Thursday 18th June
Sannox to Lochranza
Walk distance 15.5km
Cycle 0km
Height 119 m
5 hours
Total coastal distance on Arran walked 54km
Running height climbed 1478 m
Total coastal distance cycled 0,
Total coastal distance driven 0
Enjoyed the drive over the narrow mountain road to Lochranza, a pass with steep drops and views of Arran’s peaks. Once parked up I had a chilly wait at a bus stop. Poorly designed with only one side so the wind whipped through it. I stood outside in the lee of it to avoid the wind. The bus took me back over the pass to Sannox. Sadly the open signs for the cafe were a lie. The walk started off across stepping stones across a small river, then followed some beeches. Here I found tadpoles in shallow rock pools above the high tide and also butterwort growing in crevasses in the sand, proving that peat is not needed to grow carnivorous plants in. The path then crosses a bigger river and skirted a large plantation, following a newly laid forestry track. There were huge stacks of timber and hundreds of yards of winch cable lying on the track. One tractor and trailer laden with timber passed me. Then I passed about eight foresters caravans on the beach. This was forestry on a massive scale. A couple told me how the path was ruined. I had little sympathy. Much of the time it may seem like a tranquil place, and people probably think it natural. Folk do not realise this is industry, the trees are all planted and they are walking through a factory floor. In order to harvest the timber the ground gets disturbed. Rather like modern intensive agriculture, intensive forestry is disastrous for wildlife. When operations happen it looks even more terrible. But unlike agriculture there has been a real move to have sympathetic forestry in recent decades, e.g. not planting on watercourses and planting native species.
I then came across the crux of the operation. Complete clear fell of conifers. The entire hill side bare, trees were being winched down by enormously long cables mounted to a crane, anchored into rock on the shore. The trees arriving at the base of the slope were grabbed by a 360 and stripped of branches and cut to length. There was even a slip way for a boat to pick up the timber. It did look devastating. But what replaces it will be better than the early stile forestry plantings. The Forestry Commission is one of the most valuable assets we have. Long may it last. After the works were passed it suddenly all seemed natural. I passed several caves including one with a sleeping bag hanging up in it. It was a perfect setting and faced away from the wind. The wave cut platform here was narrow so it looked less useful for grazing and I thought there was no sign of human activity. A real surprise was a boarded up cottage, with no access road, in the middle of nowhere, much further along the coast. This is in an absolutely beautiful setting, backed by huge hills with a small burn and right on the beech. No electricity here. A bit further on and more signs of people. A ruined salt factory, pits and buildings as well as a grind stone. On the hill side were stone walls. No where has escaped human interaction. Then gradually the grassland strip narrowed as I approached the headland. All this time the wind had been directly on me, and without sun it felt cold. A few times a shower passed through.
I didnt see much wildlife today. Perhaps the strong wind put it off. The forecast had been for a north westerly. I chose the walk because most of the route would be sheltered. But the wind was north easterly. After rounding the headland I pressed on looking forward to getting out of the wind. Gradually meadows opened up. A number of woodlands had been passed. Within these an indigenous whitebeam grows. I did see it in flower in the distance. With my head down I failed to notice the famous geological unconformity named after Hutton, until I saw a sign a mile on. I decided I could survive without it. I arrived in Lochranza just as rain came on hard. Besides the beauty if the loch, castle and older buildings; I found it a dreary soulless place. Big houses with inappropriate names like Croft. Huge ugly deer fences protected bland mown lawns. Sadly tipped garden waste below the public water front was almost certainly from the big houses. Sad people trash in such a beautiful place. A village with no proper pub or shop. More like so many cotswold villages. But more bus stops and post boxes than necessary! The castle was interesting though.
I must balance this up by saying that Lamlash where I was staying is a delightful village with lots of amenities. Also in every shop, bar or restaurant I went in I found lovely friendly staff.
