the Friday & Saturday, heading home on Sunday. That way we could just potter around the island on the Saturday, close to the shore if it was choppy, and go looking for wallabies, which we had only once been successful in finding.

As the weekend grew closer, the weather stayed much the same as forecast early in the week, the main difference being that by the time Friday came the temperatures weren’t as warm as predicted earlier, so we needed warm clothes with us.

We decided to have a late lunch / early dinner around 4pm in the Oak Tree Inn on Friday to save us cooking once we set up camp. There was enough leftover pizza to wrap up and take away for a snack later.

Getting the kayak and all our gear down to the shore was so much easier with the trolley – what a game changer! Especially as it was loaded up a bit more than before, with extra food, water, and even some logs to make a fire. I still can’t quite believe that we managed to get all our stuff into (and onto) the kayak!

As we paddled out to the north of Inchconnachan, which took around 90 minutes as it got a little choppy towards the end, we passed our spot on Inchmoan from a couple of weekends ago, which was already taken. We just hoped that the spot we were after on Inchconnachan would be free. We got lucky. A couple of kayakers were scouting around it when we arrived, but they decided instead to head over to Inchlonaig, so we were able to get pitched exactly where we’d hoped, under the trees just off the beach.

We could have got there a bit quicker (and more direct) from Millarochy Bay, but we find it easier to get parked in the Balmaha car park as you can wait around there until you see someone ready to leave, whereas with past experience the rangers won’t allow any “hanging around” to park at Millarochy, and they will move you on. On the upside, it’s worth knowing that if you are going at a quiet time, the parking at Millarochy is free, whereas Balmaha is paid (you can use the Ringo App to top up if required the next day).

So, there we were, pitched up and ready to relax. We put a small fire on later, and made some popcorn to snack on with our leftover pizza. There was a breeze blowing, so the midges weren’t too bad until later on when the wind died down and we headed off to bed around 10pm when they started biting!

On Saturday things got quite a lot busier, though luckily not on the beach we had pitched on. People, including a group of lads on a stag do, wandered past and stopped for awhile, but then went back to wherever their own camp was. Another big group of lads pitched up on the beach just around from us, complete with big speakers for their music. Fortunately we were far enough away not to hear it. Aussie Bob, who we’d met at the exact same spot a couple of years ago towards the end of the Covid lockdowns, paddled in for a chat (for a couple of hours), which delayed our island paddle and wallaby spotting for a bit, but that was fine as we had all day and the long nights, with sunset around 9.30pm. Among other stories, he told us where the osprey nest was so that we could try to spot them to. We failed at both. We saw the nest, but no ospreys, and despite a good old hike around the interior of the island, and up the hill where we last saw them, still no wallabies. We have heard rumours that there aren’t many left now. And of course, Saturday night is the busiest night, lots of partying happening on the bigger beaches, albeit we chose a place away from it, but it’s probably not the best time to go looking for the wallabies, as the noise probably keeps them well out of the way.

The midges were much worse on Saturday night after the wind had died down, so it was another early night for us. Ten hours of pretty good sleep on both nights!

At breakfast we made blueberry pancakes again (made the pancake mix up at home and decanted it into a water bottle to bring with us). Yummy!

We had a leisurely morning and were packed up ready to paddle back, with lunch in the coolbag ready for when we found a good spot to stop. By the time we got to the small beach that we lunched on, the water was flat calm. It was also quite warm, especially on the shallower south side of the island (Inchmoan).

It was there that I discovered a tiny tick had embedded itself into my leg! No doubt picked up while we were hiking through the foliage looking for the wallabies. I should have waited until I got home and tried to prise it out with the tick remover, but instead I got it with my fingernails. Trouble is, I’m not sure if I got it all out, so I’m keeping a check in case I get the bullseye rash (which normally indicates Lyme Disease). I’m told that chances are I’ll be ok since it was just a tiny one, that there is less chance it will have been carrying disease. To be honest, I’m surprised I even saw it, as it was literally pin head size.

