An Arran Amble - the wild coast

We were woken early by the dawn chorus of birds on the wooded hillside above our camp near the  Cock of Arran.  After breakfast we got on the water for 7am on what looked to be a grey and misty morning.  Almost as soon as we were underway we were treated to a close view of an Otter; one of several during the day.  We saw Otters on each of the five days of this journey around Arran, they do seem to like the habitat here.

A little farther along the coast we passed Laggan, a private cottage belonging to the estate and which can be hired, though the only ways to reach it are by boat or by a rough footpath from Lochranza.

There was almost no wind during our journey along the wild north coast of Arran; a real bonus as the wind had been strong from the north for the previous few days.  The absence of wind and swell gave us a leisurely paddle and the opportunity to absorb the atmosphere of this special part of Arran.  Of all the sections of the Arran circumnavigation, this stretch from Newton Point near Lochranza around to Brodick (the northeastern section) was my favourite.  There is no road here and the island drops steeply to the sea, while the views across to Bute and beyond to the Argyll hills are enchanting.  It's everything a wild coast should be....and astonishingly it's just 60 kilometres from the very centre of Scotland's largest city.

A couple of kilometres beyond Laggan is Millstone Point, a boulder beach backed by crags.  On the shore is an almost intact millstone which looks to have been damaged while being prepared for transport - it's easy to imagine what the reaction of the stonemason might have been when the stone he'd painstakingly shaped was broken at the last moment!  Not easy to spot from the shore, it's worth landing here if you can to find this and possibly other relics.

The next point of interest on this superb stretch of coast is the prosaically named Fallen Rocks.  My image does the tumble of boulders little justice, the blocks are about house sized and have come right down the 200 metre slope.  The rockfall is on a contact zone between millstone grits and the conglomerates and sandstones of Arran's east coast. Alternate bands of pebble studded conglomerates and warm brown sandstone can be clearly made out in the blocks, evidence of an arid climate alternating with devastating floods in the distant past.  Local tradition has it that this rockfall occured during an earthquake sometime around the 17th century and the noise could be heard on the Isle of Bute.  Near to the rockfall is a set of beacons arranged vertically up the hillside; one of a pair marking the "measured mile" used by ships to establish their maximum and service speeds after building - I've several times been on ships which have completed runs of this mile.

The view beneath our boats into the clear water was absolutely stunning, but as we rounded the next point and started to head south........

.....a wider and more dramatic view opened up above the water.

An Arran Amble - weathering the Cock

As we paddled out of Loch Ranza towards Newton Point, the rain simply pelted down.  Visibility was dramatically reduced and background noise was drowned out in the static roar of raindrops hitting the water - and us.

There's something quite nice about paddling in heavy rain like this; snug in drysuits and enclosed in boats we stayed dry and comfortable through 40 minutes of torrential downpour.  The rain certainly flattened out the sea surface; we'd been expecting difficult conditions here as the wind had been from the north for the previous two days, but we passed this potential crux point with no difficulty.  Remarkably, the rain stopped, the sky cleared and the sun came out just as we....

....arrived at our intended camping site at the ruined settlement of Cock.  Named after the nearby point of Cock of Arran, the tiny inlet we landed at has some scattered ruins which we were keen to explore once we got our tents pitched.

In the early 18th century a deposit of low grade coal was discovered here, and despite the somewhat confined and unpromising location, the Duke of Hamilton decided to try and establish a salt works.  He already owned a large and successful salt enterprise based at Bo'ness on the Forth and imported some workers from there to establish the works.  The coal was used to boil seawater in a large "pan" located in a building close to the shore in order to extract the salt.  The other ruins here are of buildings and shelters for the salters.  Several water filled depressions are believed to be collapsed mine workings and there is the ruin of what appears to have been a water mill.  The venture operated between 1710 and 1735 before the coal was exhausted and is a good example of many such small scale saltworks around the coast.

This day of our journey had an amazing variety of weather.  Having been in strong wind, cold showers then pelting rain we now were baked in an enervating heat as the afternoon sun broke through.  There were a couple of heavy showers as we collected firewood and sorted our kit, which gave us a neat excuse to take a small rest in the tents- we may even have closed our eyes briefly!  We were grateful for a small breeze which arrived and kept the midges at bay.

We took a good look around the ruins before lighting our fire and starting dinner.  This could never have been anything other than a hard place to carry out coal mining and salt panning, particularly given the restricted space between the shore and the steep hillside above.

There is little left here to mark the labours of those 18th century workers, nature is fast reclaiming the site.

Our view to the west was to the mouth of Loch Fyne, where there appeared to be some pretty intense weather happening......

