There is a certain lore about the West Coast of Scotland. Unlike the East Coast, all angular and dominated by the large metropolitan centers of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Inverness, the West Coast is full of small villages looking out upon waters chock full of amoeba-shaped islands with curiosity-stirring names such as Rum and Muck. For local Scottish and English sailors – and for that matter Irish – who live in the more populated regions to the south, the Scottish West Coast is the holy grail of sailing destinations. And Karen and I were about to embark – in the prime summer holiday month of July – on a mission to probe the depths of its history and hidden secrets. With any luck, after a week of full-time motoring inside the Caledonian Canal, we might even rediscover the joy of sailing!
