On Monday it was a short hop to Loch Ness itself, a long and
very deep expanse of water framed by towering green hills, fading to blue in
the distance. The wind was blowing briskly and we lost no time in getting the
sails unfurled. Needless to say it was blowing from the south-west – that is,
the direction we wanted to travel in – but Goldfinch was in her element and we
spent the whole day tacking with exhilaration along the loch. At lunchtime we
dropped anchor in a sheltered little bay overlooked by the romantic and
picturesque Urquhart Castle.
In the afternoon the wind picked up more and we
were visited by some quite intense rain and strong breezes. But as they say in
Norway, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes: all togged up
in our oilies we enjoyed a fantastic sail. By early afternoon we arrived at
Foyers Bay, another sheltered inlet where we found a mooring buoy and tied up
for the night.
The rain stopped, the wind abated. In this idyllically
peaceful spot we had one of the most magical evenings of the trip: one of Mike’s
best-yet dinners on deck, a bottle or three of wine, some Elgar and good
company, amid stunning scenery. Very close to being a perfect day. This is what
we came for!
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| Goldfinch sailing on Loch Lochy |
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