Day 6. Isle of Arran – Sep 14th, 2013

I woke up to bright sunlight on the Isle of Arran, one of a population of 5,000 people. Today was the grand tour going around all the 56 miles of perimeter road.

After a buffet breakfast, and resisting the urge to drink too much coffee, we set off at 09:30 with ‘Two Eyes’ Iian as our guide. First stop was the gift shop in Brodick. That took two minutes so I spent the remaining time trying to compose photos of the idyllic landscape. There is only so much you can do with trees, mountains and waves.

The second stop was the Aromatics Soap Store. This held great appeal for the men. For reasons that I could not fathom, there was a huge sign forbidding photography. How would you ever steal the formula for soap by taking a photograph! I beat a retreat and found a herd of cows in the field opposite the stink shop.

En route to the Museum and two hundred yards back the way we had just come, Two Eyes told us that they exported sand to Saudi Arabia. It sounded like a Coals to Newcastle shaggy dog story. But he swore that the Saudis need the sand from the Isle of Arran for their water filtration systems.

We spent about an hour in the museum. It was very well done and featured the implements of the agricultural past and relics from World War Two. Being on the estuary of the Clyde, the island was very important. I discovered that the island was just a lot of Schist, Dalradian Schist that is.

We drove to Lamlash on the SE shore. The nearby island provided shelter for an anchorage in both WW1 and WW2. But in the period 1829 to 1840 it had seen the emigration of those displaced by the Highland Clearances. There was a plaque on a cairn put up by Canadians whose ancestors had sailed to Canada. The town also has the island’s only high school – the children are bussed. There are seven primary schools in villages in the island.

I was missing about 25% of what Two Eyes said as he has a thick accent. I think he said that the locals only dislodged the Norse in 1263.

The Firth of Clyde, I think a firth is an estuary, extends to Whiting Bay. In the distance we could see a volcanic plug named Ilsa Craig. Nearby was the last manned lighthouse that is now automated and run by computer from Glasgow. In the sea in this area are seals, basking sharks and porpoises. I only bagged the seal.

We had difficulty getting past by the herds of cyclists on the narrow, twisty, bumpy road. We didn’t go much faster than 50 kph according to the GPS. At one point we caught a glimpse of Ireland some 12 miles away.

In the past there were fifty farms producing milk, now there are only three. In Kilmory, at six o’clock on the island, we passed a primary school with its own wind turbine for electrical production. We also paused for at least twenty minutes waiting for the scheduled bus to pass as the narrow raids made it very tricky for two busses to fit. We waited outside the oldest hotel – the Lagg dating from 1791.

As we approached our lunch stop at Blackwaterfoot, at eight o’clock, we were told that the village had been cut off for seven days in March by very heavy snow fall. Here one can find one of the few twelve hole golf courses in the world.

Lunch was tomato soup, sandwiches and coffee for a mere twelve dollars. The tomato soup was home-made and VERY tomato rich.

After lunch I had ten minutes to get a photo of a seal perched on a rock and boats moored in the “Burn”. It was more like a ditch than a harbour, but I guess any port in a storm. The stone arched bridge made a good frame for the photo.

By 14:00 we had run out of luck and we ran into spitting rain, which streaked the coach windows and shut my camera down. At that point we met another coach head on – we had to back up the better part of one kilometre before there was enough width to permit passing.

At 14:15 we passed a single Machrie Standing Stone near the road. It was at least twenty feet high. There are other stones about a mile inland.

By the way, in earlier times the Dukes of Hamilton had owned 90% of the Isle of Arran.

On the west coast we saw thousands of jellyfish beached at the high tide mark. We also saw Whoppers Swans cruising in the salt water – that is a first for me as I always though swans were fresh water birds. We passed Cabbage Palms brought in from New Zealand. What Two Eyes did not know was they are called Cabbage because Captain Cook ordered them boiled up to provide a cure for scurvy. His sailors derisively named them Cabbage Palms.

By 14:30 we were back to full sun and could see the mainland coast four miles away. We stopped again for fifteen minutes waiting for the local bus to pass. I began to notice that whenever a fairly strong “Burn” flowed into the sea there would be a village.

At 14:45 we arrived in Lochranza, at twelve o’clock, the castle of which was a Stuart hunting lodge. On display were penned red deer with large racks. The church had just celebrated its 300th anniversary. For a period in the winter this village gets no direct sunlight as the sun does not get high enough to shine over the mountain.

The highlight of the day was our visit to the Isle of Arran Distillery. Our tour started with sips of 14 year old single malt at 15:00 and ended at 16:15 in the gift shop. The recipe for whisky is quite simple – just take malted barley and water and use 25 years of knowledge to produce Scottish Rocket Fuel. The process starts off with beer at 8%, passes through the first distillation to an average of 25% and ends with the second distillation at 68%. The last is watered down at exactly 63.5% as science has proven that it ages best in the barrels at that strength.

