Words:
Kirsty Roberts
Kirsty Roberts
Photos:
Kirsty Roberts,
Barbara McFarlane,
Mirco Goldhausen,
Stuart Leslie &
Geth Roberts
About Kirsty
Kirsty has co-owned Sea Kayaking Wales for six years and is primarily responsible for administering the business. She has helped drive the SKW #Shepaddles programme, increasing female participation in the expedition series. In addition to kayaking, Kirsty enjoys running, art and raising an awesome family.
Sea Kayaking Wales
About Sea Kayaking Wales
Based in Anglesey, SKW provides expedition and holiday opportunities to Scotland, Norway, and Pembrokeshire. They hope to add Croatia, Greece, and Ireland to the destinations list. Check out www.seakayakingwales.com for more information.
Sea Kayaking Wales also runs progressive coaching courses on Anglesey, from beginner to advanced, and are providers of all the British Canoeing Leadership, Coach, Safety and Personal Performance awards. Clubs/groups are also encouraged to hire SKW for meets and expeditions.
SKW is also a dealer of Sea Kayaking UK, Tiderace and Zegul sea kayaks. You can demo most models on the course opportunities.
www.seakayakingwales.com
An Outer Hebrides and Shiants sea kayaking adventure
Hello. I’m Kirsty, co-owner of Sea Kayaking Wales and proud mum to three wonderful and energetic children aged two, six, and eight. My husband Geth is also my business partner at SKW, and we live and work in Anglesey. We strive to balance our dedication to running a purposeful sea kayaking company with raising our family in the fantastic community and environment of North Wales.
Though we feel incredibly privileged, life isn’t always easy. My recent trip to the Outer Hebrides turned out to be the experience I didn’t realise I needed. A few months before SKW’s Outer Hebrides 2024 expedition was set to depart, we encountered some logistical challenges. Mirco and Stuart, our lead coaches for this trip, had plans to combine their SKW work in Scotland with other activities – Mirco with a subsequent cycling holiday and Stuart with a mothership-supported kayaking voyage to St Kilda. As a result, they could not return the expedition van, sea kayaks, and Charlotte, one of our participants, to Anglesey immediately after the trip. The solution seemed simple: I would drive the van and join the expedition myself.
I couldn’t believe I was suggesting joining the expedition. Due to having the children, I’d gone seven years without kayaking and had only started paddling again this past year with some days on our #ShePaddles events. Before starting a family, I was a regular social sea kayaker, often paddling with our ‘Saturday Gang’ of friends to Anglesey’s tideraces and on holidays to Scotland and Ireland. I’d also reluctantly engaged in white-water river kayaking, though I disliked swimming down rocky rapids.
On the sea, I’d been more courageous in waves until an incident in the surf at Cymyran Bay near Rhoscolyn shook me up and took some time to get over. Despite this, the thought of going on an expedition with our team to Scotland appealed to me. The opportunity to spend my first week away from my young family was enticing. I’d often seen Geth benefit from his SKW expeditions to Scotland and Pembrokeshire, and now it was my turn.
Getting ready
My gear was old, and while still somewhat functional, I decided a new set was in order. I bought my first drop-seat drysuit, a game-changer for convenience, opting for the Palm Bora with a handy hood. It proved incredibly comfortable and effective at protecting me from the elements and occasional hungry ticks and midges, so I wore it most of the time. I also invested in a new PFD and base layer suit and re-purposed some old trail running shoes to replace my worn-out neoprene booties.
For catering, Charlotte and I decided to team up for our main meals. We opted for fresh cooking instead of relying on Geth’s out-of-date boil-in-the-bag meals. I wanted to include dishes packed with vegetables and experiment with new sauces, meals that my children usually ate only with much grumbling. My digestive system certainly benefited from this healthy and tasty expedition diet.
The sea kayak I wanted to use had to fit me as well as my SKUK Pilgrim but with more carrying capacity. Our fleet’s low-volume Zegul Arrow Play was too small for me, Charlotte was using the medium-volume Zegul Arrow Play, and our small Tiderace Pace Tour was being used on another SKW Scotland expedition to the Slate Isles and Garvallachs. So, we ordered a SKUK Pilgrim Expedition for the SKW demo fleet and for me to use. Despite placing our order a little late and not being ready in time, Nigel Dennis kindly lent me another one for the week – many thanks, Nigel! With that, all my expedition equipment fit perfectly in my boat.
A few days before departure, I realised I hadn’t practised capsizing and self-rescuing in a very long time. With the boys occupied at either a playdate or daycare after school, Geth, Heidi (our eldest), and I headed to the Menai Straits for a quick practice session. What fun to share this experience with Heidi! Finally, I was ready.
Meeting the team on Skye
Charlotte and I embarked on our karaoke road trip to the Skye Backpackers hostel in Kyleakin, Skye. Given the distance from Anglesey, we camped in the back of the van near Fort William overnight before reaching Kyleakin on Saturday to meet with our teammates and the coaches. The team consisted of Paul, Neil, Moira, Barbara, Rupert, Charlotte, Mirco, Stuart, and myself – a fantastic mix of wonderful and enthusiastic people.
