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!)

Tourists but no spiders, Kings, saints or Picts in these caves.

 

As we turned Drumadoon Point on Arran's west coast, we got a fine view of The Doon's rock columns. It is part of a huge basalt sill which was....

 ...used as a large Iron Age hill fort. It certainly had a commanding position with fine views...

of the Kilbrannan Sound from its large flat summit.

 North of here the shallow sea was clear as crystal and...

 ...no doubt the lobster fishing was good.

 A large series of caves and arches announced our arrival at...

 ...The King's Cave. It is one of many throughout Scotland and Ireland where King Robert the Bruce was apparently inspired to continue the struggle against the English after watching the repeated efforts of a spider trying to spin a web. However, the historical veracity of the spider is somewhat dubious as it was probably a literary invention of the novelist Sir Walter Scott. There is no easy landing at the King's cave so any fugitive would have time to escape on foot from any pursuers in boats. The caves have been used for shelter long before Robert the Bruce hid here. There are early Christian and Pictish drawings on the cave walls. When we passed there were only some bank holiday tourists who had braved the rough walk in.

Twenty six dogs' bollocks but only twelve holes at Blackwaterfoot.

 From Blackwaterfoot harbour we paddled to the Blackwaterfoot dog exercise area.

No sooner had we landed than we were investigated  by a number of hungry canines. After his experience with the "hoody" crow of Whiting Bay, Mike had learned his lesson and firmly battened down his hatches.

We found some very comfortable seats on a basalt dyke. At one point I counted 26 dogs at various points along the beach, quite a few of the dogs put their noses in our blue IKEA bags sniffing for food but we managed to prepare a quick...

...luncheon during a doggy lull. Though no sooner had we prepared our wraps of humous and cheese than slavering hounds were eyeing us up waiting to be fed.

 It was rather pleasant sitting on the rocks . The NE wind was straight offshore and we were well sheltered by the sand dunes of the...

...beautiful Shiskine Golf Course, which is squeezed between the Doon and the sea. It is one of very few golf courses in the World which has 12 holes.

I took this photo from the top of The Doon in April 2011. It shows our destination for the day, Imachar Point in the distance. It was still 13km away straight into the teeth of the wind.

Refreshed by our rest, we set off across the calm clear and shallow sea towards Drumadoon Point. We did not expect calm once round the point.

PS for the bollock count,  I am assuming that half the dogs were male and that they were intact.

Preaching to the converted in Blackwaterfoot Harbour.

 From Corriecravie we came to Aird nan Ron (Seal Point) and true to its name, the point was a haven for common seals.

  At the next headland, Kilpatrick Point we passed the Preaching Cave in the low cliffs behind the shore. The only sermon we heard were a few singing common seals.

Leaving the hamlet of Kilpatrick we set off across...

...Drumadoon Bay towards the...

 ...village of Blackwaterfoot.

The sands of the village beach are backed by The Doon, a dramatic basalt sill which once had an extensive Iron Age settlement perched on its summit.

Nowadays the settlement of Blackwaterfoot is at sea level and clusters round a tiny harbour at the mouth of....

 ...the Clauchan Water. I explored this waterfall which is the limit of navigation as the local bus rumbled over the bridge.

As we paddled round the little harbour, the family in the VW camper from the camp site gave us a big wave. I think they were surprised we had arrived in Blackwaterfoot before them! From the sea it would be all too easy to miss this tiny harbour. It is worth keeping your eyes open, fortunately I did not have to persuade either Ian or Mike to take a detour. Neither of them are headland to headland types either.

Spinning a story of Corriecravie, Arran, the land of my ancestors.

 From Cleats Shore we lost our tail wind and...

 ...gradually hit more of a headwind as we paddled along...

 ... the shore near Sliddery Waterfoot.

Photo by Ian Johnston.

It was a relief to take a breather near Corriecravie. Ian took this photo of me looking at the land which my ancestors once farmed.

Since at least 1710, when my great great great great great great grandfather  Robert Black was born, the Black branch of the family were crofters in Corriecravie until 1936. The last known Black to be resident in Rowanpark croft, Corriecravie was my great grandfather's (John Black 1854-1929) nephew Robert (Bertie) Black but he was not contactable there in 1972 following my grandfather's sister's (Catherine Black) death.

Initially the family worked common land but when the Duke of Hamilton enclosed the land in the early years of the 19th century, Robert's son William became tenant farmer of approximately 24 acres. The croft extended to the boundaries of  the green fields above the white houses in this photo. 

In 1813 a wave of religious awakening passed over the people of south Arran and William's son Robert was one of those who came under its influence. After William's death in 1824, Robert neglected his farm and attended too many religious meetings. He was fined one guinea by the Estate Factor for failing to improve the land as required by his tenancy agreement. By the 1841 Census, his two sisters Mary and Isabella had taken over running half the croft but by the 1861 census Mary had died and Isabella had given up her half of the croft, which Robert then sublet to Mr John Stewart.

After Robert Black's death in 1862, the croft was taken over by my great great  grandfather Finlay Black, (1820 to 1876). This photo, taken shortly before his death, shows him with his wife Catherine (nee Stewart, 1831 to 1903) in their croft house at Rowanpark, Corricravie. Catherine was the daughter of the Black's sub tenant William Stewart. They married in 1853 and had six children. The croft had a thatched roof and a stone floor. The spinning wheel in the photo has been passed through several generations of female members of the family and is now in possession of my cousin. It is mentioned specifically in the wills of my great grandmother and great aunt.

In 1868, some years after Finlay Black inherited the croft, he and his father in law, William Stewart, decided to formally split the croft into two parts. This was done by arrangement with James Paterson, the Duke of Hamilton's Factor and Dugald Crawford the Ground Officer. Interestingly, both my ancestors, Finlay Black and William Stewart (my brother's middle name is Stewart) can be found in a Google search! They were both fluent speakers of Arran Gaelic and were consulted by the Ordnance Survey on local place names.

As we  paddled on up the Kilbrannan Sound from Corriecravie I had much to ponder upon. It must have been a hard working life in Corriecravie and I was glad to be visiting in leisure time. I look forward to showing my grandson this place as he is 10 generations away from the Robert Black who was born in 1710. It is nice to put family history in context with places.