Cock of Arran 17 July

Allan, Davie Mc, Ian, Johnny, Malcolm, Robert, Ronnie

The terrific spell of weather continued as we landed at Brodick and boarded the bus for Lochranza. It had been decided on the ferry that the group would stick together and do the Cock of Arran walk, a walk that has been enjoyed often before.

Lochranza

However we were in for a bit of a surprise when Robert and Davie, who were setting the pace and continued to do so for the rest of the day, turned left as we passed by the golf course, rather than go right and follow the path over the hill. Even Holly was initially confused. What is it they say ‘a change is as good as a rest’? There are of course exceptions that prove/disprove the rule.

Spot the odd one out!

We headed over to Fairy Dell, a place that is well known to Robert, allegedly, and continued for as far as we could on the cobbled shoreline before fallen boulders and slimy, seaweed covered stones made further progress too difficult. Finding the rocky path above the shoreline made the walk reminiscent of the closing stages of last week’s on Bute, the outline of which we could see in the distance.

By this time the two scouts were well ahead of the posse and had reached Laggan Cottage in time for Robert to write the first three chapters of his autobiography* covering his birth to puberty, a span of 40 years, before the stragglers arrived.  Davie was his poof proof reader and corrected him on his use of the apostrophe as well as the expletives.

There was some slaggin' at Laggan

We were joined at this point by a young couple and their two boys, aged about 6 and 9, who had travelled up the road from Sannox to Lochranza on their mountain bikes before taking the path over the hill to Laggan and then continuing back to Sannox via the coastal path. Good effort! At least one of our company, sadly missing today, used to be able to do things like that before breakfast.

What is it these days with the Ooters and catching buses? Just as we were enjoying lazing about at the cottage, it dawned on us that, because of the alteration to our usual walk, our lunch stop had been reached later than normal and we were in danger of missing the bus at 3.55. R and D strode out again and were soon off the radar as the rest tried to keep up and still enjoy the walk. Easier said than done, as we maintained a heads down forced march up to Sannox. Most of us made it just in time but the bus had arrived before Ian and Ronnie appeared. There was much fumbling for bus passes as we tried to delay its departure, but, just in the nick of time, the last two made it. It transpired that  R and D had managed to shorten the walk by crossing the river using the ‘stepping stones’ at North Sannox. The rest of us had ploughed on up to the bridge before turning back on to the path. Davie was keen to tell as that Robert had nearly made it dry, falling in only over the last few yards. Shame!

Unlike last week there was to be no premature evacuation –when we didn’t know whether we were coming or going- and, although the boat was in, there was no dispute that our next stop would be the Douglas Hotel. Here there was to be another re-enactment of the closing scenes from ‘Ice Cold In Alex’ as the cold beers were stared at momentarily before being consumed gratefully.

The 6 o’clock ferry was boarded, with Ronnie’s fish supper encouraging others to seek sustenance from the café on board.

*Suggestions for a title include:

‘Have You Got Your Bus Pass, Dear?’

‘Peter Kleboe, My Part in his Downfall’

‘One Bob Notes’

So that Davie doesn’t feel out of it, here are some suggestions for his:

‘Sex and the Kitty’

‘Tales from the Pass of Killiecrankie’

‘Fabulous, Superb, and a few other Word’s’

Further suggestions welcome.