"What's for breakfast?" - A Trip to Arran

The following took place on the first day of our holiday to Argyll and the islands in 2005. To begin the trip we decided to go via the beautiful island of Arran...

well recommended to everyone that visits Scotland! I hope you enjoy the tale!

From Livingston to Ardrossan and the ferry to Arran
It’s an early start to the morning so we can catch the first ferry to Arran. So at 4 the alarm goes off and the temptation to switch it off, roll over and go back to sleep is so strong that it almost happens! We want to hit the road by 5 though so I guess its time to get up and spend the next 30 minutes trying to wake up. Easier said than done, but somehow we all manage to get up, get ready and get out – almost on schedule as well!

The advantage of the early start is the lack of traffic on the roads, especially the M8. If there are any other advantages then please let us know! At least it looks like it’s going to be a nice day, even with the mist rolling over the ground. Glasgow even looks nice in the early morning sun… did I really say that?

With time on our side we decide to take the scenic route around the coast and soon the River Clyde starts to widen and we spot Dumbarton Castle perched upon its rock on the other side. No time to stop now for any photos – we will have to come back this way for that! The roads are still very quiet, which helps when we make our first wrong turn of the day in Greenock heading for Gourock instead of staying on the A78. We’ve soon got that sorted out and head south to Ardrossan.

The Clyde islands are all coming into view now and among them is our first destination – Arran itself! We arrive at Ardrossan by 6:20 to book in for the 7am ferry and to begin with it looks like we’re not even booked on. However, it turns out we are, but this won’t be the first problem we have with CalMac (more about that later). Right on time the boat leaves for what is a very pleasant trip across the water and the boys watch for the jelly fish. Goat Fell, the highest hill on Arran, dominates the view straight ahead although Ailsa Craig is also visible to the south, if not totally clear. Soon Brodick Castle also comes into view.

We arrive in Brodick before 8am – so far so good – and now we are all ready for some breakfast. So we set off from Brodick, heading south around the island. Along the way we stop at Lamlash Bay, overlooking the Holy Isle, and in the south to get some photos of Pladda. Southern Kintyre and Sanda Island soon come into view followed soon after by Davaar Island and Campbeltown, our destination for later. Blackwaterfoot is our destination for now as stomachs are definitely grumbling making breakfast a priority! Even now, after 9, it still seems too early for the cafés to open although we could have stopped to buy a carpet or anything the butcher in Lamlash had to offer! After some time spent on the beach at Blackwaterfoot we finally get something to eat at the Shiskine Golf Tearoom which opened at 10!

Once fed we make our way back to the car at Blackwaterfoot and then head back to Brodick across the String Road! It’s amazing watching Goat Fell gradually come into view and of course we have to stop a couple of times for photos. The view back the way we came is stunning, looking over towards Kintyre, as is the view down towards Brodick Bay and the Ayrshire coast beyond that.

Then we’re back in Brodick, which may be seen as another wrong turn as it is the castle we plan to visit. First, we need to get some petrol to see us back round the island later and onto the mainland again. With the price of petrol on Arran we decide half a tank will be more than enough – and are prepared to push the car later if proved wrong (though I omitted to tell anyone that)! So, with petrol taken care of, we head to the other side of Brodick Bay and the castle itself.

Brodick Castle is set within grounds with its own garden on the edge of a country park that includes Goat Fell – all in the care of the National Trust for Scotland. So even within this small part of Arran there is a lot to see and do, including a number of walks around the park.

After the castle we take another drive round the south of the island – at a more leisurely pace this time. Its amazing how, in just a few hours, everything looks different. Maybe it is due to the mist lifting or maybe it is because the sun is higher in the sky throwing the shadows in different directions. It might even be due to the simple fact that we are now awake and we are taking a lot more in!

Our first stop on this tour of the island is the Torrylinn Creamery, in Kilmory, to buy some cheese – after sampling it of course. It is also possible while there to see the cheese being made, although that may not be to everyone’s taste.

Back on the road again we once more pass through Blackwaterfoot. After an aborted attempt to see the King’s Cave we decide that our next stop will be the beach and head for Machrie Bay. We change into our shorts and head down onto the sand, but soon we are paddling in the Firth of Clyde – or more accurately the Kilbrannan Sound between Arran and Kintyre. If it wasn’t for the jelly fish swimming round us we would probably have spent more time in the water. However, stomachs are once more beginning to complain and we make our way back to the car and into dry clothes.

We end up at Catacol, at the hotel beside the Twelve Apostles, for a meal and a drink – a nice dram for me and soft drinks for everyone else (well it was my birthday after all). However, the heat and the flies tell us its time to get going again and we head for our final destination on Arran – Lochranza! Here we are spoilt for choice with the view over the bay and across the water to Kintyre as well as the castle and – our first distillery to visit!

The castle is our first stop and, despite believing it to be locked (with a key available in the local shop) it turns out the gate is open. There isn’t much to see inside, but it is worth a visit anyway. Next stop is the distillery for a look at what they have to offer before we make our way to the ferry for Claonaig on the mainland. Soon we are on that ferry and leaving Arran behind us, although that means there are more photo opportunities!

We know this was not quite a complete tour of the island and, as is obvious, our limited time on the island means there is still so much we have to see. We will return at a later date, for more than one day, to see the rest. Of course, from the mainland, down the eastern side of the Kintyre peninsula, there are plenty chances to view Arran and, as we had decided to follow the B842 from Claonaig to Campbeltown, the island we had recently left was still very much in sight. Ailsa Craig soon comes into sight as well as does Davaar Island meaning Campbeltown is just round the corner.

From Campbeltown we head west towards Macrihanish where we will be camping for the next four days with our accommodation being a wigwam! From the campsite there is a great view across to the islands of Islay and Jura, with the Paps of Jura being particularly prominent. Our first night there offers us a great sunset over the first of these islands – the perfect end to a perfect first day of our holiday!