Fortunately it seemed to avoid us and we enjoyed a comfortable last evening of the journey.  Our four campsites had in some ways been very different, but all had been enjoyable.  There is no better way to connect with the landscape through which one travels than sleeping out on it, and our wild camps had been a highlight of the trip.

An Arran Amble - against the wind

We slept well, our camp site was neatly sheltered from the wind.  I was aware of squalls passing through overnight and the first glance out of the tent confirmed that the morning would be quite a contrast to the calm and clear evening.  Although the weather was grey and frankly unpromising we were on the water by a little after 7 am.  Right from the start we paddled against a stiff headwind with only minimal shelter from the Arran shore.

As the morning progressed the cloud lifted somewhat and although it was still windy there was colour and interest in the view. 

We took a break at Pirnmill, mainly to stretch our legs as the next section of the paddle would offer few opportunities to land.  On a personal level, this section from Whitefarland Point up to Catacol was the least engaging of the entire trip.  The road is close to the shore for the entire way and the views seem to recede somewhat.  Paddling against the wind was undoubtedly an additional factor but I did find the morning a bit of a grind.

We were aware that the wind out in the Kilbrannan Sound seemed to be easing and as we passed Thundergay there was a final gust and the wind fell almost completely still.  We were grateful for the relief from what had been a fair effort and made good progress up towards Catacol.  The breeze got back up briefly and strongly as we rounded the corner into Catacol Bay, then died again as we arrived on the shore near the outflow of the burn for a rest stop.  Amazingly, the sun came out just as we landed in a small lagoon - but so did the midges!  After a short stop with the blighters eating more than we did ourselves, we moved on.....

The main feature of Catacol (a Norse derived name meaning "valley of the cat") is a row of cottages known as " The Twelve Apostles".  Built between 1850 and 1860, they were intended to house folk cleared from inland crofts to make way for sheep.  There was considerable resistance to living in the row, possibly because the rents would have been comparable to the dispossessed croft ground and there was little land to cultivate nearby.  The cottages were known locally as "Hunger row" at this time.  A closer look reveals that although the cottages are very similar, each of the twelve upper windows is different.  A local story is that the folk who eventually lived here took to fishing the Kilbrannan Sound, and wives could light a lamp in the window when they wanted their menfolk to return - the men would be able to make out which house had the lamp lit from the window configuration.  Make of that what you will!........

Meantime, luncheon was calling to us with increasing insistence and we paddled into Loch Ranza as a shower of rain passed through.  It seemed no time at all since we'd last paddled into the loch following a magical crossing of the Kilbrannan Sound.  We pulled up the boats in front of the Lochranza Hotel and walked up, hoping for a bar meal.  The inside of the hotel is very nice and has soft upholstered seats - we were in drysuits!  We managed to extricate all but our lower legs and sat down to a rather excellent seafood lunch.

When we returned to the boats to get back on the water, we had to hurry back into our drysuits - the sky to the north east was an ominous purple-black and the temperature was markedly dropping.  Also dropping was the first of the rain as we headed back out of Loch Ranza......

An Arran Amble - Kilbrannan sunset

Good wild camping spots are surprisingly difficult to find around Arran's coast.  For much of the way public roads hug the shore and where good spots might be found it's often the case that the shoreline is rocky or bouldery.  Beaches which appear ideal at high water often turn out to have difficult boulders or reefs at lower tidal staes.  We managed to find a good spot though, a green area fronted by a tiny beach which was accessible at all states of the tide.

As a bonus, the shore had lots and lots of driftwood for a fire - just 15 minutes collecting gave us more than enough for the evening.

With our fire lit below the tideline and our dinner underway we had time to relax and enjoy our surroundings.  The only sounds were the calls of shorebirds and a gentle lapping of the water on the shore.  It looked like we'd be treated to a good sunset too.

We put potatoes in tinfoil to bake in the embers of the fire and poured a small dram of Mike's 15 year old Dalwhinnie to accompany our supper and......

...a graceful sunset beyond the Kintyre shore.  Life felt particularly good!

As the afterglow of the sunset washed the sky over the Kilbrannan Sound with colour....

We made a last check on the boats before retiring for the night.  The following day's forecast was for fresh to strong north or northeasterly winds with a complex meteorological mix of nearby fronts affecting the weather.  It all promised to make our passage to the second potential crux point of our journey around Arran rather interesting.......

An Arran Amble - best buns on the beach!

As we pushed on up Arran's west coast we were paddling into a steady F4 headwind.  We switched down into "low gear" paddling and found that we could make satisfactory progress despite the wind, we were in no hurry and besides, the scenery was pretty good!

