The Isle of Saints. 303 



the coast of Argyleshire, between the Slate Islands and the Island 

 of Mull. Even to-day it is by no means easy of access; lying as 

 it does amid fierce tide races, and within sound of the roar of 

 Corryvrechan. 



Several attempts to visit the island, made during various 

 cruises in that district, failed owing to unfavourable weather, 

 but at last one made in July, 1910, proved successful. 



On that occasion, accompanied by another member of the 

 Society, I was returning from a cruise to Oban in a small motor 

 launch. We had anchored overnight in the little harbour of 

 Easdale ; and the weather conditions on the following morning 

 proving favourable we decided to make an effort to reach the 

 ^' Isle of Saints." A swift run down Scarba Sound on the ebb 

 tide brought us to the Island of Lunga 3 and after threading our 

 wav through the intricate strait between Lunga and the Fullah 

 Isles, we passed through a rock gateway into the open. 



In twenty years' cruising in those waters, I have few recol- 

 lections of such a perfect afternoon or one more favourable for 

 our trip. The sun shone brilliantly in an almost cloudless sky, 

 and the wide expanse of sea was unruffled by the lightest 

 ^'catspaw." Under those conditions the passage was quickly 

 made, and by four o'clock in the afternoon we were close in to 

 the island. The appearance of the Isle of Saints as one 

 approaches it is wild in the extreme. Everywhere the rock 

 •shores fall steeply into the sea, and off the coast lie lines of 

 forbidding reefs and rock islets, some rising to a considerable 

 height. In the bright summer sunshine it looked desolate and 

 grim enough ; but in stormy weather when the Atlantic breakers 

 surround it with lines of foam, its aspect must be savage in the 

 •extreme. 



The only landing place is a creek about the middle of the 

 island on the east side. On rounding a line of reefs and islets 

 we caught sight of the entrance to this, and headed the launch 

 :shoreward. Passing V)etween two walls of rock we found our- 

 selves in a sea passage, running a short way into the island, and 

 splitting into two arms; both ending in pebble beaches. We 

 ■chose the one to the left, and running the launch on the beach 

 were soon ashore. 



Eileach-na-Naombh is about a mile and a quarter in length 

 ty a quarter of a mile broad, and rises toward the south to a 



