Stopping Places: Loch Ewe to Orkney

To see my recent visits to each anchorage check out the "Labels" towards the bottom of the right hand panel or follow the individual links.

Updated Jan 23 to include Harbours and Marinas also info on fuel & gas availability.

Further updated during a boring winter 2023/4 to include some information on access to and from marinas. See my page Marina notes (opens in a new window) for some general tips and the context (handling of my boat) in which I comment.

Anchorages = red, Marinas = Blue

Loch Ewe

A large loch with anchorages to suite all tastes. My favourite is Aultbea, 

Position "A" in the anchorage, watch out for a couple of old pick up
buoys and it is quite shoal so don't go too far without checking the depth
all round and the tide tables.

Looking south, the NATO refuelling point on the left.

On both visits there have been great sun sets.

Visited 2020 and 2021.

Loch Ned

Excellent shelter and can be entered in almost any conditions but its hard to spot the entrance from a distance but obviously not a problem with GPS (assuming it is not being interfered with by the Navy) there are a series of pictures here. Its a fairly long leg to or from Loch Erribol but in favourable winds I have done it in ten and a quarter hours North bound going quite close in to Cape Wrath and eleven and a half hours south bound standing off further (link above). O2 voice service but only legacy GPRS data which has limited utility these days.

Visited 2020 and 2021.

Loch Eriboll

A large loch with good shelter but some of the anchorages, including the most convenient, shown in the pilot were a waste of time when I visited in 2020 (see link re Loch Nedd North bound going quite close in to Cape Wrath ), but there are good anchorages on both sides of Ard Neachie 5 miles up the loch on the east side and there are other likely spots in calm conditions,  

Ard Neachie south side

The down side is a long motor to and from the open sea

Visited 2020 and 2021.

Stromness

A good small marina, managed remotely from Kirkwall and looked after by volunteers, very friendly! Don't stray too far off or past the pontoons due to shallow water otherwise there are no significant problems. Book in advance see Orkney Marinas - Stromness Marina.

The fuel berth is tricky to get to and only open by appointment (there were plans 2020, to install an automatic pump), I used porterage from there. A garage is a good walk but doable with a trolley, they also have Camping Gaz and Calor. Facilities at the ferry terminal were mostly closed due to lock down when I was there in 2020 and 2021. Small shops including a deli and hardware store and places to eat a short walk away, the Chinese takeaway was closed (due to Covid?) during both of my visits. A good Co-Op is a bit further away.

Stromness marina. A good Co-Op on the right of the photo, a
garage with fuel and Gas just behind it. The rest of the shops
etc. are in the opposite direction.

Hunda Sound (Scarpa Flow)

An excellent anchorage and a very convenient start point when heading south or when arriving from the west or south late at night, see "Navigating the Pentland Firth".

On arrival at 04:00 on a May morning.

Visited 2020 and 2021.

Anchorages, marinas and harbours:

• The Solent.
• The Needles to Plymouth.
• Fowey to Lands End.
• Lands End north to Anglesey
• The Isles of Scilly and SE Ireland from Baltimore to Carnsore Point 
• The East Coast of Ireland from Carnsore Pt to Red Bay.
• Mull of Galloway to Ardnamurchan Point.
• Ardnamurchan Point to Loch Ewe.
• The Western Isles.
• Loch Ewe to Orkney.
• Duncansby Head to The Solent.