VII
ROUND CAPE WRATH
Rona Island—Lewis and Harris in the distance.
Friday, September 5th, was perhaps the most enjoyable day of the whole cruise. We started, in magnificent weather, with the intention of steaming up the west coast to Cape Wrath, and thence eastward along the north coast to Thurso. We steered up the Inner Sound, between Raasay and Rona on the one hand, and the rugged coast of Applecross on the other. We crossed Loch Torridon, at the head of which Ben Liugach rose in calm and majestic splendour. Opposite Gairloch, we had a fine view of Ben Slioch, which overlooks Loch Maree. Still finer, however, was the view backward, where the Coolins frowned even in the sunshine—the solemn pyramid of Blaven asserting itself in presence of loftier peaks. From this rugged background the rocky ridge extended northward by the Storr rocks and the Quiraing to the extremity of the island. Toward the west, the misty outline of Lewis and Harris broke, but scarcely broke, the regularity of the horizon.
Summer Sheen—in Skye Waters.
Then we crossed Loch Broom, with its Summer Isles, and the point of Rhu-Coigach, and Enard Bay, and Loch Inver, and we began to recognise the peculiar character of the Sutherlandshire mountains. They rise abruptly to a considerable height from wide intervening valleys, and they frequently assume the sugar-loaf shape. That is the case with Suilven, ‘the sugar-loaf’ par excellence, and also with Canisp, and Ben Stack, and Foinaven near Loch Laxford.
