The Adventure Blog

Today we were split into three groups and were let loose around three sections of Arran; Lochranza in the North, Lamlash in the South-East and Blackwaterfoot in the West.


The group sent to Lochranza, first paid a visit to the castle by the sea. it was a 12th century building that had been modified in the 16th century, making it more defensible and with more features on the inside. we then explored the church, which had been modified several times over its history between 1560 and 1918. One such building had the remains of its dead buried within the walls of the church itself which was interesting to learn. We then climbed the hill on the west side and walked past the oldest craft shop in Lockranza called The Stoneman, then continued on to look for Huttons Unconformity, a geological structure that at the time of its discovery, significantly changed our understanding about the true age of the earth. We saw a variety of wildlife including wildflowers, birds and insects such as butterfly's before we had to run back to catch our bus.


In Lamlash, we first saw the Clearances memorial, which was put there to remember the clearances which occurred between 1829 and 1840 where many people were forcibly removed from their homes to make room for livestock. As a result of this, many people emigrated to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. We then visited Hamilton Terrace, Lamlash Church of Scotland and then went to the beach to look at flowers. We then explored the pier and Lamlash Bay, looking over to the Holy Isle. Lamlash Bay is Scotland's first "No Take Zone" meaning that it is a marine area protected from human disturbance. After that, we went to the cemetery and visited the Chapel Ruins, before coming back to catch our bus back to Shore Lodge.

After taking the bus from Brodick Ferry Terminal Station, we walked along the beach at Blackwaterfoot and saw either a female or a juvenile otter! After this, we walked through the golf course and into a field of noisy sheep. We then joined the beach once more and found some natural arches and a bit further on was the King's Cave which has carvings inside which date back to the 5th or 6th century. Outside the cave were Buddhist meditation pebble towers as there is a large Buddhist population here on Arran. We traced back our steps and went through a jungle of ferns to try to find an iron age natural fort. We didn't realise, but we in fact walked all over it! After this, we walked back along the beach and as we walked quicker than expected, we stopped off in the Harbour Shop with Maureen and Ethel and got an ice-cream before heading back on the bus to Shore Lodge.




Later in the evening, we went for a walk around the grounds of Brodick Castle and discussed the different types of foliage the geology around the castle. We even saw the barn owl that nests in a tree on the grounds.

We saw an otter after rising early for the rare experience, previously missed the day before. Post breakfast a quick and decisive meeting was held in the living room to reassure ourselves the weather had forbidden the climb up Goatfell, instead the walk along Glen Rosa was announced.

Following the exhausting walk, a lovely meal was shared between us all as well as some interesting stories and experiences of our instructors.

 In the early hours of the morning the group awoke to go hunting for otters. Although no otters were seen some members of the group saw a seal and some gannets. They returned for a hearty breakfast before returning to the beach.

The day began with a wholehearted breakfast, but what for? you may ask... The penultimate trial: Goat Fell. Standing at 874m, the team stood defiant at the bottom of the corbett, struggling to comprehend the weathering heights of the mountain. A willing walk quickly became a torrid trundle - as the ascend continued and the rain lashed down upon us. The only light in this bleak setting was the abundance of new plants, fungi and life itself.

 Achieving the feat of climbing the tallest mountain in Arran, the team celebrated like winning the world cup - with a group photo (as shown above)! However, the task of descending lay ahead. With the weather worsening by the minute, the terrain became almost impossible to traverse across unscathed. Nonetheless, the team spirit prevailed above the conditions thrown before them.
After a hard day's work, the squad assembled one final time for dinner. This time we added a bit of spice with �fajitas! Proving a popular risk, the team was still forced to cool down with some ice cream. Team moral is sky high at the time of writing this blog, with a type-1 fun day.

On the morning of day 3, we set out to do a beach clean on the local Brodick beach in front of our lodge. Before we set out, we completed a group risk assessment covering the main hazards within the categories of environmental, human, wildlife and rubbish. Once we geared up in our waterproofs - ready for the temperamental Scottish weather. We paired up, grabbed a litter picker and plastic bag and then set off. On reaching our start point further down the beach, we started searching for litter between the high tide mark and the gorse bushes at the back of the beach.


We found an array of litter including: crates, plastic bottles, tent poles and wipes. Overall, it was a very enlightening experience as it helped us to understand the importance of appropriate waster disposal and the impacts on the environment. After we disposed of the waste we also looked at a marine litter picking survey form and considered the range of waste that can be found on beaches - of which we found half of.


Later on in the afternoon, we went on a discovery walk around the grounds of Brodick castle. We found a variety of plants including: hydrangeas, redwood trees, rhododendrons, yellow rattle flowers, beech trees, pine trees and star moss. Although we couldn't enter the castle, as it was undergoing refurbishment, we found out the oldest parts of the castle date back to the 13th century. Whereas, the visible exterior was built in the Victorian era when the Hamiltons lived there.