WEATHER

The weather is maritime and beguilingly variable: if you don’t like it (they say) wait five minutes. Winds can be strongly influenced by the topography. In the Sound of Mull, the wind tends to blow either up or down the channel, and particularly in light weather it is common to experience a 180° wind shift at some point.

Mean summer temperatures may be a degree or two cooler than Cornwall, but the seawater temperature all along the West Coast of Great Britain is remarkably uniform. It can be wet and windy sometimes, but equally it can be dry and sunny for weeks at a time. And when it’s good, it’s fabulous, with visibility of 60 miles quite common. Forecasts, especially the Inshore Waters forecast, are dependable, although rainfall can be very local and tends to be greater near high ground. The low-lying island of Tiree, out to the west, is one of the sunniest places in Scotland.