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Arran Coastal Way Part 2: Lochranza-Blackwaterfoot

Arran Coastal Way Part 2: Lochranza-Blackwaterfoot


Postby Glynnyth » Tue Oct 23, 2018 9:18 pm

Date walked: 29/07/2018

Time taken: 6 days

Distance: 50 km

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This is the second part of my report about our walk on the Arran Coastal Way this summer, including the west side of Arran, from Lochranza to Blackwaterfoot.

Day 9
After a lazy day we continued our trip on the ACW. The sun was shining as if rain never had a chance to come back, the sky was clear blue. A bus brought us from Lochranza to North Sannox, from where we walked down the minor road to a car park on the coast. The ACW follows the coast line the whole way to Lochranza. The first part is a well made, broad gravel path, getting smaller further onwards, giving interesting changing views along the coastline and over the Firth of Clyde to Bute and the mainland.
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The path winds through the Fallen Rocks and passes a small cave which can give shelter if needed. At Millstone Point Laggan Cottage can be seen for the first time and we pressed on to have early lunch there, sheltered by the cottage walls, enjoying the warm sun.
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The path becomes less distinct from here on, the landscape more rugged and bouldery. At one point we passed big rock slabs and further on some overgrown ruins from old salt works. The different types of rock in this area of Arran are quite obvious.
Later on, at the Cock of Arran, we left the path and headed for the shore, where we laid down on huge, flat slabs, to benefit from the welcoming seabreeze in the hot weather and basking in the sun.
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On we went,passing An Scriodan. And I can tell you, with 12kg on the back it’s not the easiest exercise. It goes up and down and around boulders, through a very rugged boulderfield, eventually down a series of more or less obvious rock steps, to the grassy shore.
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From here the path is clear and before reaching Newton Point we found a flat area to pitch our tent, with wonderful views to Kintyre.
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Day 10
My son had asked if we could go to the Arran Heritage Museum once again, so we planned to get a bus from Lochranza to Brodick. We packed our gear and continued around Newton Point into Lochranza, passing the golf course and observing the seals basking on the rocks in the harbour.
We visited the little church, which has a wonderful glass window and these old creaking wooden floor and benches.
Next we visited Lochranza Castle. It’s a ruin, but there are information boards in the different areas and it is quite easy to imagine the complete building. It also gives fine views over the bay.
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Further on, passing the ferry, is the Sandwich Station. THE place to get something between the teeth in Lochranza! The sandwiches are made with local ingredients and the menu changes depending on the seaason. The building is not bigger than a garage, but there are tables outside and also a play area just on the opposite side of the road. The ideal spot to wait for the next ferry…or bus. Back at the Arran Heritage Museum the staff at the entrance remembered us from our first visit and gave us free entry (thanks again). After some more hours spent here I worried about a place to sleep tonight. So finally we took the bus to Sannox to pitch our tent in Glen Sannox.
There is a very good path which leads from Sannox through sheep grazing land and later close to the Sannox Burn to a flat grassy area, surrounded by trees. Unfortunately there was a group of campers already, so we crossed the burn on the nearby footbridge and camped on the higher ground on the north side of the burn.
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Day 11
The morning started clear blue, but clouds came in quickly, without rain however. We continued up the glen, but quickly crossed the burn and downstream on the other side as we had to catch a bus back to Lochranza.
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We bought some sandwiches for the day and were back on the ACW. The ACW follows the postman’s path through woodland high above the shoreline, before descending to the road at Catacol. This part of the ACW was the less rewarding, just much road walk, same view on Kintyre throughout, unspectacular coast. So in Thundergay we left the ACW for a detour to Coire Fionn Lochan. The climb is long, very steep in places, especially on the last stretch, on an occasionally eroded path, and you can’t see the lochan until the very last moment.
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During the day the wind has become stronger and against it blew us right into the face, coming down from the hills. But it’s worth the effort. The lochan is wonderfully located and we found a place to pitch the tent right on the shoreline.
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Day 12
The worst days of this trip. We enjoyed the peaceful loch before we started the walk back down from Coire Fionn Lochan to the road. As soon as we left the loch shore and crossed the small hillock hiding the loch from views, we saw mist on the lower ground.
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Weather would turn bad quite quickly. We followed the unavoidable stretch of road to Pirnmill, stopped in the village store and continued to a small play area. The ACW sign leads to a path between the play ground and the shore. First it is clear, then it gets fainted. I guess on a clear day the views to Kintyre should be great, but today was grey and cloudy and rain set in soon. We could hardly see the opposite coast.
The path continues first on the pebbly shore, then on a much rougher, and more difficult, stretch through a boulder field. The wind came in strong gusts and pushed us sidewards and the going between the boulders became harder.
When we reached Imachar, we pitched our tent quite early near the beach, thankful to shelter from this bad weather.

Day 13
The best day of our trip!
The road walk from Imachar to Dougarie can completely be avoided at low tide by switching to the shore. The weather was far better than the day before and we made the 2.5 miles from Imachar to Dougarie quickly. Just beyond Dougarie Lodge and the bridge over Iorsa Water there is a broad sandy beach. Initially we just wanted to have a short rest here to take off the rucksacks and our jackets, as it got warmer and warmer. Finally we stayed two hours.
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We continued some hundred meters on the road and turned left up a tarmac road signed for the Old Byre Showroom. There is a fantastic restaurant here, the Café Thyme. It offers interesting dishes, including their famous pides (turkish pizzas), but also fresh salads from their own cultivation and homemade bread. I had a grilled goats cheese with melon and homemade bread and it was just great!
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They also have a wonderful play area for children (and adults), inviting to a round of basketball, even if the fine views of the Druid’s Standing Stone and the Kilbrannan Sound to Kintyre can let you miss a pass from a teammate, I admit. We met a family with two kids here and my son had so much fun, that we finally stayed until they closed the door at 5pm.
Back down on the main road we continued to Machrie and later headed into the car park at Torr Righ. This part of road walk was quite enjoyable as the views changed constantly and there was hardly no traffic. From the car park a good path on red beaten earth skirts the northern edge of the forest, heading up the slopes and towards the sea. The views back to Machrie and northward over the island are wide open.
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The track curves left along the coast and enters high bracken, surrounded by conifer forest.
It eventually leads down to the shore where it gives way to a stony path. In the cliffs on the left handside there are numerous caves, unequal in size and interest, the most famous being the King’s Cave. I pretty much liked the one with the rock stacks.
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We spent much time exploring the caves while we headed southward along the shore towards Drumadoon Point.
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We finally found a camping spot, a big enough patch of sand amidst the otherwise pebbly shore, not far from The Doon, where we pitched our tent to spens our last night on the ACW, rewarded by a fantastic sunset.
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Day 14
The grassy path leads from the shore directly towards The Doon. At a fork you can chose between either heading above its northern shoulder and around to the main road, or following the shoreline on The Doon’s westside, just under its vertical cliffs.
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We chose the shore path which soon leads through boulder fields, hopping from boulder to boulder, using hands more than once, up and down, left and right, but surprisingly easy to follow.
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It finally reaches the golf course and a sign on the gate diverts right around the corner over some more boulders until you reach a grassy area at the very tip of Drumadoon Point.
From here it is an easy stroll over the broad sandy beach to the tiny little harbour at Blackwaterfoot and the bus stop on the far side, from where we started our ACW-Adventure
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Glynnyth
Backpacker
 
Posts: 21
Joined: Feb 11, 2018
Location: Paris

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