Where the rocks of Ardnamurchan meet the rolling Gaelic Sea,

Where the reef-jawed whirlpools gnash their teeth and roar,

There’s a lass whose gaze is seaward, standing in the menhir’s lee

On fair Alba’s ever-westward-facing shore.

Marie Marshall

Day 2
We had invited our friends who live in Lochaline to join us for breakfast so while I took advantage of the little harbour’s large showers and hair dryers, the skipper volunteered to cook up bacon rolls and pots of good coffee.
A lovely catch up with our friends sharing stories of our growing families,  graduations, house disasters, travels, and future plans then we bid farewell and headed out from the sheltered loch to vere north again and up the sound, navigating other sailing boats and ferries.
I mused as we passed Tobermory then Glengorm, how different this aspect was from the previous weekend when I’d spent an enjoyable weekend on Mull with a friend. We had stood on the raised shoreline looking over the Sound and north toward the Small Isles, watching the tiny white oragami like sail boats flitting around and she had said “That’ll be you next week!”
Indeed it was and I felt very lucky indeed.

The Sound ends and opens out like the estuary of a large river, options for vessels to flow out in any direction. We were heading north and pointed the bow towards Ardnamurchan Point.
We had the winds behind us, which is a fairly rare occurrence so enjoyed a strong sail all the way on our route and into Loch Ceann Traigh and our first anchorage off Singing Sands. Once the hook was dropped, waterproofs discarded and boat shoes on, we sat back enjoying the view and enjoying some snacks and drinks.  It lasted a while before the showers came in. It was wet, very wet, so we hunkered down below and made dinner. The wind was blowing strong and steady and once in bed it was not such a peaceful night. The anchor alarm went off in the middle of the night, which is what its meant to do but getting back to sleep was problematic with the captain deep in snoring slumber beside me and the wind howling overhead. I retreated to the makeshift bunk in the saloon but the wind generator whirled constantly and Stornoway coastguard piped up frequently then the throaty engines of another vessel chugged nearby  so it was a challenge! However I woke early the next morning so realised I had fallen asleep and made bed tea for us, allowing us to come to gently.