This morning, we were slightly shocked to see clouds in the sky, as we had been totally spoiled by the weather of the last few days. But an overcast day was perfect, as it meant that the kids wouldn't be frazzled by the sun in the boats today. We had briefed the kids on what they would need the night before, so all they needed to do was to pack their bags for the adventure. As usual, this was easier said than done and there seemed to be an endless amount of faffing before we were eventually on our way and on the road to Elphin. Our guides for the next two days were to be Kushi Adventures.
 |
| Packing up the boats near Elphin |
We rendezvoused at the bridge just north east of Elphin where we were introduced to Russell and his crew. The kids then decided (or rather... tried!) if they would rather be in a Canoe or a Kayak. This seemed to almost cause tears for some of them, even though we did our best to explain that they would be experiencing both!
 |
| Double Kayak action |
Once we had overcome this dilemma, kit was handed out and boats were loaded up with equipment and belongings. Then it was time for the put in. After helping the kids get safely onto the water, Martin and I suddenly realised that we had forgotten about sorting out our own transport. Russell then pointed to the boat trailer and our eyes lit up immediately. To our delight, the only boat that was left was a blue, two man Kayak... result! This meant that we could steam off and scout out possible camping spots while the kids got to grips with the basics.
 |
| Our berth for the night on the shore of Cam Loch |
We quickly made our way up the shallow river and out on to Cam Loch and then north westward via the small islands of Eilean an Tighe and Eilean na Gaoithe. I had seen on the map that there was a natural bay on the north shore not to far from Creag a' Chaise. I was pretty confident that we'd find some decent ground there to set up camp, so we headed there but only after doing a complete circuit of the loch! I was amazed at how fast we could go in this thing; it was awesome! We landed at the beach at the natural bay on the north shore and had a bit of a look round; it was grand. I high patch of ground with a flat plateau of dry heather to sleep on. We headed back to inform the rest of the group of our successful scouting mission... and to soak some of them too, of course.
Due to it being such a still day, the group was coming along nicely with their skills and had moved onto some games; which they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying. A few soakings later, we all headed towards our campsite for the night. What a setting it was; with Suilven looking down over us. The group unpacked the boats and started to put up their tents. A young lad, Duncan, then made one of the biggest school boy errors I had ever witnessed. He was slacking and watching the other boys in his tent group hard at work and while standing there, was leaning on an assembled elasticated tent pole. He noticed that the ground underneath was very soft, and so the pole went into the ground with ease. However, instead of realising the error of his ways, he continued to push the assembled pole into the ground. Chuckling as I saw what was happening, I went over to him and informed him that he was going to have a hard job getting that back out of the ground. Obviously he knew he was smarter than me and disagreed entirely and proceeded to pull at the pole in the ground. Obviously, I said to him, that's not going to do anything except break the elastic, and you don't want that to happen because then you're really in trouble (I had suddenly become my father!). He just had a stupid grin on his face as he realised just how annoyingly stupid the situation was.... and so he began digging to retrieve the pole from the ground; much to the amusement of the group.
The kids then settled down with the Trangias to cook up a brew. After showing them the basics and easing our concerns that they weren't going to burn down their tents, my attention was drawn to the small crag overlooking the camp; Creag a' Chaise. The rock was catching the last of the evening sun, as if it was trying to get my attention. It worked, and I snuck away for a quick bouldering session, making sure I didn't attract any unwanted attention from the kids. Not the best example to be setting!
As the sun started to go down, we got the disposable BBQs on and it was time for burgers, hot dogs and marshmallows - yum. We then lit a fire on the beach to keep the midge away due to the still air. It was a beautiful night on Cam Loch. The kids settled in their tents for the night and Martin and I decided to bivvy on the beach under the stars. Magic.
The morning brought mixed weather. Drizzle in the morning as we packed up camp and loaded the boats, followed by glorious sunshine for the paddle back to base. The kids swapped over so they had tried both Kayaking and Canoeing. A very worthwhile trip for all of them with a great sense of adventure. More pictures of the Cam Loch trip.
 |
| Definitely a V3 problem |
We headed back to Achininver, with a van load of weary 14 year olds, to reflect on the events of the past two amazing days. Once again, oh so lucky with the weather in Sutherland. We had a slight problem when we got back: we had been locked out of the 'staff' building. Not to worry though, I managed a V3 move through the VERY narrow open window so we could get in and get a well-deserved hot shower.
