Tuesday 18 July
All together now: Mull of Kintyre/O mist rolling in from the sea/My desire is always to be here/O Mull of Kintyre
Apparently it’s called an earworm, and there’s a lot of them on the West Coast of Scotland, a land that inspires songwriters, poets and artists in many media.
Anyway, an early start to catch the tide, and a flat sea with the wind behind us 
from a clear sky – unusually perfect conditions to round the notorious Mull of Kintyre at a fabulous 8+ knots, coming onto a broad reach as we headed North. Of course, it didn’t last, there was a sudden windshift of 90˚ and it was straight on my nose, soon dropping very light and variable.
Mate got frustrated and handed the helm over to Skipper while she had a nap. We motorsailed up to the North end of West Tarbert Bay on the West side of the top of the island of Gigha, our first stop in the Inner Hebrides. It was very pretty and all to ourselves.
A late lunch was delicious hot smoked local salmon with salad, tasting all the better for being eaten in the cockpit in the sunshine, leading to a light siesta before a row ashore to explore. The main settlement lies on the other side of the island around Ardminish Bay, but the wind direction was not conducive to our anchoring there and proved a little too far to walk in what remained of the afternoon.
Staying with the theme – and what was on offer from the fridge – supper was smoked haddock Florentine with sauté potatoes, while enjoying the impromptu cabaret of a pair of seals meandering around the bay in mild curiosity. Maybe they thought supper smelled good, too- fish always raw must get monotonous?
Unfortunately the wind began to blow around midnight, denying a peaceful or restful night.