Arran Day 2 Brodick to Corrie - Goat Fell

Arran Day 2
Monday 15th June
Brodick to Corrie - Goat Fell

Walk distance 11km
Cycle 0km
Height 874 m
4 hours

Total coastal distance on Arran walked  23km
Running height climbed  1024 m
Total coastal distance cycled 0
Total coastal distance driven 0

Parked at car park near to the Castle

The Arran beer shop at the start looked inviting and I hoped to make time to come back and visit. The first part of the walk was a steady climb up a good forest track. It made a change to walk in a forest. There had been some clearing of trees. The resulting fresh growth of purple flowering rhododendrons and the pale green tips of sapling spruce was very striking. Even if rhododendron is an introduced plant, and a very invasive one - it is beautiful.  If I stopped for too long the midges started to home in, especially as the air was still and warm. 

Spikes of bog asphodel just emerging from the peat

Once above the forest the hills are clad in heather, both ling and bell heather. The b ell heather is already in flower.  In damper places sweetly scented bog myrtle grows.


I was pleased to find a few flowering common butterwort in bloom too. There delicate mauve heads protruding above their deadly leaves. Wildlife as so often on mountain and moorland was not obvious. But a raven obliged and sat calling nearby while near the top I saw one dive, closing its wings and dropping so fast.  The path gradually became narrower and before long it was a mix of smooth natural stone boulders and slabs as well as steps. The land is owned by the National trust for Scotland, so I assume the steps had been built by volunteers. Although dry today the numerous gullies that had been built indicated that the path could be quite wet.  Up to just below the spur leading to the steeper ascent I had not seen anyone. Then a few started to pass me on there way down. I could now see many people ahead of me looking small in the distance.  Following their progress I could now see the way up to the summit of Arran’s highest mountain, Goat Fell. Everyone greeted one another. The higher I went the more steps there were. The path made the way easy. On the downside it felt a little artificial. In some ways it was also harder on the knees as there was little variation in how you could walk.  (in fact coming down was painful).



The final steeper climb was well worth it. There were some distant low clouds but it was possible to see Jura Kintyre, Ayrshire, Bute and much of Arran. The nearby knife edge ridges were spectacular. I would like to return to walk more of these mountains. On the summit is a white trig point. There is also a direction finder showing all the features you could make out. Amazingly the wind was calm and the sun shone.




After returning the way I had come to start with, I then followed a different path down to Corrie. This was an attractive route with less people. It was only at the edge of the forest that I checked the time. I had walked for longer than I realised. My choice was to rush down to catch the next bus or to give myself three hours before the next bus. I decided on the former. The last bit was a bit too quick, so I barely had time to appreciate the roaring stream that the path followed.  The numerous horse flies failed to catch me.  Arriving on-time, and dropped off before 5pm I had time to call in at the Arran brewery shop and try a beer I had not had before. I ended up buying a case.  Spent part of a pleasant evening in the Drift Inn enjoying the view of Holy Island.