Arran - Goat Fell
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:19 pm
Camped at Lochranza. Headed off early as the good weather was forecast to break later in the day.
Kept changing my mind, but in the end decided the round of Glen Rosa was the best option and headed off up the path from Cladach at 6am, scattering the residen deer on the road outside the campsite.
Set off from Cladach, trying not to make too much noise, to wake the folk sleeping in the van in the car park. As I broke from the trees and hit the open hill, I could see an eagle patrolling the ridge ahead. Just as I reached the top a great wedge of cloud swept in and covered the top. That's it I thought, the weather has broken sooner than forecast, so I headed back down. The Arran hills need to be seen and scrambled on and not just ticked off in the clag. However, the clag cleared a bit and I felt a bit of a fraud for having bailed out so early.
A couple of pairs of ravens followed me down the hill, hoping for some scraps, so I stopped for my piece at the bridge and didn't disappoint them with my bran bread crusts, which they swoop down for as soon as I'd left. Obviously they're used to the tourists feeding them !
Lower down the hill, I met the first of the day-trippers heading up the path for the top.
In the car park at Cladach a couple who had done the round of Glen Rosa, with a bivouack, had just finished their breakfast ( seems I didn't wake them ) and headed off for a rest days' sightseeing. I headed off to cross the island but took the wrong turning and ended up driving right round the island, but synchronised my arrival at Lochranza with Mike's ferry arriving - quite by accident !
We had a good night in the hotel at Lochranza, meeting a couple of teachers having a quick pint while the kids were on a treasure hunt - I'm sure they needed it !
Next day I caught the ferry back to the mainland & headed for home, while Mike headed for a quick scoot up Goat fell before heading home to the northeast.
Looking forward to getting back to Arran again to get on these three great Corbetts !
Kept changing my mind, but in the end decided the round of Glen Rosa was the best option and headed off up the path from Cladach at 6am, scattering the residen deer on the road outside the campsite.
Set off from Cladach, trying not to make too much noise, to wake the folk sleeping in the van in the car park. As I broke from the trees and hit the open hill, I could see an eagle patrolling the ridge ahead. Just as I reached the top a great wedge of cloud swept in and covered the top. That's it I thought, the weather has broken sooner than forecast, so I headed back down. The Arran hills need to be seen and scrambled on and not just ticked off in the clag. However, the clag cleared a bit and I felt a bit of a fraud for having bailed out so early.
A couple of pairs of ravens followed me down the hill, hoping for some scraps, so I stopped for my piece at the bridge and didn't disappoint them with my bran bread crusts, which they swoop down for as soon as I'd left. Obviously they're used to the tourists feeding them !
Lower down the hill, I met the first of the day-trippers heading up the path for the top.
In the car park at Cladach a couple who had done the round of Glen Rosa, with a bivouack, had just finished their breakfast ( seems I didn't wake them ) and headed off for a rest days' sightseeing. I headed off to cross the island but took the wrong turning and ended up driving right round the island, but synchronised my arrival at Lochranza with Mike's ferry arriving - quite by accident !
We had a good night in the hotel at Lochranza, meeting a couple of teachers having a quick pint while the kids were on a treasure hunt - I'm sure they needed it !
Next day I caught the ferry back to the mainland & headed for home, while Mike headed for a quick scoot up Goat fell before heading home to the northeast.
Looking forward to getting back to Arran again to get on these three great Corbetts !