Once home, we took a much needed shower and then relaxed for a while in our inflatable hot tub, bliss!

Monday was enjoyed by cycling along the canal path to the Stables (a pub/restaurant with a beer garden next to the canal) and later hosting a bbq for my mum, brother, niece and nephew. The heatwave finally hit by then and it was about 20 degrees or more. It’s set to continue into next week, with light winds, including (for a change) the weekend, so we are planning to likely do another Saturday night kayak camp…

So at Loch Lomond, particularly in the Spring / Summer seasons, it is becoming increasingly difficult to use our wee dinghy and electric outboard (which we bought for doing island camps).

This weekend we decided to see if it was possible to fit all our summer camping gear into our Itiwit inflatable kayak instead. Of course we could just row the dinghy without using the outboard, but the kayak is better as we can both paddle it, rather than one person doing all the work.

Firstly we bought some D-rings to attach to the kayak, that we could put bungees or bungee cord through to secure some gear on to the top of the kayak at the front and back. That’s where the majority of our gear would be going.

We bought some extra dry bags, and tested it all out before we left. The smaller items went into our toilet bucket (any bucket with a lid would do). The coolbag went at my feet, and a few other small things at Paul’s feet.

All in all, we managed to pack everything we needed for an overnight camp, including a roll up table and 2 small folding chairs! (Which we possibly won’t bother with next time as we found sitting on the picnic rug was just fine, and the table wasn’t really needed).

In dry bags we had the tent (a 3 man lightweight Geertop with a very generous sized porch area, this was great as it rained in the morning), 3 season down sleeping bags, our Outwell double airbed, a camping towel in case we decided to have a swim and spare clothes. We had expected that we would have to buy a small backpacking tent, so we were delighted to find the Geertop one fitted on just fine! It gives us a lot more space and a big porch to use if it rains.

In the bucket we had a pump for the airbed, plates and cutlery, our pan and kettle set (which all fit into each other), a small stove and small gas bottle, lighter, plastic picnic cups to use for both wine & tea, loo roll, bin bags, wet wipes, tea towel, toothbrushes and paste, a small sensor light and a heat log.

Loose there was our picnic rug, filled water carrier, flip flops / crocs and box of red wine.

Dinner, breakfast, some milk we had frozen and some water we had also frozen were in the coolbag.

I had a mini suncream, sunglasses and iPhone in my bumbag for ease of access whilst kayaking, and another small bottle of water at my feet. Paul’s iPhone was in a waterproof case with neck strap, which was sent free with one of the dry bags.

We had already decided on a spot on the end of Inchmoan, where we’d camped before (there are actually 3 decent spots on that end) and we were lucky as nobody else was there, so we had the spot we chose plus the other 2, all to ourselves. We chose to go from Balmaha as it has the best chance of getting parked, provided you are willing to wait for a space.

It’s a idyllic spot for camping. There’s nowhere to walk to (except the other 2 nearby spots), but it’s just lovely being all by ourselves, as opposed to on the bigger beaches. It depends what you’re looking for. If you like company then the bigger beaches (which are beautiful too) would be a better choice.

As we had set off a bit later in the day, we arrived at the island around 4pm, so we just set up camp, paddled our feet (we weren’t brave enough for a swim, even on the south side of the island where the water is very notably warmer) and chilled out. It was a glorious warm sunny day and we were in tee shirts. Paul had brought a couple of cans of beer and I’d brought a mini white wine for the afternoon. We had dinner later on and then opened our box of 19 Crimes red wine. We stayed up until just after sunset, then slept really well until around 8am.

It was raining in the morning, but we expected that as it was forecast. It also got a little windier by the time we left (again, as forecast) but it was fine for paddling, not too choppy. The rain also eased off during our paddle back, which was great.

