The Scottish Islands Peaks Race

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Adventures Afloat

Eddie Winslow / 27.05.2004

\"A long weekend with a difference\", \"to encourage sailors to appreciate fell running\" and \"for runners to appreciate sailing\"; so runs the introductory blurb for the Scottish Islands Peaks Race. It mentions \"encountering dolphins\" and offers \"unrivalled views of mountain and sea\". Sounds good doesn\'t it.

But then again, it goes on with: 160 nautical miles of sailing including strong tides and overfalls (whatever they are) and 60 miles and 11,500ft of running – perhaps sailors and fell runners are meant to appreciate a common madness.

So that\'s the task ahead of us as we line up at Oban on the West coast of Scotland. Myself and Nigel Holl are aboard as runners whilst Nigel\'s dad John together with skipper Nigel Richardson and his son Josh are the crew of a cruiser class yacht. These are slower and more comfortable than racing monohulls but I\'m ignorant of all things sailing and just hope that I\'ve got sea legs otherwise it\'s going to be a very unpleasant long weekend. At least the weather forecast is for light winds and comfortable temperatures.

Over to Mull

With the strike of noon on Friday, its off for a four mile run around the cliffs of Oban to separate everyone out a bit and avoid chaos as we exit the harbour. A quick dinghy transfer to the yacht and we are out of the harbour and raise sail – motor power is not allowed on the high seas. The destination is Salen 25 miles away on the Isle of Mull and with the winds blowing a steady westerly the passengers on the Oban ferry are treated to 55 yachts tacking port and starboard as they make gradual progress across the Firth of Lorne. With the wind picking up and shifting direction the tacking stops, the sails are reefed (reduced in size to avoid risking capsize) and we heel (sail at an angle where floor and wall don’t have the normal meaning) towards Salen.

Last year’s race was run in foul weather but this year its sun cream that’s required as Nigel and I are deposited at Salen pier to run 10 miles to the summit of Ben More. The Paps of Jura are 60 miles away but are clearly visible from the summit. We then have a further 10 miles back to Salen, overtaking a couple of teams on the descent and then another on the road run out.

We are rowed out to an already moving yacht to scramble aboard for the sail to Jura, about 12th away. It’s 9pm on Friday and we are making good time East along the isle of Mull before turning South for Craighouse on Jura.See All Event Posts