The Arran Hills: Many Shades of Grey!

Certain to get your heart racing and your knees trembling, Arran’s exciting mountains take your breath away. Whilst Munro-baggers may whizz up the M74 without turning left, missing out the Arran hills because of their lack of a few metres is a bit like getting married without the wedding night.

So what makes the Arran hills so seductive?

1. A magnificent profile: from all approaches, the distinctive mountain skyline of Arran commands your gaze, with its soaring peaks and pinnacles. The towering east ridge of Caisteal Abhail is known as the Sleeping Warrior- see the photo. (He’s wearing a helmet and he has a firm chin!)

2. In a vigorous embrace: Arran is only ten miles wide so wherever you are, you’re never far from the encircling presence of the waves. From the summits, you can get 360 degree sea views- to Northern Ireland, the Kintyre peninsula, the Paps of Jura, Mull, the Arrochar Alps, Cowal, Bute, Ayrshire and Galloway.

3. No boring introductions:  you won’t find long walk-ins on Arran. Unless you keep going in circles round the coast, the only way is up, but taking things one step at a time you’ll be amazed at the height you can achieve in a relatively short time. The apparently vertical climb up Cioch na h'Oighe is a good example of this - it’s still a walker’s route though a head for heights and sure-footedness will help.

4. Fill up your senses: waterfalls stream over Arran’s shoulders, sliding down chutes and plunging into deep, ferny chasms. The background music of water accompanies every Arran walk. Glen Catacol especially is a great place for waterfall hunters.

5. Hands-on experiences:  once you’re on the ridges you won’t be able to resist some exciting hands-on scrambling on the satisfyingly rough-textured  tors of pale grey granite.

6 An untamed character: whilst the Gulf Stream caresses Arran with warm currents making palm trees flourish round its coastline, the mountain tops are survivors of fierce battles with Atlantic weather. Apart from Goatfell, the hills of Arran are uncrowded and perfect for walks on the wild side.

7. A fascinating past:  walks on Arran reveal hints of the ancestors in ancient cairns, stone circles and the remains of prehistoric hill forts. The echoes of Viking rule are in the names of the coastal settlements.

8. Beautiful creatures: Arran’s most famous wild creatures just happen to be very good looking ones too: there are the pure-blooded, elegant red deer for example, as well as majestic golden eagles, tufty-eared red squirrels and lithe, playful otters to select but a few.

9. Fulfilling: Arran walks are adventurous and the end of adventure satisfaction factor as you enjoy your meal in one of Arran’s independent restaurants is off the scale overwhelmingly good.

10. Enduring and elemental: Arran enjoys worldwide celebrity status in geology circles for its amazing rocks. The island represents a coming together on a titanic scale of highland and lowland. The mountains themselves burst into being as an exploding volcano.  Today, the hills are a rocky heaven with pebbles, boulders, outcrops and crags in every imaginable and lovely shade of grey.

Kathy Mawson

All photos are copyright of Lochranza Campsite

Gaelic in the Mountains walk

Gaelic in the Mountains
Arran Mountain Festival walk. May 21 2012.

Crossing North Sannox Burn, the name being
a mix of English, Norse and Gaelic

Apparently Gaelic has about as many words for mountains as the Inuit are reputed to have for snow. For example, beinn (Beinn Nuis) refers to a mountain, whilst mullach (Mullach Buidhe) means a top specifically, and torr (Torr Nead an Eoin) is a hillock. (Don’t be put off by the terrifying spellings; the sounds are much easier.)

A lesson in pronunciation ....... or not!!!

Andy Walker, head forester of the Forestry Commission Scotland on Arran and leader of our AMF group doing the Gaelic in the Mountains day, explained why Gaelic is so important to his work: the Gaelic names actually contain far more precise information about the land than any OS map. For example, the Gaelic name of one particular burn at North Sannox translates as “the burn with the fist-sized pebbles”.

Views into Garbh Coire (rough corrie), and
along the Creag Dhubh ridge to Sail an Im (Heel of Butter)

The wild and empty glen we walked through was once full of people tending their cattle; Andy showed us the ruins of their summer sheilings. We climbed up the graceful Cuidhe Mheadhonach ridge to the summit of Caisteal Abhail where we enjoyed almost 360 degree views in the sunshine over mainland Scotland and other islands. The pace was leisurely and bird sightings included a golden eagle and a male hen harrier. Co-leader Jo Totty pointed out tiny wildflowers amongst the heather: yellow tormentil, pink lousewort and purple milkwort, and explained how they were used in past times; again illustrating the intimate knowledge of nature of the Gaelic people.

A view from Caisteal Abharil

The infamous Ceum na Caillich

We also learned that garbh, dubh coires are to be avoided because they are rough and dark, and that the translation of Ceum na Caillich as the Witch’s Step is maybe a bit unfair - caillich means an old woman and is used in the Gaelic for owl (cailleach-oidhche, old woman of the night). I pictured a wise woman, collecting bunches of tormentil to ease troubles. The people of Sannox had to leave their beloved land for a new life in Canada because of the Clearances. I hope their ghosts could hear the words of their language ringing out in lively conversation in the glen today.


Kathy Mawson

Arran hills, some of the best in Scotland!

Here's a few pics taken yesterday of the Arran mountains seen from across Brodick Bay. Breathtaking! Definitely up there with the best of Scottish hillwalking!

Bookings are going well for this year's Arran Mountain Festival, some of the walks are fully booked, and a couple are over subscribed! Don't delay - check out www.arranmountainfestival.co.uk and book your walk!

The Three Beinns Horseshoe, a classic ridge walk, sponsored by Merrell. So popular that we're running it twice, and currently there are just a couple of places left on the Friday and Monday walks. Tempting isn't it - go on, get booking! http://www.arranmountainfestival.co.uk/friday-18-may/three-beinns-horseshoe.html

From right to left Am Binnein, Mullach Buidhe, North Goatfell (not in view) and Goatfell.  This walk, sponsored by the Friends of Brodick Castle is being led on the Monday of the Festival, and currently there are only 5 spaces left.  Don't miss out on this wonderful, but little walked, walk.

JoT

Girls' night out on Arran!

A Friday in January, four girls headed out on a girlie night out.  It was very wild, wet and windy .....

..... but we didn't head to the pub ....

..... no, we chose a nasty night to go out on a night navigation exercise ....

..... and got home safe and sound!

JoT

So, what do some of your mountain leaders do in their spare time!  Obviously we spend a lot of time on the Arran hills, but we do occassionally like to travel a little further afield!! 

Here are some wonderful snowy shots taken in February as I wandered some of our fabulous Scottish hills :-)  I was up in the Glenshee area, a bit of battle at the start through the ski lifts and runs, but once off the beaten track the peace and tranquility was so well worth the effort. 

Another 'hill day' to add to my Mountain Leader log book, and another 3 munro ticks, if you're into that sort of thing ;-)



























JoT

Arran Mountain Festival ceilidh

Saturday 7 April was the first of the Arran Mountain Festival events - the Easter family ceilidh. A brilliant evening at Lochranza village hall, with fabulous live music from the Arranach ceilidh band. There was an Easter bonnet parade, which was won by Hannah for the children, and by me for the adults - very very special yummy Easter egg prizes donated by James of Arran, Arran's Chocolate Factory! The Lucky Dip was particularly popular with the children, and the shove ha'penny (pound) to win a bottle of whisky was good entertainment for the interval! See
http://www.facebook.com/#!/ArranMountainFestival for some video clips and some photos - the evening was great fun, and went by in a bit of a blur ;-)

JoT