Gayle sees wildlife galore a boat holiday on the west coast of Carna
Two porpoises, with a bright back like black pebbles, are ate in the water by the boat.
Known for being shy and skidding, it’s an honor to see even a flash of those creatures from so far away.
“It’s mom and her puppy,” exclaims Andy Jackson, patron of my two-hour cruise on Carna Island.
The journey, which begins at Laga Bay on the north coast of Loch Sunart, is full of surprises, basically the variety of, and Andy, brimming with enthusiasm and knowledge, is a brilliant guide.
Seconds after the start, what began as a sunny day becomes a drizzled day, however, a rainbow looks over the lake, framing the hills of Ardnumurchan and giving the landscape a magical and airy tone.
“The weather here changes all the time,” smiles Andy, who is, among other things, the head of the coast guard station in Salen.
“In one minute it rains, the next sun. But when there’s a storm, it has character and it’s incredibly beautiful. “
Originally from Hampshire, Andy, a former aeronautical tool manufacturer, moved here and founded Ardnamurchan Charters in 1995.
He and his wife Allison Carna, a historic 600-acre island between the Ardnamurchan and Morvern peninsulas.
It was once a rich and lively place, with 17 families registered in the 1850s, but today there are only three, two of which are off-grid holiday homes.
We soon landed on the island to take stock of the magnificent prospects and allow Andy to prove that otters, not others, dominate the perch.
“Smell,” he invites, picking up dark, viscous green on the pontoon and holding it.
I don’t trust this material and, when I smell it carefully, I realize it smells like fish.
“It’s otter poo for you!” Andy laughs. It’s so bad, isn’t it?
Andy shows a piece of vegetation on the island and chooses a small herd of cattle.
“They’re white cross heifers from Shorthorn-Highland, a tough breed,” he informs me.
“They play an important role here, grazing and trampling to repair grasslands and inspire tree growth. “
Taking farm animals to the island on a raft was a challenge. It was a stormy, storm-free day in February 2018, but the cows remained calm and, as soon as they landed in Carna, their heads fell to nib on the grass.
“They have a temperament and are very friendly, which is for the guests,” Andy says.
Generations of overgrazing of sheep and deer have left the island bare and powerless for wildlife or farm animals.
The turning point in their regeneration came here in 2014 when the Carna Conservation Community Initiatives Company was established to protect the island’s wildlife and habitats.
“Thanks to controlled grasslands, grasslands and forests, soil structure, nutrient content and biodiversity are improving, resulting in a land with an environment that sustains a much richer variety of flora and fauna,” Explains Andy.
“The smallest insects, the eagles flying over our heads, the majestic deer that elapsed in the hills, the otters that live on the shore and the seals and porpoises of our lakes, all benefit.
Passing through the narrow Caol Carna, which Andy describes as a “paradise” for otters and herons, with fish galore, without other people and without traffic, we head to the lonely Loch Teacuis.
As I avoid taking a look at a strong vitrified on a hill, I realize that, apart from the wind and the gentle beating of the waves, there is total silence.
Andy admits that he shuts down the ship’s engine and simply sits down and embraces that silence and that sense of remoteness. I envy him.
While I enjoy peace and loneliness, I see a bird of prey that rises gracefully over the thermal currents over a rocky outcrop.
He comes up and then, to my absolute joy, he’s a white-tailed eagle!
Described as a ‘flying barn door’, it is the largest and largest bird of prey in the UK, with a huge wingspan of up to 2. 5 metres. It’s an impressive spectacle.
Andy, though very happy to see you, is not surprised.
“This is where they hang out,” he shouts, and then, as if by magic, a second appears, even bigger!Just epic!
Once the birds have left, we cross the lake in search of seals.
And there are seals in abundance that hang from the rocks and sunbathe, absolutely undisturvable because of our presence.
Andy estimates there’s going to have to be 80 to a hundred smart people, a real bargain!
Returning to the west side of Carna, we see more seals on the rocks and seabirds nesting on the cliffs.
There are scattered remains of old farms and deserted black houses in the last century.
We passed the small island of Goats, named after it was once populated by goats.
With the creatures missing, Andy highlights how trees and shrubs grow in abundance and are full of birds.
“There is a higher density of pine, silver birch and sorber,” he says. “They all grew naturally, either with the seeds swept away by the wind or the birds that eat the berries and help the tree disperse its seeds.
“It’s amazing how forests can regenerate if left and given a chance. “
Returning to base, we see the impressive Glenborrodale Castle, which sounds and looks like something out of a JRR Tolkien novel.
Built in 1902, the Scottish Baronial mansion on the market in 2017, with offers of more than 3. 75 million pounds.
This provides you with the 16-room castle, an inn, several small personal islands and a buried diamond.
As far as I know, it’s still for sale, but unfortunately my salary doesn’t go that far.
The domain is full of history and the Vikings settled in Glenborrodale, the domain named after the famous two-metre-tall Nomadic Viking Borrodill.
There is no shortage of local stories and legends, such as desirable facts, with which Andy will be pleased to delight you.
This, and the fact that there is wildlife here galore, ensures that a boat is a memorable experience.
Andy Jackson and his wife Allison have been Ardnamurchan Charters since 1995.
They will offer a variety of trips, adding a two-hour cruise on the island of Carna.
They also rent self-contained boats.
For more information and to book, west-scotland-marine. com or Facebook.
The island of Carna was purchased through Canon Horace Newton in 1881, whose descendants, the Milward-Towers family, still own it.
Andy and Allison run the island on behalf of the family.
To learn more about Carna, its independent hotels and conservation projects, isleofcarna. co. uk
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