east coastnecessarily all yachts, and that the Canal is of shelter to be had inside the old harbour. from Wick to Portsoy, with the intention
usually closed for two hours either side of This is the final stopping point before being to arrive at Portsoy in time for the
low water during normal operating hours. rounding Duncansby Head, where the Scottish Traditional Boat Festival (26-27
Inverness Marina is a new, fully serviced choice is then whether to head west along June). As with much of the East Coast, this
150 berth marina located outside the canal Scotland’s northern coastline, northwards event offers a wonderful combination of new
entrance on the south side of the Firth, to Orkney and Shetland, or north east and old amidst a traditional fishing harbour,
with access available at all states of the to Scandinavia. The four main marina further complimented by excellent food and
tide. This, together with a 75 berth marina operators between Inverness and Shetland entertainment.
at Seaport just inside the canal makes have grouped together to create the Viking
an excellent base for exploring the city of Trail to encourage greater use of the new The East Coast also hosts a number of club
Inverness, or a point for arranging crew facilities and open up cruising routes to the and visitor regattas during the season, with
changeovers, taking advantage of excellent northern isles. Full details are available at the main focal point being Port Edgar on the
road, rail and air links. www.sailnorthscotland.com Firth of Forth, about 5 miles west of Edinburgh
city centre. One of the clubs largest event is
Boats which are heading on up the coast to Whilst the East Coast may be seen as a the Port Edgar Yacht Club/Lands of Loyal
Orkney or beyond need not venture up the cruising route to some sailors, for others Regatta, which usually takes place during the
Firth, but may instead head directly from it represents their home waters and as a third weekend of September (www.peyc.org.
Lossiemouth to Helmsdale where there are result there many activities which take place uk). The event attracts boats from the Moray
pontoon facilities. Alternatively, the passage during the summer months. One of the best Firth, Tayport and England as well as some
may be extended as far as Wick where known is the Moray Firth Flotilla which boats which are brought over from the Firth of
there is a new marina, which has even more usually takes place in late June. Participating Clyde. The weekend event is then followed by
new facilities planned for 2010 and plenty boats work their way down the Moray Firth an autumn and winter series.
st andrews
St Andrews is not an obvious stopping off
point for boats making their way along the
east coast. Indeed, the time window to go
alongside the old pier is very limited indeed,
and whilst there is a lock gate which can be
used to maintain levels in the inner harbour
this is rarely used and the harbour therefore
dries. However, the nearby marina at
Anstruther provides a secure haven in
which your boat can be left whilst the town
is visited from the landward side. Golf has
been played at St Andrews for over 600
years, and it is this activity for which the
town is best known. However, the town
has many other attractions including the
town centre itself, whose layout is much
the same as it was in medieval times. The
town is home to the third oldest university
in Britain, and the award winning West
Sands beach is one of the finest in Britain,
separated by sand dunes from the Links 57
courses.
bass rock
The Bass Rock lies in the eastern reaches of the Firth of Forth,
approximately one mile off the mainland and two miles from
North Berwick. The rock is currently uninhabited, but historically
has been settled by early Christian hermits before becoming
the site of an important royal castle which was often used as a
prison. The island is over 300ft high, and has vertical cliffs on
three sides. The fourth (southern) side is more gentle and is
where the remains of the 15th century castle stand. Today the
island is an internationally important bird reserve, and is home to
the largest ‘single rock’ colony of northern gannets in the world
(St Kilda has a larger colony but this over three stacks). The
scale of the birdlife is best viewed from the water, but landing
may be possible provided permission in obtained advance from
the Scottish Seabird Centre.
www.sailscotland.co.uk
East Coast.indd 7 11/12/09 13:37:30
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