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.

The Twelve Apostles and the savage horde of voracious midges of Catacol.

 We continued north from Pirnmill on Arran's west coast towards...

 ...the great sweep of Catacol Bay.

It was not just the NE wind that was coming down from the mountains. The burns tumbling down from the mountains were full of the previous night's rain.

 The wind accelerated down Glen Catacol and hit the sea in great cat's paws but as we...

 ...approached the head of the bay...

 ...the wind eased off as we...

....paddled into a tidal lagoon.

As we unloaded our boats (for third breakfast) the wind dropped completely and we were attacked by a savage horde of voracious Catacol midges. There is a National Nature Reserve in Glen Catacol to protect three species of rare whitebeam trees. The majority of the World's population of each live in this one glen. I do hope that there is never a nature reserve for midges. There is a fundamental difference between whitebeams and midges. Whitebeams do not bite.

 There was nothing for it but to get back on the water and soon we were passing the...

Twelve Apostles of Catacol. These were built in the mid 19th century to rehouse crofters who were cleared from Glen Catacol to create a deer estate. The cottages had no land and the intention was that the crofters would take up fishing. However, they are situated on an inhospitable shore which is exposed to the prevailing westerly winds and a fishing industry was never established here. Each of the upper windows is a different shape and legend has it that when a fisherman saw a lighted candle in a window he could tell if it was his wife who was signalling.

Heads down at Whitefarland.

 During the night the wind and rain lashed our camp site at Imachar Point.

 Low clouds were scudding across the hills behind Carradale on ther far side of the Kilbrannan Sound.

 We were on the water shortly after 7am as we knew it would be a long day against the wind.

 As soon as we rounded Imachar Point...

 ...we were exposed to the full strength of the wind.

As we approached Whitefarland Point we passed this old cemetery which was built on the foreshore due to shortage of land. It dates from 1709 as predates the early 19th Century Arran Clearances when crofters were cleared from the glens and either transported to Ayrshire or Canada or moved to infertile coastal ground.

There is now a short intermission from photography as paddling took my full attention. Off Whitefarland Point lie the Erins and the Whitefarland Banks. The Admiralty Pilot warns of heavy overfalls here. These banks shoal from 150m to 10m in a very short distance and generate overfalls which extend to the north on the north going flood and vice versa in the ebb. The tide was flooding north against a north wind so conditions were a little lively.

 Fortunately the seas calmed as we left Whitefarland in our wakes but...

 ...the strong head wind meant we made slow progress.

Amazingly a blink of sun broke through the dense cloud and a rainbow momentarily graced the otherwise grey Kilbrannan Sound. By now we were getting pretty tired so...

 ...it was a relief when the village of Pirnmill came in sight. Pirnmill takes its name from the water mill that was here from 1780 until 1840. It made pirns and bobbins for the mills of Paisley. (Pirns are wooden rods used in weaving machines.) The mill closed when all the local trees were cut down  and the village turned to tourism and built a pier (with what was left of the wood) so that Clyde steamers could stop.Steamers ran during the summer from Gourock, Fairlie and Wemyss Bay to Pirnmill Pier. The pier has long gone.

...on the sands of Rubha Ban for a quick second breakfast in the shelter of the point.. There is an excellent place to eat at Pirnmill called the Lighthouse but it was still not quite 9:30am so we made do with our own supplies..

Sundown at Imachar Point.

We cooked our dinner on the shore at Imachar Point as there were hordes of midges up by the grass where we had pitched the tents. We gathered a little wood for a fire below the high water mark.

After cleaning the dinner things...

...we had a seat and...

 ...enjoyed the view south over Machrie Bay. The distant headland of Drumadoon Point is 12km away as the crow flies and we had started the day some 20 km further on beyond the point.

 It was now time to savour the efforts of our day and enjoy a swally. Some 15 year old malt whisky was carefully poured.

Nothing quite beats sitting round a camp fire with good friends, enjoying a drink, swapping tales of sea kayaking trips and...

 ...watching the sun going down.

One last check of the boats ( we are not of the school that insists on carrying the kayaks up and laying them down on the grass beside our tents!) and...

...it was time to get the baked potatoes on.

Baked potatoes and butter are a real gourmet treat when wild camping. We savoured them in ...

...the twilight that lasted long after the sun went down.Unfortunately the weather forecast promised F4-5 gusting 6 NE winds with heavy rain showers for the next day.  The rain actually arrived during the night...

The priapic Druid of Machrie.

On the north side of Machrie Bay the road runs on a raised beach with a line of wave cut cliffs and caves behind. Since the last Ice Age, Scotland has been rising as a result of post glacial rebound. There are multiple raised beaches round Scottish coast and many coastal road builders have taken advantage of their level ground.

Under the slopes of   Beinn Bharrain  lies...

 ....Auchencar farm and in one of its field stands the  Druid Stone. There are many standing stones on Arran but this one is the tallest. There is a second, similar but fallen stone alongside. We spotted the priapic Druid a long way off. It was clearly situated to impress those who like us approached Machrie from the sea.

 As we passed the mouth of Glen Iorsa, the NE wind funnelled down the glen spreading cats paws over the sea.

 The boathouse and Dougarie Lodge lie on the north bank of the Iorsa Water which flows into sea here. Dougarie is a hunting shooting and fishing estate and was built in 1865 as a secondary summerhouse for the Duke of Hamilton whose main summer house was Brodick Castle on the east coast of Arran.

 It was now evening and the coastal mixed deciduous woodland was filled with birdsong.

 At long Last we approached our destination for the night...

...Imachar Point.

 After 35km of paddling, mostly into a headwind, it was a relief to get the boats up the cobble beach...

...and get the tents up on the raised beach.

Best Buns on the Beach at Machrie Bay.

As we approached the great sweep of Machrie Bay on Arran's west coast we became...

 ...more exposed to the NE wind.

It was a case of engaging low gear and paddling slowly but...

 ...steadily.

 

Even the black guillemots were getting blown about but the gloomy grey clouds at the start of day had also blown away.
 

At long last the sands of...

  ...Machrie Bay came in sight and it was time for a well earned rest.

 

There used to be good wild camping here but recent coastal erosion has carried away the coastal strip of grass and the scrub behind is too rough.

A little further on we came across what used to be the Machrie Bay Golf Course clubhouse. We noticed tables and chairs outside and Ian kindly volunteered to investigate. A quick nip across the golf course and we arrived at...

...what is now an emporium selling the best buns on the beach.

We settled down with large mugs of coffee and outstanding home made carrot cake. The cafe is open from 10 till 4 every day and do breakfast rolls in the morning. We will definitely return.

We enjoyed our refreshments so much that the incoming tide was well up to the boats by the time we got back. (Note the offshore wind!)