The car was still in the car park when we arrived back, so dare I say that it seems to be fairly safe to leave the car overnight. We didn’t need to top up the ticket (which if necessary you can do remotely via the Ringo App), as we were back within 24 hours, which an all day ticket is valid for.

For anyone setting out from Millarochy Bay rather than Balmaha, the car park there is currently free, no ticket required, but getting parked there can be very difficult, and the last time we tried the Rangers were not letting cars wait for a space, if it was full they were moving you on.

So that was our wonderful weekend, and we can’t wait to do it again. Of course, the weather may have other ideas as it’s not been great so far this year (well, not a weekends, which is the only time we can go).

Since returning, we have ordered a trolley for the kayak, as it was hard work carrying it down from the car park to the loch. We carried it partially loaded with just a few things, and had a lot of our gear on a luggage trolley. Still we had 3 trips from/to the car.

We’re hoping that with a trolley we can load it all up the way we want it before leaving the car park, wheel it down and pop it in the water, then one of us stay with the kayak while the other takes the trolley back to store in the car.

There’s nothing else in particular that we’d change. For winter, we’ll likely revert back to the dinghy (rowing it if necessary), as we will need extra sleeping bags, warmer clothes, down jackets and logs to make a fire. But we will likely also camp on Inchcailloch, which is the closest island to Balmaha (and it also has some short walks and a lovely sandy bay). The island of Inchcailloch requires a camping permit (for the “campground”) from March to September inclusive, but outwith then you can freely camp any time. It also has the benefit of composting toilets, firepits and picnic tables at Port Bawn (on the far side from Balmaha). Port Bawn is where the campground is. Whether or not you can freely camp anywhere else on the island during the permit season, we are not sure as we have heard conflicting information.

The other islands don’t (currently) require permits and give more of a “wild camping” experience.

We hope that you have enjoyed this blog, and if you’re thinking of doing the same, then we hope the information we have given has been useful.

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Saturday 6 May 2023

Thankfully the wind had dropped a lot by today and we managed another paddle in the kayak. We had hoped to spend more of the holiday kayaking, but with unpredictable Scottish weather you can’t take anything for granted. Nevertheless we have been pretty lucky this week as there’s been very little rain. It’s been mostly cold, very windy at times, but we’ve managed to get out and do something every day.

We planned to head round to Achmelvich again, which started out fine, but as soon as we were rounding the headland for the final stretch, the wind picked up too much for us to be comfortable risking it.

Instead we headed back towards Clachtoll and then on to Stoer bay. We got a rather brief glimpse of a seal before it dived under the water, not to be seen again.

So it ended up being quite a short paddle, but it was nice just to get out in the water again.

During the week we have seen a few people braving the cold and going in for a swim, but after briefly considering it, we decided that if our feet got freezing cold just getting into the kayak, then it probably wasn’t the best idea.

The rain eventually came on as forecast around 2pm, the first rain I recall seeing during the day since our arrival. There were a few heavy showers, but they were short-lived and the sun is back out again now at 7pm.

We have just been into Lochinver to buy some more pies from the Lochinver Larder for dinner when we get home tomorrow, and a meal out in Delilahs. Paul had a steak meal which looked amazing, and tasted good too. I had the cullen skink, which I’d had before and loved, but this time it was very scarce on fish, only 5 little pieces, so although tasty, to be honest for a soup, at £9, I wouldn’t recommend it. So next time we’re back in Lochinver we will revisit Pete’s for a meal, as both places were very good the last time we were here. It was a tough decision which one to revisit this time.

We’re now back at the campsite, the tent stove is on and it’s toasty in here. The sun has come back out and it’s very calm, so we’re going to get the tent doors open and enjoy the view as we sip our wine / beer.

Tomorrow looks to be a good day, dry and calm, so fingers crossed we will get everything packed up dry, which will make it so much easier when we get home!

Friday 5 May 2023

Of course, up here on the west coast of Scotland, 30-40 mph wind gusts are considered a “fresh breeze”; however tell that to anyone who is camping!