The bottled product goes into bonded warehouses under lock and key as the taxes have yet to be collected.

The distillery was located in Lochranza because the water coming off the hills is the purest in Scotland and is guarded by two golden eagles.

The whisky, which must be distilled use a copper apparatus, is aged in second-hand sherry and bourbon barrels to impart colour and flavour. A 500 litre oak barrel costs 900 pounds.

The distillery guide told us that you should never add water or ice to single malt scotch. It is designed to be drunk neat at room temperature. We were told it was OK to add water or ice to blended scotch as there was nothing to spoil.

We drove off and had one last stop at the Gift Shop in Corrie, at two o’clock. The only feature in this hamlet was a full-sized concrete form of a seal called George about 100 yards off shore. Corrie’s claim to fame is that the first Trans-Atlantic cable came across the island, through Corrie and off to the mainland.

Back at the Auchrannie Spa, dinner was at 19:00 hrs. We did not actually get served until 19:45 hrs. The Tour Manager did not join us as he was watching his beloved Chelsea soccer team lose to Everton 1-0

After a tiring day, I hit the hay early, but with a warning that the Sunday day off ( Sep 15th) was going to be spoiled by the first autumn storm with rain and winds of up to 60 mph in the north.

Day 5. Isle of Arran – Sep 13th, 2013

After a 07:00 breakfast, we boarded the coach in Glasgow at 08:30 hrs.

The first thing the Tour Manager did was issue everybody a bar of soap. The hotel in Glasgow had given us only a square inch sliver of soap for three days. He said the Scots have short hands and long pockets.

We headed off in a SW direction for the Ferry Terminal in Androssan in cool, dull, grey drizzle. By 08:46 we were passing the airport where we had landed a few days ago.

We travelled through the rolling hills of North Ayrshire. It was very much the typical British countryside of green paddocks separated by hedges and populated by flocks of shorn sheep and multi-coloured cattle. Many of the croft-like cottages were field stone.

The British are decommissioning their nuclear reactors. We saw a lot of wind farms, but were told that wind turbines are only 20% efficient. I don’t understand that as a free wind seems to be 100% efficient.

By 09:00 we had bright sun to brighten up the lovely landscape. We were at Androssan by 09:30, a tad early for the 11:05 sailing. There was a yacht park nearby with about 200 boats on the hardstand in their cradles.

While we were waiting I heard a cute story. The setting was Russia and involved an encounter between a Russian senior official walking his dog and a militia guard. The militiaman started to threaten the official. The official pulled a hand grenade out of his pocket, pulled the pin and threw it at the militiaman. The official’s dog raced off to pick up the grenade and brought it back to his master – boom!

While our driver put the coach on the ferry vehicle deck, we marched up the pedestrian gang plank onto the ship. It was about a one hour crossing on gently undulating waves with white caps. I went on deck a couple of times to take the mandatory photos. There was a good cafeteria on board, but I held off.

When we were about to land on the Isle of Arran, the Tannoy ordered us down to the vehicle deck to board the coach. Once on dry land in Brodick we were joined by our local guide who told us he was IIan with two eyes.

The first thing I noticed were the palm trees, which at 55 degrees north is a fair trick, had it not been for the Gulf Stream. In the distance was the highest mountain on the island, one named Goatfell at 850 metres.

We went straight to Brodick castle arriving at 12:30 for a 15:00 departure. The tour was self-guided so I decided to take advantage of the increasingly sunny day by bypassing the castle and going for a walk in the adjacent countryside.

It was so peaceful with only the lowing of Heeland Coos. I got a photo of a rose-breasted thrush. There was a patch of deciduous trees that had decided it was time to go autumnal.

I hung my backpack on the fencepost and had a leisurely lunch of apples, viennese finger biscuits and scotch.

At 14:00 I started my tour of the castle. There was a docent for each room, which was a bit of overkill, and each was wanting to tell you about their room. But, I was not allowed to take photos so I did not linger.

I perched on a bench outside the tea room when I noticed the sign for free WiFi. I quickly posted the first four segments to the Word Press blog and retrieved my e-mail.

Outside the tea room I noted agapanthus and a most unusual hedge made entirely of fuchsia – I took photos.

We left the castle at 15:00 and checked into the Auchrannie Spa Resort on the outskirts of Brodick.

As soon as I got into my room, I did the cavalry officer thing and started looking after my kit. I did some washing to hang up on the heated towel rack and used the ironing board and iron to freshen up some clothing.

We trooped down to the bar for drinks at 18:30 and I had a very tasty dark ale from the Arran Brewery. Dinner was the mandatory Fish and Chips on Friday.

