A Sunday Paddle

[@richardmarshall9309]

Thank you. Our first look at one of your videos - very well done indeed. We look forward to more. One of our favourite places.

[@topdc97]

Wonderful film, Nick. So much calmness is a salve for the soul. The sadness of the jetty discovery was amply offset by the marvellous ending. Thank you.

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

Thank you very much Chris and best wishes.

[@mariozammit1260]

Nick, I understand your feelings perfectly well. Every time I kayak round our coastline in the Maltese Islands, I always notice new man made changes on the coast or the sea. Our problem is much greater, because the Maltese Islands are very small and we have lost most of the little we had. The sense of loss I experience every time is the same as yours. Thank you so much for sharing your journeys round your beautiful coast. Mario.

[@studebaker4217]

The forestry despoilation could be worse - could be a fish "farm" and all the detritus that comes with that in Scotland.

[@joannebolton1]

Thanks so much Nick for taking us on that fabulous paddle over to the mainland ... I can totally understand the strength of feeling and your response when you saw that pier. It was a shock and you weren't expecting it. Wildness is why we love your beautiful neck of the woods so much. Please keep exploring it for us especially for us who aren't quite brave enough to paddle in open waters🤗

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

Thank you very much too Joanne.

[@stuartvh4562]

Nick, thank you so much for sharing this journey, and experience, with us. The sound, as you paddled, was meditative, together with the beautiful sights along the way. Sorry that you were impacted by your discovery, which I understand completely. As you said, let's hope that areas of wilderness remain, for us, those still to come and beyond! Take care, and see you soon. Stuart

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

Thank you very much Stuart and best wishes.

[@jimmyjohnstone5878]

Loch na Droma Buidhe was the first anchorage I ever visited on a yacht. At first sight it felt impossibly tight to anchor in, but it was fine. The skipper knew the area well. It is such a busy place in Summer these days but was quiet back then. Your little peaceful beach looks like the perfect overnight spot.

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

I love paddling into there even when there're a few yachts anchored around. It always has a sense of peace.

[@charleslyster1681]

Hi Nick, a delightful trip with you to an absolutely favourite place. I also discovered the new jetty last summer when sailing up there and I shared your shock at the intrusion into a seemingly wild place and the newness of it. I thought it over in a similar way to you; is it as much the newness of it which is distressing as anything else? I feel no offence at the presence of the abandoned village or the hill fort or the fish trap. It would be wonderful in one sense if the whole west coast and islands could be left as almost complete wilderness but the local people would have a view on that. If there is to be forestry on the Morvern Peninsula then this jetty is an impressive commitment to using ships to extract the timber rather than endless trains of lorries. I think it can only be intended to obviate the need even to drive timber by road as far as Lochaline pier which is 13 miles away; if so, that is an impressive effort to reduce pollution. I would be interested to see it in operation as it seemed to me that, unless it is to be extended further to seaward, ships will only be able to lie alongside close to high water.

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

Thanks Charles and you make a very good point about keeping heavy vehicles off the local narrow roads. I hadn't thought of that, though there is a dedicated forestry quay down on the Sound of Mull side of Lochaline.

[@galch2v205]

I've enjoyed a few of your films after seeing a BBC article about your planned year at sea trip. I've never been kayaking and your films have inspired me to have a go one day. Thanks so much, your films are so relaxing to watch. I'm a Christian and regularly pray and paddling in rivers and at sea seems such a good place to be in touch with creation and God. Do you find your trips a spiritual experience?

[@minerwilly]

I'm very jealous of the conditions you have there just now. Up here there's still no sign of it getting much better.

[@NickRayLifeAfloat]

It was the first proper calm day in what seems like ages.

[@minerwilly]

@@NickRayLifeAfloat It finally seems to be starting to calm down a bit now. I'm eager to get back to Mull this year as I spent too much time on Staffa and didn't have any left to visit the Treshnish Isles.