Eastern Scotland: Lossiemouth to Stonehaven

Lossiemouth Harbour is extremely well protected. The entrance is narrow and is followed by a sharp left and right turn. The harbour walls are high and strong. Once in, you see granite in every direction.


Lossiemouth had been the most northerly port we had visited. On leaving it began to feel as if we were heading home.
The harbour entrance is quite shallow. This means entrances and exits must be made at the right state of tide. We worked out the best time to set out for Peterhead: around 0500. It was a very pleasant morning. We motored out. After a while we got the sails up and ran downwind with a preventer.


Farewell to Lossiemouth


We hade to gybe to get round Rattray Head... Which is a low, sandy promontory. We arrived early evening in the marina which is located in the corner of the harbour.
We enjoyed a pork and mushroom dish concocted by Anne.


On Thursday morning we set off to begin our journey south.
It proved to be one of the best day's sailing in the trip so far. After a lumpy first couple of miles in the swell outside the harbour, we got the sails up... One reef in the main initially, but we soon shook it out. The wind changed direction over the course of the day, dying away for a time around lunchtime, necessitating some use of the motor, but in the main we made good progress under sail. There was a large swell rolling from the north: not too bad a direction.
We had obtained some useful pilotage advice from the Stonehaven Harbourmaster: he was concerned that we might bump on the bottom at low tide, particularly as the swell was reflecting back into the harbour. However he thought it would be ok. When we arrived he was there to greet us, guiding us to a berth on the breakwater and providing long heavy mooring lines. We moored up. High Barbaree came in a little later, then Mystery, who rafted up against us. I cooked haggis, venison burgers and a medley of British vegetables, potatoes, carrots, leeks, onion and cabbage.
We took a stroll around the town. We very much liked the harbour and were very grateful to the harbourmaster for his helpful and accommodating welcome.


Slains Castle


Approaching Stonehaven


Haggis and venison supper


Toucando on the harbour wall with Mystery


Stonehaven vista


Looking down at Toucando at low tide

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