Sailing short-cut to spectacular views

Norman Inglis rediscovers a love for Scotland’s west coast, one of the best locations in the world to combine sailing with hill walking

- Norman Inglis

I have kept my boat Happy Bear, a modified Kingfisher 30, at Rochefort on the river Charente in France for the past 10 years, but thanks to Brexit I now have to bring it back to the UK or face paying import duty and VAT.

I’d previously sailed on the west coast of Scotland for about 20 years but had headed to France for some warmer, drier weather so the prospect of sailing back to cold, rain, gales and midges did not at first fill me with enthusiasm.

However on reminiscing I did have some great sails, especially when the sail included a hill walk – and the west coast of Scotland must be one of the best locations in the world to combine sailing with hill walking.

One sailing and hill walking mini-expedition I particularly enjoyed was a cruise into Loch Hourn to climb Ladhar Bheinn (pronounced Larven) a 3,346ft mountain on the south side of Loch Hourn. To climb this Munro would normally involve a ferry trip from Mallaig to Inverie in Loch Nevis then a seven-mile walk in to get to the slopes of Ladhar Bheinn. But looking at the chart I could see what appeared to be a sheltered horseshoe-shaped bay, Poll a’ Mhuineil, right at the foot of it.

According to the chart there was plenty of depth for Happy Bear’s 1.2m draught to anchor in and it seemed sheltered from all but a northerly direction. I’d already sailed into Loch Hourn on a previous expedition with my brother, anchoring on the northern side at the village of Arnisdale and climbed Beinn Sgritheall, a 3,195ft Munro and considered it a spectacular sea loch with Munro’s either side.