Sunday 14th June
Blackwaterfoot to Lagg
Walk distance 12km
Cycle 0km
Height 150 m est
5 hours
Bus to start point
Total coastal distance on Arran walked 12km
Total coastal distance cycled 0
Total coastal distance driven 0
Running coastal total distance 12km
Running height climbed 150 m
This is the first trip to a Scottish Island since I decided to explorebritainwithme. I have visited one most years in the past but so far had only visited Arran for a day trip, to Lochranza, when I was about 20 years old. I remember that trip very well and so am pleased to be returning twenty years later to explore more. For now I decided to visit the main islands alphabetically. I arrived the day before taking the ferry from Ardrossan. I started off the days walk by parking the car at the post office at Lagg and after a quick coffee at the Lagg Hotel caught the bus Blackwaterfoot. The trip coincided with Arran Iron man and the bus driver passed the first few cyclists as they circled the island. Unfortunately a few cyclists were delayed as the bus tried to negotiate tight bends and other traffic.
Once at Blackwater foot I got underway. The walking is a quite a contrast to my recent Welsh coastal route. There are high cliffs , but they are set back from the shore by maybe 50 meters. Instead of walking on cliff tops, the path meanders; at times along the wave cut platform and at times on the boulder and pebble strewn beach. The platform is sometimes backed by old sea caves, showing how the land has risen over time. One is known as Preaching Cave as it was used as a chapel for a time. Mostly the walking was dry with just a few wet spots where water seeps out of the cliffs. I was fortunate with the weather as it was a clear blue sky. I was very struck by the bird life and it wasn’t long before I saw a ringed plover, an oystercatcher and then a common sandpiper. Cormorants also perched sunning themselves on rocks. I saw families of mallard as well as shelduck. Soon after leaving Blackwaterfoot I saw a seal. Unlike its Welsh counterparts this was a common seal. With a much more puppy shaped head they look more friendly and are frankly cute. This one was enjoying the sunshine and also was watching me. After Kilpatric Point I saw an otter.
I sat down to watch it. The otter was floating on its back eating something. Then it dived and came up with a crab. It took this to a seaweed bedecked rock where it demolished it, first lifting off the casing. Then it lay flat on the top of the rock in the sun. Fairly soon he or she was diving again and repeatedly took whatever it had caught to a rock. I managed to take a few photos and in the process a rock pipit landed near me so I took pictures of that too. I watched the otter for about thirty minutes, whilst eating my lunch. He didn’t seem bothered by me and most have seen me. A bit further on I saw black guillemots, some on the water and some on rocks. They are delightfully colored - striking black and white bodies with wonderful red webbed feet. On the cliffs the cry of two fulmars at a nest drew my attention. To the noise ravens were also drawn. Four raven dropped down calling, and three settled close to the nest. The ravens were then spooked, presumably by my presence, and left.
Perhaps the fulmars had a lucky escape. There then came a section of awkward walking in among overgrown brambles and also some boulder hopping. When this came to an end I was looking forward to walking on the fields ahead. However a coastal path sign took me off up a very steep tree clad cliff, that was in the process of having steps built on the path. It was quite hard to get up and a rope, presumably put up by the chaps building the path, proved quite useful, This path came out on the islands circular road. It was a change to walk on tarmac initially. The scenery was different too. With moorland and cliffs directly above and cattle pasture below. The road gradually wound and climbed to Sliddery and then back to Lagg. Once again I saw ravens, perhaps the same party. This time there five of them circling, calling and playing. As in Wales there seems to be lots of chapels.
Here I passed one by Sliddery seeming located away from the main centre of habitation. This may be because they were non conformist chapels or perhaps the people and houses associated with them have since gone. Even here though was a war memorial to those killed in WW1 and WWIII had read that southern Arran was mostly pasture for cattle. This is most definitely correct. I hadn’t appreciated that it would be so hilly and that even here moorland dominates the hinterland. The roadway was inevitably hard walking, although the views were magnificent. There was lots of red campion, foxglove and bluebells in the hedgerows. The waysides were less diverse than other remoter islands, perhaps reflecting the loss of traditional grazing and haycutting along roadsides. On Barra for instance many waysides are still grazed and they are really rich with plant life. From the road, out to sea are fine views of the volcanic plug, Ailsa Craig. Except for traffic on the road (as many cyclists as cars) I had not seen a single walker all day.
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