Weather cocking at the Cock.

 As we left Loch Ranza thunder was rumbling round the glens high above us.the yachts were all weather-cocking on their moorings as the cold gusts swung down from different glens

The rain battered down noisily on our hoods but we were surprisingly insulated from the elements in our kayaks and gear. At least we were doing it for pleasure unlike...

 ...these fishermen on FV Stella Maris TT183 who need to work in all weathers.

We had been slightly concerned about what the sea state might be like as we rounded the Cock of Arran (which was fully exposed to the north east wind) but conditions were benign as the rain flattened the seas.

Then rather miraculously, the wind began to drop and a glimmer of sunlight appeared on the horizon. Then... and...

 ...the skies cleared as we reached our camp site. The temperature built very quickly to 22C and...

...we were perspiring by the time we got the tents up. The warm sun did a great job...

...of drying our wet and damp gear. The weather in Scotland is always unpredictable and variable but even us hardy kayakers were surprised by the rapidity of the change. F5 NE wind, torrential rain and air temp. of 7C changed to F0, full sun and air temp. of 22C in just under two hours...quite remarkable!

Dark clouds over (but a warm welcome in) Lochranza.

From the shelter of Catacol Bay it was out into the wind again as we paddled round towards Loch Ranza. The entrance to the loch was still hidden beyond a headland but the line of the ferry heading over to Kintyre showed us how far we still had to go.

 It was great to get shelter in Loch Ranza but we did not waste any time exploring the castle, oh no..

 ...we landed immediately below the Lochranza Hotel and made our way straight to the public bar. Despite being in wet kayaking gear we were warmly welcomed and shown to a table.

Our starters were delicious sweet roll mop herring and very fresh salad and...

...for main course we chose scampi and chips and salmon steak and chips. The portions were huge but we soon polished them off and washed the lot down with some Guinness and filtered coffee. All in all the Lochranza Hotel proved to be an excellent sea kayaking pub.We thoroughly recommend a stop here.

Before leaving one of the visiting yachtsmen came over for a chat. He asked where we were headed and we told him we were going round the Cock of Arran. He warned us that it was rough even in his 38 foot yacht/ After such sage advice, leaving the cosy bar was rather hard. A big squall was approaching and the air temperature had dropped like a stone. Although it was still bright out to sea, that would not last long. A huge dark cloud was rushing down from the mountains above Loch Ranza. Large raindrops began to fall as we put our dry suit tops on. The rigging in the yachts started clanging and those on moorings swung round to face the approaching squall.

Anchors aweigh at Lochranza castle.

Although Lochranza castle has stood since  it was built by the MasSweens as a two storey hall house in the mid 13th century...

 ...it was heavily modified by the Mongomeries in the 16th century to become a tower house. Indeed this is not even the original door, which was initially on the other side of the castle.

 The interior is well worth exploring and it is fun to try and work out what function the various parts of the castle had served.

 Some of the stairways are still open so it is possible to climb to some of the upper levels.

 Helpful plaques highlight features of the castle's construction and history.

Although the sun shines in now, originally the interior would have been very dark.

 Some light now spills into this store but the claustrophobic prison was still in complete darkness so...

 ...it was a relief to escape through the tiny door to...

...the brightness of the day outside. It would have been nice to stay in this wonderful location for second breakfast but a bitterly cold wind had sprung up and not even...

...this wonderful old anchor could hold us there. It was time to move on to an unconventional alternative....

For the full StereoVision experience see Ian's account here.

Lunch on the rocks at Loch Ranza.

We crossed Loch Ranza, a sea loch at the NW point of Arran. Loch Ranza Castle was silhouetted against the backdrop of Arran's rocky ridges, which soared to the castellated summit of Caisteal Abhail, 859m.

 Although it was only seven bells in the forenoon watch, we decided to land on a rocky shore...

...for our first luncheon...

...before setting off across the Kilbrannan Sound.

The "castles" of Loch Ranza.

We paddled into Loch Ranza on the NW tip of Arran. The ferry from Claonaig Kintyre,  the MV Loch Tarbert was just arriving at the village of Lochranza.

We paddled into the loch, captivated by the sight...

...of the jagged rocky ridges of Caisteal Abhail (859m), "the castle of the fork".

Down at sea level, the grim walls of Lochranza Castle...

...were topped by the jagged outlines of long roofless gables, which contrasted with the lofty mountain ridges.

Sea kayaking across the Kilbrannan Sound.

As we paddled out of Loch Ranza into the Kilbrannan Sound, the wind began to drop.


The Kilbrannan Sound is the body of water which separates the west coast of Arran from the Kintyre Peninsula.


In mid channel we looked back to the distant Cock of Arran....


...and forward to the Kintyre peninsula. Phil, who is a professional photographer, expressed some considerable concern when I held a Canon 5D Mk II a few centimeters above salt water!

19/03/2009

Loch Ranza and its two castles.

As the ferry approached the jetty at the village of Lochranza on Arran, we decided that Loch Ranza would warrant some exploration before we set off on our long paddle back to Portavadie where we had left the car. The village of Lochranza nestles under steep hills on the shore of its eponymous loch. Some parts of the village get no direct sunlight in the winter as the sun never rises above the hill behind.


Leaving the ferry jetty, we paddled towards Loch Ranza castle. It has a superb defensive position on a narrow spit of land which projects into the loch. The castle was first built by the MacSweens in the 1200s but the L shaped tower house you see today dates from the 15th century.


Robert the Bruce came here in in 1306 and the castle was associated with the Scottish Kings for a long time thereafter. It was used as their base during battles with the Lords of the Isles for supremacy over the west coast and the Hebrides.


Many years ago Loch Ranza was a major base for the herring industry. Hundreds of small herring fishing boats sheltered in the loch, when great shoals of the "silver darlings" filled the Clyde. The herring have long gone and as reported in a yesterday's post, no fish are now landed on Arran.


As we paddled out from the Loch Ranza, the great rocky ridge of Caisteal Abhail soared above the hills behind the loch. Several granite tors castellate the ridge like battlements and the Gaelic name means "forked castle". Caisteal Abhail is Loch Ranza's second castle!

19/03/2009

Bottlenose dolphins cruising in the Clyde!

There is a pod of bottlenose dolphins cruising the Clyde at the moment. We saw them in the mouth of Loch Fyne, just south of Tarbert. The captain of the MV Loch Tarbert called us up on deck to witness an amazing display of leaping cetaceans. I have never taken so many photos of splashes!


How many dolphins do you see playing in the ferry's wake!


After all the excitement the MV Loch Tarbert motored on and after one and a half hours we disembarked at lovely Loch Ranza on Arran. This white van from a local hotel reversed down the slip to pick up several boxes of fish that had been put on the ferry at Tarbert. Amazingly, despite being surrounded by water and fishing boats, no fish are landed on the island. So now we know where the hotels get their fish!

19/03/2009