The Isle of Arran

I decided that it would be better if we didn't wait a whole month before update our friends and fam on our outdoor excursions, so here we go! Oh... we got a small, lightweight camera to take on our outings, and it has video mode!! Hopefully, you'll enjoy seeing a bit more of the landscape, and hearing random commentary. This photo slideshow will also introduce you to "bump" - my 6 month belly!

Last weekend, we decided to do another bike trip - this time to the Isle of Arran. It took us a long time, but we can remember how to pronounce it now - its AH-run. Like the boy's name 'Aaron', but say it with a British accent and put the accent on the first syllable. Anyway, this trip was completely flat, except for one good climb each day - which I'll explain when we get there.

We left after work on Friday, and took the train north, then south to the city of Ardrossan. There, we caught the last ferry across to Brodick - on Arran. Since it was late, we had a camp site picked out just outside the city, called Glen Rosa. It was a primitive camping area, and we picked the farthest field - the first 2 fields were full of people already. So... they have little bugs here called "midges" or "midgies". They are little, biting gnats - they live in tall grass, near water, and they swarm. You can see a picture in the slideshow of the midges covering our tent. They pinch a little when they bite, and then you forget about it for about 24 hours- when the itching kicks in. They were so thick, that we had to wear t-shirts tied around our heads while setting up camp! We climbed into our tent ASAP, but tons of them got in, and we slept wrapped in a t-shirt too.

In the morning, we broke camp as quickly as possible, and rode into town for breakfast. We found a hotel that offered a Scottish Breakfast, and then set out. A I said, this trip was nearly flat. The road followed the coast nearly all the way around the island, and it was a very relaxing ride.

On the way out of Brodick, we stopped at Brodick Castle. It was nicely kept, with a person in each room to explain about the people who lived there, and the articles in the rooms. Unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures indoors. But we took plenty of pictures and video of the grounds! Very beautiful gardens and walks.

We cycled on, and up the first climb. This was the only climb of the day, and was about 2 km long. It was a bit steeper than I was ready for, and I pushed the bike up the very steepest part. But the long downhill on the other side was so worth it! As we descended back towards the water, the view was amazing. We found ourselfes in the Town of Lochranza - on the Loch named Ranza, strangely enough. Here, we took a tour of a whisky distillery. It's the only one on Arran to produce Scotch legally in the last 150 years - and they only began in 1998! But the pure water and sea air make for an excellent product, or at least our guide said so. I think Matt agreed.

We pitched our tent while it was still daylight (midges are worst at night) and cycled down to the only place to eat in Lochranza - the hotel. We had a wonderful dinner - Matt had venison stew with flaky pastry on top, with fresh steamed veggies and I had a steak, smothered in grilled onions and mushrooms. It's always nice to have a good dinner after a long day.

This campsite had showers, so we cleaned up and relaxed a bit (inside the tent, away from the midgies) before bed. In the morning, we ate at the tiny cafe at the campsite, and set out again. Remember the "long downhill" I mentioned from the first day? Well, our options were to go back up that hill, or to continue around the island. We chose to go forward. The next 10 miles were almost completely flat, and we made very good time. Have I mentioned the weather yet? It can be very unpredictable in Scotland in general - more so in the islands. For 2 days we saw nothing but blue skies, crystal water, and a generous breeze - it was heaven.

We got up the only climb on this leg of the trip. It was about 3 km, but not as steep, and I was able to get all the way to the top without stopping. The downhill was just as beautiful and amazing as the first day, and it brought us right into Brodick again - almost to the ferry gate.

We stopped and had coffee and a pastry while waiting on the ferry, and just as we were boarding, it started to sprinkle. We had the perfect weekend, and even the rain held off until we were through. Unfortunately, I think that this might have been my last cycling trip - baby is starting to throw my balance off, and sleeping on the ground is just about out of the question. I might be able to squeeze in a couple of low-intensity hikes before the summer is out, but that will be all. That also means that we will have to depend on Matt to blog about his solo trips... which might be asking a lot :-p Leave lots of comments for us!