Rat Island for the Strangford Quest.
Back in 2010 on a bothy trip to Salt Island with Big Al I decided to start my Quest to land on all the islands in Strangford Lough. On that trip I landed on Rat, Shones and Midge, but I did not have my camera, so no photographic evidence. Over this winter I have been preparing the first draft of my intended book, A Canoeists Guide to Strangford. I realised I had no photos of these islands, time for another trip.
With a forecast calm day with more sun as the day progressed and the high tide at 5pm I set off for a 2pm launch on the road to the south of Killyleagh. The plan was to paddle out to Rat then on to Gores to look at the old buildings there, on round to Shones, up the inside of Gores to the ford, and across to Midge, then a final run back to the car.
Map
The set off from the Shore Road
Approaching Rat Island
Rat Island is a long low grass island used for bird roosting and I assume for nesting.
After Rat I paddled over to Gores Island as I remembered an old ruined farmhouse with the remains of a tennis court.
As I walked up the old garden I found two concrete outhouses but no ruins of a farmhouse.
And the remains of the tennis court.
Then I found the remains of a mobilehome chassis. I was wrong about the farmhouse, some past landowner had put a holiday home here and, as a keen tennis player, had made a tennis court.
Rat as viewed from Gores
Brent geese on the north end of Gores
Approaching Shones
Shones is a very small grass island used as a bird roost, it has a strange water tank or maybe a bird shooting hide built on it.
After a long paddle into wind a tea stop on the track into Gores.
On Castle Island at the start of the causeway to Gores
I liked this tree on Castle Island
Gibbs Island is not an island as it is attached to the mainland by an isthmus, It does have a good walk around it.
Approaching Midge.
On Midge looking at Gibbs.
Midge from the shore at Delamont Park
Departing Midge for the long run downwind back to the car, did the wind die down, of course it did.
A successful mission to get photos of the missing islands for my Quest.
With a forecast calm day with more sun as the day progressed and the high tide at 5pm I set off for a 2pm launch on the road to the south of Killyleagh. The plan was to paddle out to Rat then on to Gores to look at the old buildings there, on round to Shones, up the inside of Gores to the ford, and across to Midge, then a final run back to the car.
Map
The set off from the Shore Road
Approaching Rat Island
Rat Island is a long low grass island used for bird roosting and I assume for nesting.
After Rat I paddled over to Gores Island as I remembered an old ruined farmhouse with the remains of a tennis court.
As I walked up the old garden I found two concrete outhouses but no ruins of a farmhouse.
And the remains of the tennis court.
Then I found the remains of a mobilehome chassis. I was wrong about the farmhouse, some past landowner had put a holiday home here and, as a keen tennis player, had made a tennis court.
Rat as viewed from Gores
Brent geese on the north end of Gores
Approaching Shones
Shones is a very small grass island used as a bird roost, it has a strange water tank or maybe a bird shooting hide built on it.
After a long paddle into wind a tea stop on the track into Gores.
On Castle Island at the start of the causeway to Gores
I liked this tree on Castle Island
Gibbs Island is not an island as it is attached to the mainland by an isthmus, It does have a good walk around it.
Approaching Midge.
On Midge looking at Gibbs.
Midge from the shore at Delamont Park
Departing Midge for the long run downwind back to the car, did the wind die down, of course it did.
A successful mission to get photos of the missing islands for my Quest.