LaterEarlier |
Greetings from Aremiti now on Rathlin Island at the end of the Northern Irish phase of our tour of the UK nations. We had originally planned to include a visit to the Republic of Ireland and were especially looking forward to visiting Dublin. However, the requirement to quarantine for two weeks on arrival in Ireland made this not feasible, so we headed further north straight to Northern Ireland. From Holyhead we crossed the Irish Sea on a north-westerly course – a stretch of water
which involved checking no less than three sets of Inshore Waters forecasts and working
out the strange tidal regime. This is the area where the tide flooding in from the north
meets the tide coming in from the south, resulting in a large area of permanent slack
tide with random eddies.
Among highlights of our stay of a few days were a walk in the Mountains of Mourne – which finally became visible. We took local buses to the seaside resort of Newcastle a little south of Ardglass passing en route the tomb of St Patrick in Downpatrick, and Dundrum Bay, where the SS Great Britain spent a year aground following a navigational error in 1846. This very scenic walk took us up to the spectacular 'Mourne Wall' - a dry stone wall running from the top of the highest peak for 35 km across the summits of 15 peaks. In perfect condition, it was built in 1922 to stop livestock reaching the catchment areas of two rivers – but looks far more important than that.
While in Ardglass we witnessed a second medical emergency within a week. A yacht arrived into the marina with a crew member having succumbed to a probable heart attack about an hour out of Ardglass. An ambulance had already been called but before its arrival a couple from another yacht – a nurse and a lifeboatman - offered their services, and a defibrilator was brought from the village. After the ambulance and two fire engines arrived a helicopter was called in to air-lift the casualty to hospital. Both sobering and heartening to witness the high level of response available. Time to move on – we left on a rather misty evening for Strangford Lough to catch the start of the flood into the Lough. The entrance into the Lough – the Narrows – is 400 metres wide and 3 miles long through which the tides race, up to a speed of 8 knots. The shoreline on each side – pastoral, low lying and green with a distinctly rural smell - is incongruously gentle, giving no hint of tidal menace. Our calculations were spot on and, only an hour into the flood, we shot through with up to 5 knots of tide under us. Strangford Lough - 2 miles wide and 12 miles long - has a geology unique in Europe, caused by debris left from the last great ice age. Its western shore is fringed by humpbacked islands – called drumlins – over 70 of them, and the eastern shore where the drumlins have broken down into stoney spits above and below water, called ‘pladdies’. Despite the navigational hazards, this is considered Ireland’s finest sheltered cruising area – home to no less than eleven sailing clubs. We spent 3 days lazily exploring the Lough - delightful passages and anchorages surrounded by gentle little hillocks of green pastures, pale gold hay fields and woodland coming down to the water’s edge, with a smattering of monuments, grand houses and farms - and the Mourne Mountains appearing from time to time to the south of us. The navigational challenges kept us busy with falling tides revealing seaweed covered pladdies. We passed through patches of water quietly seething - obviously highly agitated in its depths.
The population here has appeared to us outstandingly friendly, welcoming, and laid-back with a sparky sense of humour. Invariably everyone we pass says hello - the other day we passed a group of dodgy looking youths who said something to us. We avoided eye contact and scuttled past – as we’d do at home – before realising they’d just been saying hello! We find these impressions very difficult to equate with the hard, dour, intransigent and uncompromising image of Northern Irish politics as seen on the news …. Our departure from Strangford Lough did not go quite as well as our entry. Calculations taking into account tides and winds also had to factor in catching an Orange Parade and the Euros Final, not to mention a regatta taking place at the inner end of the Narrows! Northerly winds are preferable for exiting the Lough so as not to face potentially dangerous wind over tide overfalls, while southerly winds are desirable for progress northwards towards Belfast. Which to chose? We had both over a two day period, but frustratingly, the initial southerly was too strong for exiting the Narrows safely and we had to opt for the later northerly and the slog up the coast. Despite all our calculations, we found ourselves stemming adverse tide for most of the passage – although advice in our pilot book suggested that the north-going tide lasts for 9 hours and the south only 3!
On with the remainder of our passage up the North Channel it was exciting to have clear views across to Scotland – especially the sight of Ailsa Craig guarding the Firth of Clyde.
Our final 10 days of July were marked by extraordinary weather. While we enjoyed gloriously clear blue skies and hot sunshine on some days – the like of which was evidently extremely unusual in Northern Ireland - these days were interleaved with phases of dense fog. Advection fog typically arises from warm moist air flowing over colder water and the water in these parts is certainly very chilly and the land was extremely hot. We were joined for our final week by our friends Trudy and Geoff, for the northern coast of Antrim - the 'Causeway Coast'. This spectacular coastline has World Heritage status as an outstanding example representing major stages of the earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms ….. also containing superlative natural phenomena and areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance. It also, apparently, provides the backdrop for 'Game of Thrones' which is filmed here!
We travelled this 20 mile stretch of coast both by sea and on land – in varying conditions of bright sunshine and thick fog, passing tiny harbours, the glorious long Whitepark beach, 500 ft headlands with sheer drops to the sea, rock formations of white chalk and black basalt, and dramatic stacks. It was spectacular walking, culminating in the truly awesome Giant’s Causeway – an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns the top of which formed natural, mainly hexagonal, stepping stones, formed by a volcanic fissure eruption 60 million years ago. Finally, again in fog, we continued westwards to the mouth of Lough Foyle – a shallow
lough surrounded by a bright green rural landscape in the clearing fog. The well-marked
channel took us 17 miles to the River Foyle and into the city of Londonderry. We have now retraced our steps back eastwards to Rathlin Island – an L shaped island with a lighthouse on each of the three points and harbour snug on the inside corner, 6 miles from Ballycastle and 11 from Scotland at its nearest point. It has the endearing ambience of small islands – somewhat reminiscent of the quieter of the Scillies – though without the agapanthus and white beaches!
Julia and Chris |