Just two in a van again Part 2. Islay and Arran

I thought that a "red sky at night was a shepherds delight". Readers of the previous blog from this trip will know that on our last night on the Outer Hebrides we were treated to a spectacular sunset. The overcast skies and persistent rain that greeted us in the morning weren't exactly a shepherd's delight and the forecast out in the far northwest was poor so we curtailed our Barra exploration and brought forward our ferry booking. We headed on the long 5 hour sail to Oban with plenty of time to think of where our next destination could be.

Unused van in Portnahaven

We had thought about returning to Mull, but chose instead to head across to Islay, where we also had friends that we could visit. The route was pretty easy, having disembarked at Oban, we then headed south through Lochgilphead and Tarbert to the ferry terminal at Kennacraig. We discovered on arrival at the ferry terminal that the ferry in use was stuck on Islay, with engine problems and there was a building backlog of people and cars waiting to get on. It was a long wait, but we did eventually get across. Our friends ran a guest house in Portnahaven and we headed straight there. I hadn't a chance to get out of the driver's seat before a bottle of beer and a dram were thrust into my hands, setting a trend for the evening.

We insisted that we didn't want to put them to any trouble and were happy sleeping in the van outside their house. They were equally insistent that they were having nothing of it and we'd have a room. I was grateful for the luxury of a king size bed, pristine cotton sheets and a luxurious shower after just over a week in the van. We continued to help them denude their wine, beer and whisky supplies significantly. We did such a good job that any thoughts of just stopping the night flew out of the window, as I have discovered that hangover recovery time lengthens with age. We had a wonderful couple of days with them and despite having guests to look after, they were generous enough to take us to a few places that they are fond of on the island, including introducing us to the massive portions of Fish and Chips served at the Sea Salt Bistro in Port Ellen - https://www.seasalt-bistro.co.uk/.  We could barely move afterwards.  

Deep thought - Machir Bay

We had a great time at Portnahaven and I would link our friend's website, but they have now retired and are back on the mainland.  Islay is a fascinating place, but despite a couple of visits I have yet to really explore much on foot other than to walk into and out of a distillery.  One way that you can combine a good walk and a distillery visit is to head for Kilchoman on the west coast - https://kilchomandistillery.com/?v=79cba1185463#!/.  The distillery is one of Islay's youngest and smallest.  It is a farm distillery, well worth a visit and set just back inland from Machir Bay, a beautiful beach on which to stretch your legs after a taste of their excellent whisky with the same name.

The ferry back to Kennacraig this time was accompanied by several gannets, that stayed with us for 20 minutes or so.  Maybe they can use the propeller wash and ship's wake to help spot fish.  Whatever the reason, it was a treat to see them up close and elegant.

Our final destination on the trip was, at least to us,  pretty inevitable really.  We have been visiting the Isle of Arran since childhood and have been back countless times with our own children.  It is a special place to us and we are always like excited children at the prospect of returning.  We also convinced ourselves that it was really just part of the journey home, which in a pure geographical sense it probably was.

 

There is a small ferry that runs in the summer between Claonaig on the mainland and Lochranza at the northern end of Arran.  The distance between Claonaig and Kennacraig, our port of arrival from Islay, is 5 miles.  So we were on the way in no time at all and headed for the campsite at Lochranza for our first stop.  We had also called ahead and booked a table at the Stag Pavillion, known for their generous portions, so we were in need of some exercise after a few days of little walking and plenty of eating.

We climbed Goatfell, Arran's highest mountain, on the following day and saw that someone had left something at the top that made our attempt at some exercise seem fairly modest.  Sitting right by the cairn at the summit (2,866ft) was a blacksmith's anvil.  I discovered that a local man, Davy Ballantyne had hauled the anvil up there himself to raise money for a Diabetes charity and to show his 10 year old daughter who had been recently diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes that she was not alone in her struggle. - https://www.scotsman.com/news/man-hauls-anvil-mountain-support-diabetic-daughter-1474952

Big Davey's Anvil on Goatfell

The last camping stop on this trip was Kildonan in the south of the island.  We have camped here on many occasions and rented cottages more than once too, so the shoreline and the walks are all very familiar to us.  Seal Shore Campsite - https://www.campingarran.com/ - is a relatively small site right on the beach at Kildonan and next door to the Kildonan Hotel.  There are one or two level pitches with no electric hook-up right on the front and the uninterrupted views of the Ayrshire coast, Pladda and Ailsa Craig are wonderful.

 A walk to the west from Seal Shore takes you to the perfect place to sit quietly and watch common seals hauled out on the rocks at low tide.  The numbers have grown over the years that we have been visiting and every low promontory of rock that juts out into the sea around the bay now seems to have seals.  At low tide it is possible to scramble over boulders right round under the cliffs at Bennan Head to Kilmory, but there is no escape route, so tide knowledge is essential.

This part of the coast has also seen a tremendous rise in the otter population and whilst they can be elusive, we have seen them on more than one occasion crunching on a crustacean or darting between fronds of seaweed.  This southern tip of Arran has become a favourite and whilst I am always most keen to head up into the mountains in the north of the island, the benign calm of the south facing shore make for a fantastic base.

Ailsa Craig and Pladda from Seal Shore Campsite

The trip was complete and we headed back to the mainland on the bigger and busier Brodick to Ardrossan ferry.  I loved the freedom that the campervan gave us to make decisions on destinations at the last minute based on weather or just a whim.  I liked the size of the van and it was certainly more like the type that we might eventually buy, but it was still relatively big and silver and shiny.  It was not really a stealthy, low-key, wild camping option.  I know that the Fiat Ducato platform and its derivatives are hugely popular with motorhome manufacturers, but I am not a big fan.  This one was loud when pushed and had a very basic cab set-up that certainly felt more like a van than a car.  I know, I know - it IS a van so don't have a go at me, but there are other options that feel better finished from VW, Mercedes and Ford.  The problem here of course is cost.  The Ducato platform has made buying a motorhome an affordable option for more people and whilst I might be picking holes now, we had a fantastic two weeks in the van.  Who needs swanky dashboards anyway.