After dinner I turned on the TV to watch a biography of the Carpenters, learning for the first time that Karen had been the band’s drummer. Then it was a retrospective on Elton John.

I took a Scotch sleeping pill. Lights out.

Day 4. New Lanark/Glasgow – Sep 12th, 2013

I woke up at 03:00 and that was it. This is a typical pattern. I sleep well the first night due to sheer exhaustion, and then the body goes into jet lag mode and keeps me awake the second night. I will have to go to Sainsbury’s to buy some Scotch sleeping pills – they sell them by the litre.

I have one of those lovely electrical vertical Corby trouser pressing boards in my room. So, I have been able to get the wrinkles out.

In my room the TV offered BBC, Sky News, Russia Today and Al Jezeera news channels. Noticeably missing were EU and American channels – I have always found Deutche Welle to be excellent. So, I was able to following the unfolding decommissioning of Syria’s chemical warfare capability. It will be very dangerous work for the non-military inspectors.

The BBC reported that the Royal Mail is having the same problem as Canada Post. Electronic mail has killed the letter post and now parcel post, due to on-line shopping, is the only profitable segment. The Minister responsible came on BBC announcing that the Royal Mail delivery 41% entity would be floated on the stock market. The Post Office, a totally separate business where you buy stamps and other services, will remain a crown corporation.

The Beeb also said that 35% of elderly hospital patients were suffering from dementia.

The forecast for was mainly cloudy and 12 Celsius. So, I wore my light blue T-shirt from the Darwin Centre in the Galapagos under my heavy blue Tilley long sleeved shirt. Complete with blue Voyager jacket and new blue waterproof bonnet, I would be a Bonnie Blue.

The routine was buffet breakfast from 07:00 with a departure at 09:00 hrs.

As we drove around George Square, we passed the War Memorial in front of City Hall. On the base was a plaque that said that Glasgow had raised over 200,000 of the 8,654 ,465 of His Majesty’s troops engaged at home and abroad. I can only assume that was a reference to WW2 and that would have meant a Glaswegian contribution of 2.3%.

Today’s visit featured the World Heritage Site of New Lanark, a historic cotton mill village whose mill was once managed by the Welsh social pioneer Robert Owen. The Visitor Centre is an award winner.

New Lanark was built from scratch by David Dale starting in 1784. It is situated 1.4 miles from Lanark on the banks of the Clyde River. Water from the Clyde was diverted to water wheels which drove the cotton spinning machinery. Raw cotton was imported from New Orleans and processed into spun cotton thread, which was then exported to America to be woven into cloth. By 1820 the village had 2,500 inhabitants and was the largest spun cotton processor in the country. In one week it would produce enough thread to go around the world three times.

We toured examples of the old living conditions. In one room would be the grandparents, parents and children with no indoor plumbing. Some had come to New Lanark as a result of the Highland Clearances ( where English landowners evicted crofters to make room for more profitable sheep).

By 1813 Robert Owen became the boss and instituted all sorts of reform, the principal of which was that children would no longer work and would receive an education. Owen was about eighty years ahead of his time and was a benevolent dictator. Spun cotton production ceased in 1968.

In 1975 the site started to be refurbished and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a museum/hotel operation. A limited amount of wool spinning is done.

The Rochdale Pioneers carried forward the Owen’s legacy of social reform. Today it is manifested in the Co-operative chain of food stores found throughout the UK.

For lunch I could have had “Haggis Panini”. Instead I had apples and biscuits.

We drove back to Glasgow, passing a petrol station selling at $2.25 per litre. The housing is a bit drab, with stone or pebble finishing and grey slate roofing. With a sixty metre tide on the west coast, Scotland is a world leader in wave power generation and is selling the technology to China.

Arriving at the hotel at 15:00 hrs, I rushed off to Marks and Spencer’s to buy some replacement chinos. Thirty pounds later I dragged my prize back to the hotel in the rain. Then I dropped by Sainsbury’s to buy a sleeping pill.

At 16:30 we drove to the village of Craigie in East Ayrshire. We were met at the Craigie Inn by a piper who piped us into the Inn.

A table for twenty had been set in a dining room with an oak beam ceiling. After a hearty soup with real chicken, the drone of the pipes announced the arrival of Mr Haggis. The owner dutifully slaughtered the poor beastie with a dirk.

What followed was a kilt-busting feast. Any of the courses would have been enough. After the haggis, tatties and neeps, I had a delicious steak pie with red wine sauce and crusty pastry. Dessert was a raspberry-topped sweetened oatmeal dish called Cranachan.

Throughout the meal we had been entertained by two young ladies. The violinist had an eighteen inch waist while the electric pianist was of more traditionalproportions.

By 20:00 we were stuffed and ready for bed. It took us forty-five minutes to drive back into Glasgow.

We went to bed with the grim warning to have the bags out by 07:00 hrs.