BLUEMOMENT

For as long as I can remember, charts of Ettrick Bay have had dire but strangely unspecific warnings against anchoring there. Underwater obstructions, they say. Does anyone know any more detail? Whatever it is doesn't seem to deter naval ships from anchoring there, and it's a heck of a big bay for the whole place to be foul.

The whole area was closed off during the second war for training purposes by both the RN and American Rangers. They used the beaches at both Ettrick and Ostel (Kilbride Bay on charts) for practising landing craft techniques and there is a memorial in front of the Royal Hotel to that fact. There is also the famous 'Tank Landing Slip' between Kames and Blair's Ferry in the West Kyle.

In Kilbride Bay there are still parts that have a lot of barbed wire sticking out of the sand - but most has been cleared.

In Ettrick bay I remember going in in my uncle's Loch Long many years ago and anchoring to go ashore for an ice cream. I don't think I've ever seen another boat anchored there. The Navy don't anchor in Ettrick Bay as far as I know, but they do anchor off just to the south before St Ninian's Bay.

Hop this helps.

Aja wrote:The Navy don't anchor in Ettrick Bay as far as I know...

Thanks. The navy do anchor there - I've seen big grey things twice this year already, and that was definitely in Ettrick Bay and not further south. I think I'll have to do a few passes with a rising tide on a calm clear day and have a look at the bottom.

ubergeekian wrote:

Aja wrote:The Navy don't anchor in Ettrick Bay as far as I know...

Thanks. The navy do anchor there - I've seen big grey things twice this year already, and that was definitely in Ettrick Bay and not further south. I think I'll have to do a few passes with a rising tide on a calm clear day and have a look at the bottom.

There were Coastguard warnings of explosions in Ettrick Bay early last season. Perhaps they were clearing away some of the rubbish referred to above.

I remember one year seeing a Swedish Military boat in there launching and recovering a submersible, and always wondered what they might have seen there... mmm

mm5aho wrote:I remember one year seeing a Swedish Military boat in there launching and recovering a submersible, and always wondered what they might have seen there... mmm

Naval ships used to anchor there regularly in the seventies - we saw them when holidaying on Bute. I wonder if there is any equipment down there to help detect the USSR submarines which were said to come sniffing around the Clyde?

Sometime when I am looking for a project I shall take Jumblie round and trawl the bottom with a small anchor on a tripping line. It can't all be foul, and it could be a nice stop on a good day.

Top tip: the café at Ettrick Bay is open year round and is really, really good. Everything is home-made and it's the only place I have found on Bute which realises that bacon tastes better when it's grilled and not dumped in a deep fryer...