Arran 12 August

Alan, Allan, Davie C, Davie Mc, Gus, Ian, Jimmy, Johnny, Rex, Robert

For the first time in a while the weather was forecast to be dry and therefore ten of us set off for Arran. The ferry was busy so, in anticipation of the bus also being busy, we made sure we were at the front of the queue to disembark. We had already decided that there would be two walks today with Davie Mc, Gus, Jimmy, Rex and Robert going high, and the rest doing the familiar Lochranza to Sannox via Laggan Cottage walk. The former group left the bus at the car park at the bridge on the Sannox to Lochranza section and headed off for the ridge(s).

Lochranza to Sannox

Coffee stop

The ‘low’ group made Laggan Cottage in about fifty minutes where we met a group of ladies who were doing a charity walk round Arran. We also had the chance to look into the cottage as it was unlocked and uninhabited – nothing to write home about. Lunch was taken quickly as the midges were gathering and before long we were on our way again. As, to be expected, after all the rain the path had been wet in places with sections on the original path on the uphill route covered in running water, and so it was on the path alongside the beach, soggy, but nothing drastic.

The benches now look forlorn

When we reached the end of this path we were surprised to see effect that tree-felling had on the road ahead. What had been an attractive walk under the shade of the trees now looked like devastation, and they hadn’t finished yet. Nonetheless, the camp site at North Sannox was reached, by this time in bright sunshine, and whereas the front markers marched on up the road, the two A’s diverted across the grass to the stepping stone and crossed over there, affording them the opportunity for a wee sit-down before the rest caught up.

Approaching Sannox

The bus stop was reached at half-past three, not enough time to go up to the hotel for a refreshment before the bus was due, and when it did, exactly on time, it was standing room only.

The boys must be up there somewhere

Alan and Davie adjourned to the Douglas to await the arrival of the high boys whilst Allan, Ian and Johnny took the four-forty ferry back to Ardrossan.

Davie hesitates about coming back for a photo

The Mountaineers’ Tale

Davie Mc, Gus, Jimmy, Rex & Robert

We got off the bus at the bridge in North Glen Sannox and left the rest to continue their journey to Lochranza.

The path leading away from the bridge was well made and broad and it was this path we took heading toward our first climb of the day, the broad ridge of Sail an Im. Robert showed his intentions immediately by racing off in front. We showed our intentions by taking our time and Robert had to wait for us. This was not the last time today.

The path continued, sloping upward toward our ridge. But we knew that the well graded path had to be left sometime and Jimmy, who had sussed out the approach to the ridge in his guide to walks on Arran, Google Earth and the Ordnance Survey Explorer, left the path just after it cleared the trees to find a crossing place of the burn to the pad on the other side, a pad that looked as though it would take us directly to the ridge. Davie, who admitted to having taken the hardest route the last time said we should stick to the path. So, despite Jimmy’s protestations, stick to the path we did. The well surfaced path ran out and we were on to the old, squelchy path once more. Then came a choice. It was noted that we had come too far up the path for the direct route to the ridge and a decision had to be made as to how we should get there. It was decided to cross the burn and head through the thick moor grasses towards a different ascent of the ridge. While most chose to do this, Davie wandered off on his own. The going was tough but eventually all, including Davie reached the ridge where we collapsed in a crumpled heap to have a well-earned break.

The break didn’t last long though as soon as the slight breeze died down those scourges of the Scottish mountains, the midges*, appeared. Half eaten sandwiches were abandoned to protect half eaten faces, arms and legs and we were off again. The ridge sloped gently upwards yet. The hard slog onto it had taken its toll on Jimmy and Davie who struggled for the remaining ascent. Not so Robert though, who continued to set the pace only to have to wait for the strugglers. The ridge narrowed as we approached the crags of Craig Dhubh and afforded us some spectacular views of the rock faces of the high Arran hills. At least these views gave some relief to the struggling duo for it took their minds off aching legs and burning lungs. And the view became more extensive as we rose with the ridge. In the west were the Paps of Jura, quite distinct and appearing close today; to the south Ailsa Craig and in the east the Clyde islands, Bute and Cumbrae, and the Ayrshire coast; to the north the hills of Cowal; and always the rock scenery of this part of Arran.

But any thoughts we had of a long break to take in the scenery were dashed by the onslaught of the midges. We moved on quickly. Jimmy had the intention of walking to Cir Mhor, under the ridge of A’Chir, through the Bowman’s Pass and down into Glen Rosa. But, given how he and Davie were feeling, he was quite happy to accept Robert’s suggestion of the return via the Witch’s Step. This was not so much a walk as a scramble. Great slabs of  granite with the occasional grassy patch sloped almost vertically down to the floor of the step. Scarmbling, lowering, dreepin’ , bumming, watching every step and fall, we dropped into the cleft of Ceum na Caillich, the Witch’s Step. Now we were confronted by the sheer, vertical rock face of the other side of the cleft. There was no way that we would be able to climb out of this that way. A path was spotted some fifty feet below and a vague memory of previous excursions here told us that this would avoid the face and take us back to the ridge above Coire Fhearghas. We took it and it did and here on the ridge we stopped to  recover energy and composure after the scramble.

There was a slight breeze here and that kept the beasties at bay and a longer halt was had here than we had had up till now. But tempus fugit and we had to move on. The ridge sloped gently upward onto our last summit of the day, Suidhe Fhearghas and all arrived in the wake of Robert who remained supercharged. Now we thought that the hard stuff was over but the descent from Suidhe Fheargas was steep and took its own toll on tired legs. But, at least the steepness of the slope allowed us to identify a path, a pad really, heading into Glen Sannox from its foot. This is the path, wet and boggy at times, that we took and it did bring us on to the Glan Sannox footpath. Tarmac was reached at six o’clock some six and a half hours after leaving it.

The bus was not due for another forty minutes so some time was spent in the beer garden of the Sannox Hotel enjoying the relief of resting tired muscles and the thirst-quenching beer.

*Linguistic note: The scribe is not quite sure whether the word ‘Midge’ should really exist in the singular for these wee terrors never appear singularly but always in clouds. Perhaps the word should be like scissors or trousers where the singular doesn’t exist at all. At least it shouldn’t as far as we are concerned.