We stopped at Machrie Bay for a short rest on the warm coloured sand.  Even with the breeze it was a very nice afternoon and much better than the day we'd expected given the grey and blustery weather of the early morning.  Once back in the boats and underway, we hadn't paddled very far at all when something caught our eye on the shore road........

A white painted building on the roadside a little back from the beach had flags fluttering in the breeze and what looked like folk sitting on a terrace outside.  The OS map shows a golf course clubhouse here, but we rather thought it looked like an establishment which could provide third luncheon!

We landed on the sandy beach and I went a little way up to confirm that our hopes were correct.  There were indeed folk enjoying food and drink on the terrace.  Without further ado we carried the boats a little way up the beach from the rising tide and set off.

                                                                           Photo by Douglas Wilcox - seakayakphoto.com

"Machrie Bay" is indeed still a golf clubhouse but there is also tennis, a children's play area and a rather excellent coffee shop.  To get to it from the beach, it's necessary to cross a golf fairway, so we took care to look both ways.  There were cyclists, families and tourists enjoying the sunshine and the views from both the terrace and an airy inside room.  Since it was now so far past first luncheon to qualify we decided that this would be first tea.

The selection of home cooked local food and cakes all looked very, very good - but being sea kayaking athletes (.....) we decided upon a healthy option of carrot cake. We can report that the carrot cake was outstanding, the coffee likewise and the welcome for three rather windswept paddlers in kayak gear was warm and friendly.  "Machrie Bay" is open all year, rather than just seasonally - we heartily recommend a stop if you happen to be passing on land or on the water.  The sign above the door reads "The Best Buns on the Beach" and we absolutely agree!

We enjoyed just sitting in the sunshine with our coffee, but kept glancing towards the beach and the rising tide.  All too soon we judged it time to head back, arriving at the boats just as the tide did, so saving any lifting of laden kayaks after our cake......  It was now late afternoon and time to continue our journey up the coast to our intended camp for the night.

An Arran Amble - three havens

From Corriecravie we continued our journey northwards up Arran's west coast. The wind had thankfully dropped a notch and was now F4 from the northeast. Although we'd get some shelter from the bulk of Arran, the funnelling effect of the Kilbrannan sound would mean that we'd be paddling into whatever wind there was for the remainder of the day. At some point, paddling into the general northeasterly airflow would be inevitable if we wanted to paddle right around the island, we hoped that our plan to go clockwise would minimise our exposure to the worst of some forecast stronger wind.

For the time being the breeze dropped nicely as we paddled across Drumadoon Bay towards Blackwaterfoot, where we planned to take first luncheon on the beach to the west of the village.  Nearing the shore, we got a cheery wave from a young family we'd met the previous evening at Kildonan, travelling in an immaculately restored 1974 VW camper van.  They were on their own adventurous journey during which they planned to cross to Kintyre, then visit Islay and Jura - what a great trip!

Before we headed to the beach we investigated the outflow of the Clauchan Water where, improbably, there's a tiny harbour tucked in just to seaward of the bridge.  It must have been a really sheltered haven for the fishermen who ran small boats from here.

At the bridge itself, one reaches the definitive limit of navigable water!  Exploring these small diversions always adds interest to a journey.......

We took our luncheon on this fine sandy beach.  It's an ideal spot and one of Arran's few sandy beaches; most of the coast being rocky or pebble beach.  Perhaps that's why it's so popular with dog walkers, some of whom have a proprietorial approach to the whole beach and don't seem to mind if their dogs "examine" boats and lunch containers.......

The western end of the beach marks the south west corner of Arran and the remarkable geological and historical feature of Drumadoon.  This impressive outcrop was formed when volcanic lavas were injected horizontally between the bedding planes of the older Devonian and Carboniferous sedimentary rock.  The sedimentary rock has been eroded away leaving the harder lava as a "sill".  Bennan Head was formed in the same manner as Drumadoon and is a very similar rock type.

Drumadoon is an anglicisation of "Druim na Duin" (ridge of the fortress) and there are remains of a very large Iron Age hill fort on the flat summit of the Doon, some 400 metres by 170 metres and enclosing an area of 12 acres.  The presence of many hut circles and other remains to the north and east of the Doon suggests that it was probably in use as a tribal centre - a haven much older than the harbour at Blackwaterfoot.

There is a golf course at the base of the outcrop which has a reputation as one of Scotland's more scenic courses, while a combination of rare lichens and a colony of nesting Fulmars inhabit the steep western face.

