Passing close under the Cloch Lighthouse at Gourock signalled that Arctica was about to complete the last few miles of her summer cruise – into the River Clyde at Greenock and up to her home port of Bowling. The weather on this long final day was particularly fine, right from leaving Campbeltown in the early morning, through the Kilbrannan Sound and Kyles of Bute and up to Bowling. The cruise lasted sixteen weeks (with a 2-week gap) and covered nearly 1600 nautical miles over the route Clyde – Crinan – Mull – Coll – Barra – Eriskay – South Uist – Benbecula – Scalpay – Stornoway – Loch Laxford – Cape Wrath – Kyle of Tongue – Scrabster – Longhope – Stromness (incl Folk Festival) – Rousay – Eday – Stronsay – Sanday – Westray – Fair Isle – Shetland (Grutness and Hos Voes) – Mousa – Noss – Whalsay – Out Skerries – Fetlar – Unst – Muckle Flugga (the northernmost point of the British Isles) – Yell – Colla Firth – Lerwick – Fair Isle – Westray – Stromness – Kinlochbervie – Lochinver – Summer Isles – Gairloch – Portree – Mallaig – Canna – Arisaig – Oban – Ardinamir – Tayvallich – Islay – Mull of Kintyre – Sanda – Campbeltown – Clyde. Apart from dragging anchor through the kelp at Noss at 3.00 am, the trip passed without incident – and our thoughts are already turning to next summer……… Norway? Faeroes? Round Ireland?