Almost 48 hours of our tent (especially overnight) being hammered by close to (or over) 40 mph gusts, it remarkably survived! Paul slept like a baby, even snoring, whilst I was just lying awake awaiting “take off”! The springs Paul had attached to both the Delta pegs and the guy lines, we’re pretty sure was a game changer. No need for repeated checking overnight on the guy lines, except for one that had come away in the early morning that needed attended to. Similar winds before the discovery of using springs, had resulted in early evacuation and damage to the tent.

We were still wary of leaving the tent for any length of time, so we settled for walks around the campsite to see how other were faring (though mostly it was motorhomes, so they were fine) and a walk on the beach. By mid afternoon, we had got a little “stir crazy” so we decided to risk leaving the tent unattended for a couple of hours while we went on the short walk to Clashnessie Falls, and then onto the “Jammery at Culkien” to collect our pre-ordered pizzas for dinner (only available on Fridays and if ordered in advance by 2pm). We weren’t sure what to expect, however the pizzas were both huge (enough for lunch tomorrow) and delicious!

We are hoping that tomorrow, as the weather is forecast to be much calmer, that we will get a final paddle out on our kayak. However, having learned an important lesson earlier in the week, we now know that calm winds does not necessarily equal calm seas, so we shall see…

Thursday 4 May 2023

So today and tomorrow the wind is forecast to hit gusts of up to 26 mph. We’ve had much worse in our Bell tent, so we weren’t too worried. The sun was out and no rain was forecast. It was still cold, so we wrapped up and headed into Lochinver. I’d been on google and found a walk that sounded like a good option, the River Inver and Glencanisp circuit, approximately 5 miles and 2.5 hours round trip.

We had planned to have a lunch in the village, but both the restaurants we fancied (which we’d been to before) were only open in the evening. That was ok, as we had to stock up at the local Spar shop anyway, so we said that we’d just make a sandwich when we got back to the campsite.

The walk was very beautiful, made even more stunning by all the gorse that was in full bloom along the way. We meandered along the riverside path for around 1/3 of the walk, then over moorland (when the views really opened up to reveal the mountains) and we realised just how windy it had become! Even my woolly hat was threatening to blow away!

Continuing along the moorland, we then eventually dropped down to a loch, where there were lovely views of Canisp and Suilven (mountains) framed by yet more yellow gorse.

A tarmac road alongside the loch then led us back into the village of Lochinver, again with lovely views along the way. For the hardcore hikers, the long hike up Suilven starts from a car park on this road. However, we were quite happy with our 5 mile loop!

We even saw some deer as we got close to the village. To be honest we’re not sure if they were wild or not. They didn’t seem bothered by us anyway.

Returning to Lochinver, we stocked up on a few groceries (and wine / beer) in the Spar shop, then headed into the Lochinver Larder to buy a couple of their famous pies for dinner later on.

On return to the campsite we had a bit of work to do! “Carnage” is an exaggeration, but the tent needed re-pegged, and even some of the storm pegs had been pulled out! Our 16 kilogram kayak had been blown over and the windbreak was flattened. However, our tent had fared a lot better than the one that was facing the sea! No way were these gusts only up to 26 mph because our tent had fared better in gusts up to 40 mph! We think the weather forecast might have got it a wee bit wrong…

The wind is forecast to continue until tomorrow evening, so we are just hoping it won’t get any worse. By Saturday, all (supposedly) looks calm again – fingers crossed! At least it is dry and sunny, though – always look on the bright side!

Wednesday 3 May 2023

Having brought our inflatable kayak, we were determined to use it as much as possible. On hindsight we might have been as well just to use the free ones on the campsite (they have about 4, 2 of which are Sevlors) and saved some room in the car, but we feel comfortable in our own Decathlon one.

The forecast for Thursday and Friday is wind gusting up to 25 mph, leaving just today and Saturday as our possible kayaking options.