The wind increased markedly in the vicinity of Drumadoon Point, as is often the case with headlands, even quite small ones.  We had a stiff paddle for a couple of kilometres, but gradually the "corner" effect of the wind subsided.  The scenery ashore was very engaging, as was the view below our boats; a combination of great clarity in the water, bright sunlight and strong contrast on the sea bed made for a colourful sight.

A couple of kilometres north of Drumadoon is King's Cave - one of a series of caves in the soft sandstone rock (another of Arran's quick-fire geological changes here!).  The caves are 8 metres above the present day high water mark on the level of the raised beach which runs right around Arran, a result of the land rising once released of the weight of ice during the last Ice Age.

The cave contains carvings of animals and other symbols, dating from the Iron Age through early Christian times to (unfortunately) modern graffiti.  To protect against further damage, King's Cave itself is closed by a bars set into the rock, though the others are accessible.

There's a tradition, backed up by early carvings, that the caves were used by Christian hermits.  In more modern times the King's Cave was used to hold an 18th century meeting of the Kirk session, and in the 19th century it was used a school.  King's Cave has been a haven down the centuries, but the least likely person to have sought shelter here is the King after which the cave is named - Robert Bruce.  The story goes that this was the cave in which the efforts of a spider building a web convinced the Bruce to make another effort for the Scottish crown whilst a fugitive.  There are several caves which claim this distinction, but in fact the most likely candidate isn't in Scotland, it's on Rathlin Island off the Antrim coast.

On our journey up Arran's west coast we'd already encountered three havens from the past - we were about to encounter an unexpected haven of much more immediate benefit!

An Arran Amble - driven around the bend....

After lunch at the Kildonan Hotel we got our tents pitched on the "Seal Shore" commercial camp site adjacent to the hotel. The rates here are very reasonable, the showers excellent and the ability to walk straight from the beach onto the tent area is a bonus for sea kayakers. We left our boats on the shore above the high water mark and although the site was fairly busy, being aBank Holiday weekend, they were absolutely safe from interference.

We took an afternoon walk west along the coast to explore the sights of Kildonan  before returning to the hotel for a very pleasant dinner and some rehydration. During the late afternoon and early evening we watched the development of a entertaining looking tidal overfall which extends from Kildonan out in an arc to Pladda and caused by a shallow reef running between shore and island.

Although the campsite was busy with families and was fairly lively during the evening, all was quiet by 2230 and we all got a reasonable amount of sleep before being periodically woken by the passage of strong squalls and heavy rain which swept in from the northeast......this did not bode well for the morning's paddling!

We were up early and packed away before any other campers had emerged.  It was still windy though the rain had died away and we felt that there had been a bit of a drop in the wind speed.  Our planning had paid off in that we would have the wind at our backs during the first part of the day, and the flood tide would be just about in its last hour, dropping to slack water as we approached the first of two crux points in the Arran circumnavigation.

Out on the water we had no particular need to paddle - the wind at our backs was a solid F5 with sustained higher gusts.  the camera came out only in the lulls in the wind and, as ever, the images don't convey the wind speed!  We were making 4km/h using just ruddering strokes as we approached Bennan Head, the southernmost headland on Arran.  The location seemed perfectly suited to the weather; wild and imposing.

The headland itself is a dramatic crag rearing out of the sea with a large cave at its foot.  We were driven past here by the wind at a spanking pace, and as we passed the headland......

...yet another impressive view opened up with a burn cascading down a cleft in the clffs, taking two bounds over rock sills on its way to the sea.  After passing Bennan Head we came into some shelter, but with the wind still on our quarter.  It's difficult to stay close inshore on this coast as basalt dykes reach out into the sea like long bony fingers for several kilometers.  We had an intruiging sighting here - we saw an Eagle but at a fair distance and we remain unsure whther it was a Golden or White Tailed Eagle.

We paddled on as the greyness of the early morning gave way to brighter conditions, and headed for Cleats Shore in order to take first breakfast.  We had hoped to explore the ruined chapel above the shore, but elected not to because of nesting Ringed Plovers on the shingle just above the tideline - their eggs and chicks are very vulnerable to predation and also very difficult to see when walking across the shingle.

The threat of predation was brought shockingly home to us as we arrived on the beach.  A pair of Shelducks were escorting their brood of tiny ducklings, still at the "clockwork" stage, through the gaps in the rocks as we neared the beach and we held off to allow them space.  As we were enjoying the spectacle, there was a sudden crash and a Great Black Backed Gull smashed into the middle of the party, snatching a duckling and swallowing it whole as it took back to the air, pursued by an irate Shelduck drake.  It was a distressing sight - more so because the Shelduck's attention may have momentarily been on us rather than the aerial threat - and a reminder of how raw nature can be.

