Kyles of Bute and the Maids of Bute

The Kyles are quite a busy boating lane as I soon discovered crossing from Loch Striven to Bute. A large and fast launch headed up the Kyes towards the narrows and I watch a mini tsunami wake wave spread across the path in front of my boat. I crossed it bow first and it was no problem, just some spray flying from my bow as the boat crossed three steep and close together wake waves. However I was glad I was not drifting with a fishing line down because if the wake hit side on, I could have got quite wet or worse. I made a mental note to watch out for large wake waves .

A number of yachts were also appearing as I approached Port Bannantyne. Their wakes caused no problems but then again, they were hardly moving in the light breeze.



I noticed another couple of huge slipways on Bute, some not bad sized boats were sitting on them waiting to be launched



I went close to the shore at Port Bannantyne for a good look at the village, then I stopped and drifted with a fishing line down. I caught a small coddling on a rubber sand eel but it was too small to keep so I let it go without bringing it on board for a photo.



I decided not to go round the corner to Rothesay as the large ferry was approaching and there were two or three other bigger boats around. After my earlier tsunami experience I gave them a wide berth and headed back towards the narrows again. Even these small motor cruisers caused quite a wake as they sped round the Kyles.



Back at the narrows I wondered who had right of way. My boat or the one heading my way. He was going quite fast but I managed to nip through before he arrived although he did slow down a little to let me through. If he was any bigger .. I would have waited regardless who had right of way. I need to learn some of the rules of the road.



I then sat off the Maids of Bute doing some more fishing. The maids are two rocks painted to look like fisher wives and the story goes that their husbands went to sea on a fishing boat and never returned. The two maids waited for them that long they turned to stone. They have been painted for over 100 years. When I saw them, I could understand why their men didn’t return, but I had a little luck there too. Under their watchful eye, I caught another couple of coddling. Both were set free to fight another day. There are too many worms in cod for my delicate stomach.