Before anything, we set ourselves up with a good breakfast of sausages, eggs, potato scone and beans. All cooked in our fantastic Nea pan, which, although quite big, has to be one of our best and most versatile camping buys. We can even use it like a mini oven to cook (for example) pizza in, and for breakfast everything fits in!

The wind today was forecast as light winds, so we set off down to the beach ready to launch. One thing we didn’t consider was that just because the winds were light, didn’t mean the water would be flat calm…

Only half an hour earlier I had been speaking to another camper who had said she had just been out on a paddle board. She said the sea was calm, and she even saw some dolphins! We were pretty excited!

However, in that short time, the sea state had changed. The photo below doesn’t even come close to showing the waves (about a metre high) that were breaking on the shore! We waited and waited to see if it would settle, then when we thought we had a window of opportunity, we quickly started to paddle out, only to be hit by a big breaker that filled a good 6 inches of water into the kayak!

Another quick paddle over to the smaller and slightly more sheltered beach before Split Rock, and we got ashore again and emptied the water out of the kayak. We debated whether to try again, or abandon our plans.

Further out we could see that the water was calmer, just a gentle swell, so we waited again till we saw an opportunity (this time we got it right) and we headed out of the bay. A short paddle round to Stoer beach, where we didn’t attempt to land given the waves that were crashing there were even bigger!

Coming back in to Clachtoll didn’t matter as much, because at least we had finished our paddle by then and could dry off back at the campsite. Once again, we did get a bit wet, but not too bad.

So it was a lesson learned – light winds doesn’t necessarily equal a calm sea! So we shall see what happens on Saturday, we shall be a bit more cautious at least before deciding to head out…

The day finished off with a take-away from the “Catchtoll” fish and chip van, cosied in the tent with the wood burning stove on and the patter of rain on the tent. At least the rain was mostly evening / overnight, so we’ve been lucky so far.

Tuesday 2 May 2023

One of the things we love about this campsite, is the ease of access to one of Scotland’s most beautiful bays. From our pitch to the sea is about 250 metres, so carrying the inflatable kayak is quite doable without the aid of a trolley.

Having paddled a couple of miles around the coast to Achmelvich on previous trips, we both agreed that this is our favourite paddle and favourite place to have a picnic. We set off with our picnic rug, flask of tea and sandwiches, just taking our time and paddling past some gorgeous wee beaches along the way, some of which only appear when the tide is low.

Both the bays and the sea were calm, and the sun made occasional appearances, making for a pleasant (though still cold) trip.

There were a few other kayaks in the water around Achmelvich, and a scattering of people on the beaches there, but other than that we didn’t see anyone until we got back to Clachtoll. In fact, it’s been rather (unexpectedly) quiet all round considering our week falls between two public holiday weekends.

A lot of people staying at the campsite are only here for a night or two, as many are travelling the North Coast 500. Lots of those we’ve spoken to said they would love to come back again and stay for longer.

In the evening, we decided to cook on the beach and then have a campfire on our firepit. It was cold,but not windy. We brought our gas camping stove with us and made fajitas (accompanied by wine and beer, of course!) The campfire went on afterwards, though by then it had cooled down considerably despite the fire (to about 5 or 6 degrees) so it wasn’t long before we headed back to the warmth of our tent and put the wood burning stove on.

Monday 1st May 2023

Even in Scotland, our home country, it’s unusual for us to go back to the same place twice. However, here we are on our third trip to Clachtoll Beach Campsite up on the North West coast of Scotland. This whole area is probably our favourite part of the country, with stunning views around every corner – single track winding roads lined with bright yellow gorse in Spring, beautiful white sand beaches, turquoise sea, inland and sea lochs, an array of huge rugged mountains and tiny little hamlets and communities hosting shops with hand crafted goods and delicious homemade fare.

