A Late March Roar

If March came in like a lamb, it's going out with a roar. We've had a northeasterly gale all day, with wind speeds - measured on my anemometer which is in the lee of a hill - gusting to Force 9, and a top speed of 83kpm (51mph) at 12.20. The gale has brought sleet alternating with stinging rain, and a temperature not above 4C all day. The snow has settled well down the flanks of Ben Hiant. Gales from that direction aren't common here.

The Yeoman Bridge (above), a bulk carrier, passed down the Sound this morning on its way to Glensanda Quarry to pick up a cargo of aggregate, chasing a small fishing boat dwarfed by the carrier's size.

The Hebridean Princess, a small, luxury cruise liner, spent the night in the lee of Ben Hiant, anchored off Mingary Castle. While the scenery, with the snow line low on the hills, is spectacular, this isn't cruising weather.

And the Clansman, a CalMac ferry which does the Oban to Coll, Tiree and Castle Bay services, came down the Sound late afternoon. She had no trouble with the wind but her smaller sister, the Loch Linnhe, which is doing the Kilchoan-Tobermory run, was blown all over the place. Being flat bottomed, a wind on her quarter is bad news. At one point, on her lunchtime sailing to Tobermory, she was knocked round through almost 180 degrees.

But the most surprising sight was this yacht, which came into Kilchoan Bay at about 5.30pm, and then turned and set off across the Sound to Tobermory. It takes a brave, or a very unimaginative sailor to be out in a small boat in this weather.

The radio reported that the A82 was closed near Tyndrum because of snow - which is excellent news for the lads who are setting off for their walk along the 96 miles of the West Highland Way tomorrow, in aid of Kilchoan Playpark (site here). At least those of us tucked up warm at home will sleep soundly in the knowledge they're earning their sponsorship money.