CROSSING THE MINCH VIA THE SHIANTS

Crossing the Minch is something of a rite of passage for sea kayakers. Going via The Shiants could perhaps be seen as complicating matters unnecessarily, cheating - giving yourself the chance to break the crossing, or as two separate crossings.

It is arguably all of those things, and one of the best trips possible in a kayak.

Arriving on Skye in the early hours, we launched from the slip at Uig later than planned, but with light winds forecast for the two days ahead, had little concerns about what lay ahead.

Eight hours and approximately 45km later, we landed on the shingle of Garbh Eilean. It was the longest crossing we had completed and a tiring one, even on mirror calm seas.

We had the islands to ourselves. As far as you can in May. The sky was alive with gannets, puffins and every kind of sea bird imaginable.

From The Shiants we paddled west to Scalpay and then south for Uist and Lochmaddy. If the first day had felt long, this one simply went on forever.

Setting camp after 10 hours on the water and approximately 70km, I was at once elated and exhausted. There remained the last few km’s to reach the ferry back to Uig.

Remarkable really what’s possible in one weekend.