Glen Coe skiff launches wit
Coastal rowers at Glen Coe Boat Club had an ‘oar’some time on Saturday launching their new skiff.
Corrag, named after the witch of Glen Coe, took to the water in good company in front of a big crowd of well-wishers and three visiting skiffs from Loch Awe, Appin and Seil who raised their oars out on Loch Leven in her honour.
The community skiff also got a special blessing from parish priest Father Roddy Johnston.
Try-a-row sessions were a big hit with visitors – as was the fine free feast laid on by new Ballachulish business Stiff Peaks.
Club commodore Angus MacInnes got delayed on an oil rig out at sea so his opening speech had to be read out by John Allen.
The Corrag project took four years and two months to complete; a boatshed also had to be purchased and built first.
Retired submariner and former Glen Coe Boat Club commodore David Southcott spent hundreds of hours building the skiff from scratch with help from club members.
He was at the launch with wife Christina, who carried out the official naming ceremony with a whisky toast.
David said: ‘The first few months after Gordon MacIntyre first suggested we build our own skiff were just too cold to make a start because it was in a January.
‘Then after we finally got going and largely had her finished we were hit by lockdown so she spent another two years in the shed just sat unpainted and waiting for this proud moment.
‘When this year came we said let’s go for it and make it happen - and with the help of volunteers we did just that!
‘It’s been wonderful to have so many people with us for the launch and to have the support of other coastal rowing clubs who spurred us on.’
Accomplished piper and wind instrumentalist Duncan MacKinnon from Killin, who is also a GCBC member, was joined by well-known vocalist and accordionist John MacMillan on the music stage adding to the event’s lively proceedings.
David said: ‘A huge thank you to everyone who came to the launch and helped with Corrag’s launch. I hope word will get round about her.
‘We have four communities of Onich, Ballachulish, Tigh Phuirt and Kinlochleven – everyone is welcome to come and try it out. I hope it’s going to be a big success with them all; I’m sure it will be.’
Corrag is a 16ft St Ayles skiff, designed to be rowed by a team of four people with a cox to steer.