Isle of Arran Mountain Festival

Arran Mountain Festival Visit to Holy Isle with COAST

It was a stunning but blustery day that Sibbie Sangster and I led the Mountain Festival Walk on Holy Isle and we are grateful to the Holy Isle Ferry who pulled out all the stops to get us over there and back again in choppy conditions. The deteriorating forecast meant that we were working to a schedule to return to Lamlash. Happily, the team of walkers in our group were up for a good stomp and we headed up to the summit of the island with purpose. As we walked through the trees, on the lower slopes of the north of the Isle, it was wonderful to see how the conservation work by the Holy Isle community has helped to regenerate a native woodland. Once out of the trees, there were magnificent views across the bay and towards the peaks of the Goatfell Range.

There was also a chance on the way up to talk about the COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust) proposal for a community conservation area in Lamlash Bay. COAST’s vision is to protect maerl beds and other seabed habitats, regenerate fish and scallop populations and to enhance the marine biodiversity in Lamlash Bay through the creation of a No Take Zone (NTZ) and an adjacent Marine Protected Area. Whilst the NTZ was instated in 2008, the long awaited Marine Protected Area seems more distant than ever, despite promises from government politicians. COAST are also part of a campaign to reinstate the three mile limit in the Clyde, which it is hoped will help save the Clyde's dwindling fisheries before it is too late. We also heard how early survey work in the NTZ is already showing signs of regeneration of the seabed, after decades of damaging scallop dredging in the area.

A short scramble brought us to the summit of Mullach Mor (314m) with panoramic views all around the Clyde. It was possible to see the Arrochar Alps in the northwest, and Ailsa Craig to the south. Gannets patrolled up and down the east coast of the island, plunging in to the choppy waters to catch fish. Walkers can follow a circular route from the summit that descends the South ridge and returns to the jetty along the western shore. However, becuase of our tight schedule, we returned by the same route. Sibbie brought some fantastic photos of the marine life found in Lamlash Bay which we looked at over lunch. We were able to find a sheltered spot tucked away out of the wind between the two summits of Mullach Beag and Mullach Mor.

Many thanks to the Holy Isle Community, the Holy Isle Ferry, and the Arran Mountain Festival for making this wonderful walk possible.
For more information about the Coast project and campaigns click here to visit the website.

Lucy Wallace
Mountain Leader and Local Guide
http://www.arranwildwalks.co.uk/
Blog: www.wildonarran.blogspot.com