A WEEK AFLOAT SCOTLAND

Breathtaking scenery, a plethora of cruising grounds and friendly locals make cruising the West Coast from Oban round the Isle of Mull an unforgettable experience, says Norman Kean

- Norman Kean

The West Coast of Scotland is the finest cruising area on the Atlantic coast of Europe. Two hundred miles in length from the Mull of Kintyre in the south to Cape Wrath in the north, it is sheltered from the full force of the ocean by the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides. The outer islands, from Lewis to Barra Head, form an almost continuous 110-mile breakwater. The inner islands - the principal ones Skye, Mull, Islay, Jura, Coll and Tiree - provide added shelter and an abundant choice of cruising routes, passages, channels and ports of call. Fjordlike sea lochs reach deep into the mainland mountains. The scenery is breathtaking and constantly varying. The choice of anchorages is unsurpassed, and recent years have seen rapid growth in marina and pontoon facilities. Leisure sailors come from all over Great Britain and beyond to visit, or to keep their boats in these waters and to sail here year after year, enchanted by this coast, its islands and its scenery. Yacht traffic is plentiful, but it’s never crowded. Restaurants and pubs are excellent, individual and characterful, and people are welcoming and helpful.