Eyemouth to the Maiden Stone

A crisp and bright early November afternoon with a few hours to spare. A light Northerly swell and a load of plastic boats on the roof. That's the perfect recipe for an afternoon bouncing off the rocks beneath the golf course at Eyemouth.  We were paddling the last couple of hours of flood so we decided to head South towards the Maiden Stone which stands off Ross Point just South of the tiny fishing village of Burnmouth.

 

 

This large tower of sandstone was once connected to the mainland but years of natural erosion have left it detached and at high tide it is completely surrounded by the sea.  

 

 

 

On our way down we played on the swells which created lovely pour-overs on some of our favourite rock features.

 

 

 

 

 This gap can be very gnarly and has caught a few of us out in the past. Once you've surfed through the narrow exit you are usually met by another incoming swell on your beam in the wider gap. Just where Brian is sitting taking this picture.

 

Ian decided to turn round in this run after he changed his mind, probably not the best timing , at least it's wide enough to come through sideways...

 

Perfect timing this time as Ian clears the gap with ease. 

 

The washing machine on the North side of Gunsgreen Point, a tricky bit to get into and sometimes even harder to get back out. It gets very interesting at certain stages of the tide as can be seen below.

 

 

Time to get out of there Brian, the rinse cycle has just begun. 

 

 

Ian is ready and lined up for a push over this pour-over as the incoming swell covers up the rock lying across the gap.

 

 

 

Timing the swells to get behind the shallow reefs that protect the Maiden Stone from the seaward side.

 

We reached the Maiden Stone in good time and Brian decided to go for a little climb, but where's his boat  gone ? 

Ah, yes, there it is.

 

Nice parking !!!

 

Although I did find a better coffee stop on the shore just behind the rock. 

 

I don't think there's anyone in the boat,  but then again ?

 

 

 

We found a nice sheltered landing behind the rock for a quick leg stretch before we headed back to Eyemouth.

  By the time we reached Eyemouth the sun had gone down and it was a pleasure to paddle in the evening twilight. The colours in the sky were wonderful but soon disappeared when we entered Eyemouth bay. The ugly glow coming from the neon lights of the amusements on Eyemouth seafront guided us home with the smell of fish and chips wafting in the breeze.

 

 Oh well, back to reality with a bump, at least our batteries had been re-charged ready to take on the rat race for another week.