Hot Stuff on Fionn Bhealach

[rob munbett]

It was a HOT day. I thought I would head over to Arran to have a walk up a hill there as I might enjoy a cooling sea-breeze. No chance! Off the ferry, a mad dash to get on the overcrowded bus, which broke down just outside Brodick and had to be replaced. So, I arrived in Lochranza later than planned and already rather frazzled. I started off up the good hill path across to Laggan just after midday, the heat already stifling.

Looking back down the Laggan path to the Arran distillery

I reached the cairn at the high point and just headed up across the trackless moorland towards the top of the hill.

Looking up the hill from the cairn on the Laggan path, no summit in sight

I tried to stay on the sea-side of the hill in the hope of catching what little breeze there was but it was baking hot and the awkward terrain of heather, deep grass and tussocks was not helping. Added to that, the midges and cleggs were making this part of the day a bit of a trial. However, after coming over a few rises the summit trig came into view and I was able to stand for a while to admire the view over to Ceum na Caillich.

Still heading up

The very white summit trig

A quick check at the watch told me that I better get moving in order to catch my bus back to the ferry from Lochranza so I headed off back down the slopes on some faint animal (?) tracks and reached the high point of the Laggan path in quick time. Then, a sedate stroll down the path in the full afternoon heat brought me down to the village of Lochranza where I sat on a bench and ate my late lunch and took on some fluid before the bus arrived. I have to say that the bus was SO crowded with standing passengers that even a sardine would have felt claustrophobic and it was running a bit late so the driver had to hurtle back to Brodick to ensure that we were able to catch the ferry. Not at all a pleasant experience.