The great Seil snorkel

Seil Island is separated from the Scottish mainland by a narrow stretch of seawater known as Clachan Sound. The island is connected by the humpbacked Clachan bridge (built in 1792) which is a well known tourist attraction - not least because it is the only bridge that crosses the Atlantic Ocean as the sound is sometimes known as. Being a narrow sound, the tides that race up and down can be quite rapid and this gave us the prompting for the great Seil snorkel.

Six of us gathered below the bridge on a June evening. We were going to snorkel about 1 mile of the Clachan Sound finishing up at a boat pier. The current was strong - especially under the bridge - and we reckoned that the flow would take easily along. We weren't disappointed. At first it was exciting as we hurtled on our backs under the bridge, waving to the sightseers above. Then as the sound opened out, the current lessened and we began to fin as the by now gentle flow took us over shallow water with heaps of waving seaweeds and the occasional crab starting up at us as we moved above. The sound became quiet as we looked at the houses and gardens that front this quiet backwater. We passed the Willowburn hotel, where diners enjoy good meals in lovely surroundings. Herons, oyster catchers and gulls looked askance at us as we carried on by. We passed a couple of moored yachts and soon, too soon we could see our destination approach. After about 50 minutes we surfaced at the pier. It had been a superb snorkel - only slightly marred by a surly yacht owner who looked at us as we sped past and shouted "Why don't I have a gun when I need one".

Photos by Mark Warren - mark.warren@echarris.com

Richard Knights - June 2004