Ardfern to Port Ellen

After staying in Ardfern for several days waiting for a break in the weather, I headed on down to Islay ready for the crossing to Northern Ireland. I would have loved to stay a while longer and explore the Isles some more, but the weather hasn't been great and there's no sign of any more settled weather anytime soon. It puts some pressure on the journey because whenever there's a break in the weather, I feel I need to take the opportunity to move on rather than linger around and enjoy the area.

The Paps of Jura under threatening skies

Along the way I sailed down past Jura but didn't stop off there. It did, however, provide some more spectacular scenery to brighten up the journey.

After a long day's sail, I arrived at Port Ellen on the southern end of Islay. The town is small but very charming. Unlike Ardfern which seemed to be dominated by rich English folk living the dream, the houses are modest but robust (much like the locals I suspect)

Port Ellen on Islay