We set off on Sunday from Glasgow, a 5.5 hour trip, with the car and roof cage loaded up with all our camping gear, the inflatable kayak, and plenty of logs for the stove as the forecast was mostly for temperatures under 10 degrees (celsius), which is cold for May…

It was rather dreicht on the journey up, but we were lucky enough to arrive at the campsite between showers, so putting the tent up wasn’t too bad. The pitches here are huge, loads of room for our 5 metre Bell tent and car, and plenty for an awning or tarp if we wanted one. We booked a pitch with electric hookup for our electric blanket, fridge box and small heater to use in the mornings if needed after the stove has burned out.

Monday was our first full day, but kayaking wasn’t a good idea today as it had been (and remained) quite windy. Instead, we decided on the 50(ish) mile drive up to Blairmore, where there is a car park (with toilets and an outside tap with fresh drinking water) for the walk in to Sandwood Bay. This is the nearest place to park, leaving you with just over 4 miles (apx 7 kilometres) to walk in, so an 8-9 mile return trip depending how much walking you do on the vast beach.

The car park is run by the John Muir Trust, who invite you to donate £5, however this is just a suggested amount. We didn’t see the donation box, so I think now it’s all done online via a QR code.

The Trust recently upgraded the path in, and it was easy to follow and mostly level. I wore my welly boots and Paul wore hiking boots. Both were fine (in fact trainers would probably have also been fine) and the path was great, no muddy or wet bits (and the few bits that had some water, had stepping stones). I’d personally recommend welly boots simply as the sand doesn’t get into them when you get to the beach and you can dip your feet in the sea without getting them wet!

I must admit, that despite the good path, I found it a hard slog on the way back. It’s over moorland, there are mountains in the (not too far) distance, but the scenery doesn’t change very much, it’s the same route in and out, and I was as feeling some aching in my joints and feet towards the end.

That said, it was really worth it. When we arrived (later in the day, around 3-ish), we were the only people there. We had this huge deserted beach all to ourselves for the hour that we spent there. We did see some other people walking back as we walked in, and walking in (with camping gear) as we walked out, but it was very quiet, much to our surprise. With it being not far off the NC500 route, we had expected many more people! Maybe we were just lucky with the timing.

Having previously driven the NC500 in November when the days were short, we missed Sandwood Bay as we just didn’t have the time for the walk in and out. Instead we stopped off at Oldshoremore Beach, a couple of miles from the Sandwood car park, which is equally beautiful (in my opinion), if less remote. This beach is only a couple of minutes walk from the car park, and it is a great option for anyone short on time, or just not up to the long walk to Sandwood Bay. See what you think from the photo below (bearing in mind this was now later in the day, so the camera didn’t pick up the turquoise of the sea), but trust me, the sea is the same beautiful turquoise at Oldshoremore and at Sandwood Bay!

For cyclists, the path was fine, and there was a stand to padlock up your bikes to around the halfway point. Not having bikes, we didn’t go and read the sign, but I get the impression they probably don’t want anyone to take their bike past that point.

Tune in tomorrow for our next “adventure”!

From Lake Windermere, where it is currently a bit dreicht, but the fireworks were beautiful last night and the sun is apparently coming out tomorrow before the rain returns.

It was a bit of a gamble coming camping for new year, especially after our tent almost being blown away last year, but this time we had visions of nice crisp winter weather, maybe a dusting of snow, but it wasn’t to be. Our winters seem to be getting wetter these days.

Anyway, we were nice and cosy in our tent with the wood burning stove on to keep us toasty. The campsite is very quiet, only one other tent, plus a few people in the camping pods.

Here’s wishing everyone a fantastic 2023 and may some of your dreams come true during the year!

Best wishes from Paul & Yvonne at Exploreourworld xxx

Please click on this link to view our new page on Aurland, Norway. A fabulous holiday taken in the autumn and based in Aurlandsvegen on the Sognefjord.

This has been our first time abroad since Covid, so it was quite a big deal for us. We’ve had some amazing times exploring Scotland, especially the islands, as we were waiting for travelling abroad to become easier again.

Norway did not disappoint.