I set sail with Ross Ryan aboard his beloved boat, Sgarbh, joined by my family for a day exploring the waters around Crinan and Jura. Ross plotted a route south-west from Crinan, past Ruadh Sgeir Lighthouse in the Sound of Jura, before anchoring at Ardenal Beach for lunch and a game of boules.
Sgarbh began life in 1947 as a local fishing boat, chasing herring, later converted into a motor yacht and impeccably restored. The boat has been based in Crinan and helmed by the Ryan family for more than 40 years. Sgarbh is Gaelic for cormorant, the seabird we spotted perched on the skerries, drying their wings in the sun. Unlike many seabirds, cormorants do not have an oily layer protecting their feathers, allowing them to dive much deeper.
As we wound our way south through the Sound, we spotted a young sea eagle that had recently fledged and was practising its flight along the rocky shoreline. Later, we were treated to the sight of a fully grown white-tailed sea eagle, its eight-foot wingspan drawing gasps and cheers from us all as it swooped past the boat. The white-tailed sea eagle is the largest bird of prey in the British Isles.
Recognisable for its manicured lawn and white frontage, contrasting with the rugged countryside around it, Ross pointed out Barnhill, the small estate on the north of Jura where George Orwell lived while writing 1984. We didn’t manage to sail past the infamous whirlpool, the Corryvreckan on this trip, next time!
Ross brought us ashore into the sheltered cove and beach at Ardenal, where we played a game of boules. The competition became increasingly extreme, with the final game seeing us land the boules on an ever-shrinking island of sand as the tide raced up the beach.
The younger members of the crew had the time of their lives, with Ross giving each of them a turn at the helm. Cakes, Lego and an illustrated book of Greek myths helped keep morale up when the wind on deck became a little too much for our young sailors. We did have some drama during the voyage, with Ross having to make an about turn to save a spiderman cap that was blown off into the water.
On the return journey from Ardenal, Ross produced some fresh langoustines, providing a memorable end to our day on the water.
We rounded off the day with a wonderful dinner and stay at the Crinan Hotel, hosted by Frances Macdonald. Surrounded by her beautiful paintings, I couldn’t help feeling how special Crinan is, a place where landscape, art and history come together, each informing and complementing the other.
Frances exhibition Sea Stories opened on 3rd September 2026, while Ross Ryan is working towards his next major exhibition in February 2027.
