The stretch of coast north of Kilchoan is remarkable in that it has no St Ayles Skiff clubs until South Skye & Lochalsh, although there is a group here at Kilchoan keen to build a skiff…
To fill this gap we are fortunate in having the skiff group ‘All Aboard Bristol’ who have towed their skiff, Roxanne, 510 miles to join us and Portsoy Coastal Rowing Club from Banffshire with one of their skiffs, Soy Loon. Their other skiff, Soy Quine, (the pink one) was away to the Falkirk Wheel for the Scottish Boat Rally on the Forth and Clyde Canal.
Mark
Tim
“Once we’re afloat and cast off I feel a disconnection with the everyday accompanied by a sense of anticipation – what will we see? What banter will be exchanged? Then the rise of the first wave or a slap from some chop. The excitement of being on the water and the greeting you get from its welcome never diminishes.”
Topher
“What I feel when I’m in a skiff is I feel at home, secure and happy. I like watching the scenery unfold and hearing the terrible jokes of my crew mates. I like hearing the water chuckling against the plank lands and if we are going fast, the frooshing noise. In waves I can feel the boat lift and fall, and I try to make my strokes fit the not very flat sea.”
Jenny
How do you feel when you are out on the water?
“Happy, exhilarated, energised, lucky! No matter how bad a day you’ve had, you leave it all behind when you get out on the water.”
Who got you into coastal rowing?
“I happened to be in Ullapool during the Worlds and decided that rowing was something I wanted to try. I joined the club and despite a 66 mile round trip for every row, I was hooked. Five years on, my passion for the sea and for rowing led to a permanent move to Portsoy.”
What do you love about the coast and waters?
“In Portsoy, the dolphins, bird life, beautiful scenery and at this time of year, the coconut scent of flowering gorse mingling with the smell of the sea. Around Arisaig…the crystal clear blue water, pristine white sand and seeing Highland cows wandering along the beach”
Sharon
How do you feel when you are out on the water?
“I feel a great connection to my father. He died when I was 21 years old, but used to take me out on the Clyde in a dinghy when I was a child. He had been a merchant seaman during WW2, on the Atlantic Convoys and loved the sea.”
Who got you into coastal rowing?
“Susan, one of the original Portsoy Skiffettes, was working on the fish van in Portsoy. I had just badly injured my knee in a riding accident, but she got me to promise to give rowing a go – once I could walk!”
What do you love about the coast and waters?
“I love that Portsoy looks like a tiny model village when you’re out on the water. I think the wild rocky coast is just beautiful and ageless. Being able to see the wild birds, seals, dolphins and on one occasion minke whales so close by is quite magical and provides a real feeling of connection with the natural world.”

Wendy
I have been rowing and coxing since March 2013 when the Portsoy Skiffettes, a group of local lasses, the close supervision of a number of male boat builders, completed the build of the Soy Quine (Quine is the Doric word for a lass or girl) and painted her a very bright pink. We are (virtually) rowing the club’s second boat, launched just six months later. Built by the men about the town, the skiff was named Soy Loon (again the Doric!) and kept to the vibrant club colour scheme, being a vivid lime green.
It has been said so many times before, but what I love about coastal rowing is the camaraderie. I have made so many new friends, not just in and around Portsoy, but along the Moray Firth and farther afield too. I love the fact that I am fitter now than I was in my 30’s, perhaps in my whole life. Occasionally, you might not feel like going out, but as soon as I am out there, I feel my mood lifting and any worries just drift away. They say that moving meditation is good for the soul, and I totally agree.”