For a long time we doubt which destination it will be. What can be sailed well in three stages? Let's not be too distracted by wanting to be somewhere in three stages? Would it be better to change our strategy to sail in shorter stretches to a destination? We choose Scotland because it seems to be reachable in three trips and because all four of us find it the most attractive and challenging destination.

So on Friday morning, July 18th, we left the lock at Bru on our way to the Haringvliet. It's lovely warm weather and all the locks are actually there. In the afternoon, we drop anchor near the Haringvliet bridge to wait for the rush hour (then the bridge won't open) and swim in the fresh water to cool off. At 8 pm, the bridge opens and we sail to the end of the Haringvliet to spend the night there. We prefer to take the SeaQuest out to sea in daylight for the first time.

And we do that the next day around 11 o'clock. Out of the Slijkgat we head for North Scotland a little above Peterhead with the aim to sail to Inverness in one go. We effortlessly pick up the rhythm we are used to. The first day partly sailing and later in the day by motor because then the wind disappears. The big question is whether we are going to get thunderstorms at night with what effect. During Toine's evening watch he sees light flashes everywhere but it is still dry and windless. During my watch it suddenly starts raining and blowing hard and in an hour the thunderstorm pulls over us. Lots of rain, strong wind (max 42 knots), but luckily no flashes near us and little sea. After an hour everything is over again and the weather is almost windless.

On the second day it's nice and sunny again and there's not much wind so we motor on to Scotland. distance 148 nm. The boat is nice and flat on the water and it's fine to do. In the evening it will blow a little harder and what we pick up from the radio weather forecast will be the wind first right against and then turn north-east. so keep on biting. In the night it will be fine with wind force 3 against. but on the morning of the third day it will be force 4-5 against and that's a lot less fine. what shall we do? Sail out to the east coast of England? that would have to be Blyth and that's another 60 miles and not in the right direction and even a bit back. sailing high on the wind to the north doesn't feel fine either and is also in the wrong direction. so there are no good alternatives, so keep on biting. we all take the mooring position, start reading and listening to music and let the boat do the work. distance 150 nm.

Fortunately, at the end of the afternoon the wind subsides and in the evening it drops completely. On a slippery sea the last night we sail past Aberdeen and Peterhead around the corner in the direction of Inverness. And the last morning it's lovely sunny and we see lots of seals and some dolphins. We're in Inverness just in time to go through the lock on the Caledonian Canal. We're welcomed very kindly and can immediately enter the six locks through the first part of the canal. What a beautiful landscape, what friendliness, what nice weather! Wonderful to be in Scotland! We've even been badly burned! We spend the night on a pontoon in the beautiful countryside and go out for dinner (and bring our own wine).

The next day Eline and I run along the canal for breakfast and Toine rinses the boat with fresh water, as it is quite salty. Then we sail up the Loch Ness lake and the wind picks up quite a bit. Luckily from behind so we can sail well, but because of that all anchorages are lower shore and we sail on to Fort Augustus.
There it's packed at the jetty and because there's no good place for our big boat in this draught hole, we're the only ones allowed to climb up the staircase of 5 locks. A bit of passage just before the next lock and we're in a very sheltered and quiet place to spend the night. The girls even go for a swim and jump off the high lock wall.

The next day we sail a little bit to the next lake at the highest point of the canal and drop anchor there. The beautiful weather continues; it is on-Scots weather with 29 degrees and plenty of sunshine. We make it a nice day of swimming. For the night we look for a jetty after the next bridge. After dinner the girls go swimming again.

The third and last day in the canal we sail through a beautiful nature to Neptune staircase ... 8 locks in a row almost at the end of the canal at Fort Williams.
It's not crowded at all and we can get through right away. Quite an experience with a lot of viewing from the shore. We stop in front of the last lock and take a taxi into Fort Williams to eat and do some shopping. The town itself isn't very special, but handy for some provisions.

And so the first week is over and we arrived at the west coast of Scotland in seven days.