We left the pines of Torrisdale Bay and paddled north, past a series of skerries, to enter Carradale Bay.
At the west end of the bay we discovered the outflow of the Carradale Water. This is a well known salmon and sea trout river and like them, we felt an urge to head upstream.
It was spring HW and were able to paddle 1km upriver. Our hulls rose onto sheets of ice and then crunched down through them like mini ice breakers. It was now 1300 hours and the Arran ferry would be loading at Brodick at 1620. We still had a 9km crossing of the Kilbrannan Sound and an icy drive over the mountain String Road from the west to the east coast of Arran.
It was time to go!