At SKW, we no longer assume good weather on expeditions to the exposed Outer Hebrides islands. Therefore, we approach these trips with the primary intention of heading out to the Outer Hebrides but with a backup plan to explore the more sheltered waters of Skye or mainland Scotland if the weather doesn’t cooperate. After a brief discussion about the super promising forecast for our week, we finalised our plans – we would aim to visit the Outer Hebrides’ islands of: Harris, Scalpay, Lewis and the most beautiful Shiants Island group.
Day one: Calmac Ferry Uig-Tarbert, then sea kayak journey Tarbert-Scalpay
At last, we caught the 13:55 ferry from Uig to Tarbert. What a great way to start an expedition! The ferry is only a 110 minute crossing, but that was enough time to share a meal and get to know the team a little better. We boarded as foot passengers and used trolleys to wheel the kayaks on and off the ferry. What a heavy-going exercise. We will book the van and trailer on the ferry next year to carry the team’s kayaks and equipment. On arriving in Tarbert, we wheeled the kayaks to the slipway and embarked on our nomadic adventure.
The bay crossing was made very atmospheric by a sudden heavy shower of rain and a distant thunderstorm. This soon passed and we pressed on to Eilean Glas Lighthouse on Scalpay for our first camp. My diary notes for this day exclaim, “Camping by a lighthouse, raining, but I’m doing it! Lovely paddle.”
Day two: Scalpay-Renigdal-Lewis
I absolutely love running and awoke early to enjoy a 5 km run, partly on a weirdly bouncy Scalpay gravel/bog track. After breakfast and lunch preparation, I repacked my boat, “To have the correct food handy and water in the correct place. Felt very organised and on it! The paddle was great, and we went to Rhenigidale for lunch. The afternoon paddle took us to our next camping spot beside an old croft. My notes state that I had a “lovely chat with Moira and Stuart” and an “amazing tikka tea!” with Charlotte.
Day three: The Shiants crossing
The Shiants crossing by sea kayak is very committing and rarely settled enough for a group to achieve. My notebook stated, “Lots of people anxious about crossing, but did well, took 2.5 hrs. It seemed much quicker.” We set up camp next to the bothy at 1 pm. I didn’t go to the end of the island until a little later, and then, wow! “It’s so spectacular!”
My notes continue, “I’m so excited and happy to be here. It’s a fab group of people, and I love the banter.”
Day four: Exploring The Shiants Archipelago
It is not surprising that this group of islands are so renowned amongst kayakers and other explorers. The islands teem with life. In May, there are tens of thousands of seabirds nesting and hundreds of seals. The last puffin census in 2015 estimated 64,000 pairs (2% of the World population), second only in the British Isles to St Kilda.
The geology is equally spectacular, with volcanic dolerite columns reaching 120m high up the cliffs – much bigger than the equivalent and more famous columns on Staffa and the Giant’s Causeway. Carved into the coastline, we also found arch tunnels and spectacular caves – there was so much to explore by kayak.
I explored the main island further, running over the tussocky ground to view the archipelago from higher up and the more distant Scalpay Lighthouse and mountains of the Outer Hebrides, Skye, and mainland Scotland. It was absolutely stunning in the evening sun!
Days five and six Leaving the Shiants for Scalpay and Returning to Skye
Reluctantly, we left the awesome Shiants Archipelago on the remainder of our excellent weather window. The wind increased on the fifth night but abated for our final day returning to Tarbert and the ferry crossing back to Uig, Skye.
Concluding remarks
My SKW Shiants 2024 Expedition was magical in so many ways. It was like someone was following me around, sprinkling fairy dust. I felt so much lighter each day. Following many years of being a responsible parent, I rediscovered my old, adventurous self. I loved hanging out with my fantastic team – such a great mix of people, all strangers before the trip. So quickly, they became the easiest, most relaxed company. We shared so much humour and some of our life stories. I had forgotten what a fantastic way to travel sea kayaking is. Returning to civilisation, I was struck by the loss of this lovely, simple way of life. But I was so invigorated by this shared endeavour, one that I did not realise I needed so badly.
Looking ahead to 2025
I had such a blast in 2024 that I’m now energised and gearing up for Sea Kayaking Wales’ 2025 Expeditions!
My top pick is the Small Isles/Arisaig Expedition from May 11-16, 2025, and I’ll be joining the team in Mallaig for six days of unforgettable expedition kayaking. The Small Isles, nestled south of the Isle of Skye between the Scottish mainland and the Western Isles, boast diverse wildlife, rich history, and stunning scenery, each with its own unique charm. Arisaig, with its varied coastline, abundant wildlife, sheltered waters, and beautiful sandy beaches, is considered one of the top kayaking destinations by many paddlers.
We also have exciting base camp experiences lined up for the Slate Isles from May 17-23, 2025, and Pembrokeshire from May 25-30, 2025. Looking further afield, we’ll be heading to Arctic Norway for two 11-day expeditions in July and August 2025 and a special #ShePaddles getaway to Croatia in September 2025.
