Snowy Arran

Although we didn't get anything like the snow that the mainland had, we did have just enough to make Arran even more beautiful than normal. I have attached some photos to show how gorgeous the Island looked (before it all melted and turned to slush!).

Some great Arran views by our guest, Gerard Fitzpatrick

King's Cave (and guest dog, Holly)

Tuesday 24th March 2009
I was given the excuse to go across the island to the King's cave walk by the arrival of guests including Helen and her dog, Holly. Whilst the guys played golf at the famous Shiskine course, Helen, Moss, Holly and I walked along the beautiful beach at Blackwaterfoot before walking the circular route round to King's Cave. This cave (like many others across Scotland!) is reputed to be the setting of the encounter between Robert The Bruce and the Spider. We didn't encounter the descendents of either of these, but, once again, the geology students made an appearance, leaving rucksacks in all the places most likely to obscure a well-conceived photograph!

North Glen Sannox

21st March 2009
This was a spur of the moment, 'let's get out of bed and go for a picnic', type walk, fairly short as we took Moss with us. We walked alongside the beautiful waterfalls as far as the second deer fence, looking up at Suidhe Fhearghas when the clouds lifted. The arrival of spring was announced by the appearance of a number of geology students, complete with helmets and clipboards. Their rucksacks may have been bigger than mine, but at least mine contained a packet of hobnobs! (and a sausage for Mossie).

Mullach Buidhe

17th March 2009
Wow! My first walk to the top of a mountain when the weather was clear enough to see anything. What can I say? Spectacular!
On the shoulder between North Goatfell and Mullach Buidhe I saw the spot of the infamous Arran murder of a man named Rose in 1889, for which his fellow-walker Laurie was found guilty. But did he fall or was he pushed? Debate still continues about this on Arran, perhaps because more recent crimes are relatively few! If you want to read more, there is an account of the murder and trial at http://tarlton.law.utexas.edu/lpop/etext/roughead/arran.htm

Lochranza to the old salt works and Ossian's Cave

7th March 2009:

Today we were joined by Toosh and Neil for a coastal walk as the weather wasn't good enough to try a mountain walk. Toosh fulfilled his reputation as bird-spotter extroadinaire by spotting a male Hen-Harrier as soon as we got out of the car at Lochranza. We walked along the coast, via 'Hutton's Unconformity', a feature of interests to geologists as one rock strata inclines nearly vertically and is overlain by another one which is almost horizontal. This led Hutton to propose in the 18th century that the earth had developed over an immense period of time. Of immense importance maybe, but more interesting to me was the 'wee fairy bench' we saw erected at the fairy dell for the fairies to sit on - far more interesting than the inumerable other memorial benches on Arran!

After quite a scramble over boulders as the tide was in, we went into the pitch black of Ossian's cave and, by the light of a torch, could just make out the etchings on the wall. I tried not to think about a recent boulder fall we had noticed on the way and what would happen if another one took place whilst we were inside the cave! Even our sandwiches were outside!

We stopped for lunch at the old salt works, still clearly visible, before returning over the hill to Lochranza.

Goatfell

26th February 2009
Hilary fulfilled her promise to take me to the top of Goatfell as soon as the weather was good enough - it may have been good enough to get up to the top, but it wasn't good enough to see anything when we got there! It was too windy to stay at the top for long, just long enough to get a photo. As we had just started our descent, and believing ourselves to be the only people on the mountain, a young lad jogged past us listening to his Ipod, 'tagged' the top and then ran off back down again! We watched him disappear off into the distance feeling distinctly less fit than we had done previously!

Eurie Loch, Arran

6th Feb 2009:
The news is showing tremendous snowfalls across England causing traffic chaos. Here in Arran, all that we have had is enough snow to make the mountains even more beautiful than they already are. Hilary, Annie and I took the opportunity to walk up to Eurie Loch, taking the dogs with us. The views across to Holy Island were superb, but Jamesie was more interested in rolling in the snow!
The Loch was totally frozen. Had the obligatory picnic at the top; I am getting to sample all the best tea spots on the island!

New friends.......drinkers with a walking problem....

Mark, Moss and I moved to Arran on 15th December 2008 and by the 16th I had met two keen mountain walkers who promised to initiate me into the joys of the Arran mountains - and they have done just that! As they, and their dogs, will feature heavily in the following entries I'd best introduce them. Annie is on the left, and Hilary on the right. In front are Mac and Jamesie. These two are litter brothers, and both sold as pedigree Springers....but, as you can see, Mac's father was a handsome stranger! Nevertheless, he is proud to be a pedigree springer, and behaves with dignity at all times, whilst Jamesie constantly has his bum in the air whilst he searches for voles and mice which, unfortunately, he likes to eat live. Our own dog, Moss, is an old lady of 13 and not up to the mountain walks, preferring Arran's beautiful beaches instead, such as her favourite, Blackwaterfoot, shown here. Moss was handed in as a stray at just a few weeks old to a police station in Sheffield, and has come a long way to retire by the sea.