A much more pleasant sight was the Otter female and cub who popped up as we ate breakfast, not ten metres from us.  The expression on the mother's face was priceless and both Otters moved away a bit before surfacing again to check us out.

It had been an eventful morning and it was only just after 0800!  We'd really had a great and exhilarating passage around Bennan Head and were grateful we hadn't had to paddle against the wind, or to deal with wind against tide conditions.  The west coast of Arran now stretched away to the northeast in front of us.

Moving on from Cleats Shore we paddled steadily along past the wonderfully named Slidderywater Foot to Corriecravie, where Douglas had a particular interest in the green croft fields.

An Arran Amble - seeing the light on Pladda

Pladda, the name comes from Old Norse and means "flat isle", is just 11 hectares in area but boasts its own natural water supply and the splendid Stevenson lighthouse.  The original light was constructed in 1790 and was the first Clyde light to be commissioned by the Commissioners of the Northern Lights (later to become the Northern Lighthouse Board).  To distinguish Pladda from the nearby lights at Mull of Kintyre, Cumbrae and Copeland (Northern Ireland coast) a second light was shown from a lantern 20 feet below the main light.  This arrangement operated for about 100 years.

The main structures of the Pladda light date from 1820 and were constructed under the supervision of Thomas Smith of the Stevenson company.  In 1901 it was decided that fixed lights were no longer sufficient for the great landfall and main coastal lights, so here as elsewhere a powerful group flashing light was installed. Pladda displays 3 white flashes every 30 seconds - but not from the original lantern.....

A hallmark of Stevenson lighthouses is an attention to detail and precision in everything.  Lines are almost always bold and striking, perhaps a reflection of the discipline and care required of both engineers and of the keepers who would attend the great lights.  "The Lighthouse Stevensons" written by Bella Bathurst is a really interesting account of the construction of some of the hallmark sea-lights and also gives an insight into the lives of the keepers.

The modern plaque at the base of the main tower bears the crest of the Northern Lighthouse Commisioners and the motto "In Salutem Omnium" - For the Safety of All.



 

The last of the lighthouse keepers at Pladda left in 1990 when the light was automated.  As at other stations, the main infrastructure is well maintained but there's a sense of faded order and gradual decline.

 Pladda was about the third Scottish light to be fitted with a foghorn, and the arrangement is a real feature of the station.  The horn itself points out to the outer Firth of Clyde and was capable of being trained through an arc by way of a ratcheted apparatus..........


 

 .....the arc of operation can be seen in this image.

The horn was powered by hot air engines and the tanks associated with these are still in remarkably good condition.

Also discernable in this image is the "new" lighting apparatus.  With no keeper to tend the intricate machinery, the main lantern no longer radiates a beam of light.  Instead, two tiny lights attached one either side of the lantern gantry continue the signal.  We watched these light from the Kildonan shore later in the evening, and although the signal remains it's nothing like the searching and powerful pulse of a lighthouse beam.  The automation of the lights was inevitable for years before it actually happened, but the downgrading, and in many cases extinguishing of the sea lights is a loss.  As a professional seafarer part of me understands that with modern navigational equipment and sensors there isn't the same pressing need for a light; yet part of me really misses their presence - because that above all is what a lighthouse signifies - a presence.

The apparatus for sounding the fog signal is Victorian engineering  at its ingenious best.  We had fun trying to work out the mechanism by which air pressure would build and lift the weight until inertia overcame air pressure, opening the valve and sounding the signal as the weight descended.  So well made is this machinery dating back to 1874 that it looks as if it could still be serviceable with a bit of TLC.

The generator house must once have been a very noisy place, but now the warning notice serves only to warn of the racket from the gull colony......

.....such power as is needed for the small lights and control system is provided by a solar array and battery.

As we walked back down to the harbour we could see a great practical demonstration of how well the tiny breakwater and harbour had been designed to protect against most weather.  Boatmen were employed to bring provisions and relief keepers to Pladda.  The boat was contracted to make four visits per month; two of these were stipulated to take place on Sundays  in order that the keepers could attend church.  The boat ran until 1972 when it was replaced by a helicopter service.

As we paddled out of the harbour Douglas had to take evading action to avoid a young and curious seal pup which popped up right in the entrance!  We paddled around the island, having some fun in the entertaining tidal race of the south end of the island.

The opportunity to explore Pladda and the lighthouse was a real highlight of the trip; one which could easily have been missed if we'd been tied to a specific itinerary.

As it was, we were now well past the time we could justify second luncheon, so we paddled with suitable determination over to Kildonan to enjoy a fine steak sandwich and a sports recovery drink   on the terrace of the Kildonan Hotel.