The venue was about as far as you can get from Moray without falling off the edge of the world and the weather forecast just about stopped short of mentioning plagues of locusts. The lambing snows had fallen heavy on the hills and was lingering, promising deep wet slush for when the temperature rose for the Bank Holiday weekend. It wasn’t looking good. So imagine the surprise when a total of 27 people turned up to this year’s May Day Island weekend on Arran.
Saturday and Sunday weren’t the best weather-wise but luckily Friday and Monday were lovely. Two people who managed to get to Arran early were John and Andy. Keen to bag their requisite number of Marilyns before their trip to St Kilda where they planned a joint ascent of their 1000th, they headed to the Holy Isle. The weather was glorious for drinking in the unique atmosphere of the island. The Soay sheep and Eriskay ponies wandered the grassy hillsides, Buddhist rock paintings dotted along the western shore of the island and the hills of Arran were beautiful to the north with large snow patches glistening under the sun.
Another group of four also took advantage of the weather and turned defeat into victory by heading to the hills a day early. Kat, formally Glorious Leader of the climbers of this prestigious club lead Joe, Jane and Iain up Glen Rosa to the foot of the Majestic Cir Mhor.
They climbed as two pairs up what has been described as the best “V Diff” in the country, Sou’wester Slabs. After some discussion as to where the route started, a trench was cut through the snow to try to get on the route without soaking the rock shoes. Patches of snow still lay on some ledges on the climb but the sun had heat in it and warmed rock, hands and bodies as the climbers ascended the rock, pitch by pitch. Before long they had traversed onto the South Ridge and were at the foot of the infamous Three Tier Chimney. But would it go? After some struggling, thrutching, swearing, flailing and smears of blood from knuckles skinned on the coarse Arran granite all four made it to the top of the climb, and the summit of Cir Mhor. All that remained was to descend to The Saddle and wander down to Corrie Village Hall. Unfortunately it was late in the day, The Saddle is a point so low on the ridge that the occasional winter storm probably hurls its salty spray right over the top of it, and the highest summit in all of Arran is plonked right in between The Saddle and Corrie Village Hall. After a long steep descent, a longer steeper ascent and then an even longer descent to the sea the hall was reached and the climbers were able to relax and tell tales of derring do upon the rock face.
A group of late-arriving revellers set off for Goat Fell on Friday evening to watch the sunset. The four climbers thought they were having auditory hallucinations when, on the upper reaches of the ridge approaching North Goat Fell, they thought they could hear the dulcet tones of a fellow club member, famous for his van and goonie, but upon reaching the summit nobody was there. The sun had set, they were all exhausted after a long day, and perhaps the experience was an example of the so-called “Third Man Factor”, a much-reported phenomenon where an extra person is imagined to join a person or group, often in extremis. But no, said member had actually been there, with a few others but they had all sensibly started their descent before sunset.
Sue got the train to Ardrossan and the Friday lunchtime ferry to Brodick, arriving at the hall after her long and complicated route before anyone else and wondering if she had indeed reached the right place. She joined the Goat Fell party for long enough to get a good view over the Firth of Clyde had a pleasant day walking up to the Devil’s Punchbowl above Sannox on Saturday.
Alan did not make it to Arran on the Friday. He was on Mull supporting Graeme Morrison, who had a very good excuse for not making it to this weekend meet. He was starting his 100 day round of the Munros with Penny The Wonder Dog. The round started with Ben More before returning to mainland Scotland to climb number two of 282.
True to the weather forecast, Saturday was not as benign as Friday. Still, people got out, climbed hills and had fun. Sheena, Drummond, Fiona, Bob, David and Becca headed for Glen Rosa and climbed Beinn Nuis and Beinn Tarsuinn, battling through the sleety snow and strong winds.
Illona and Ella decided that the tops weren’t so inviting and walked up Gleann Easan Biorach from the distillery at Lochranza. They got to Loch na Davie and returned by way of Gleann Diomhan. Alan and Fiona climbed Beinn Luibhean in Arrochar on Saturday before making the rough ferry crossing from Claonaig to Arran.
Nicholas and Ray walked out the door of the hall and straight up Goat Fell, the highest hill on Arran. From there they traversed North Goat Fell, Mullach Buidhe and Cioch na h-Oighe before descending to Sannox and a little shelter from the wind. Others went for low level walks, and the standing stones of Machrie Moor were a popular poor weather alternative to the hills.
Another hardy group took to their bikes and braved the weather to cycle round the island. They braved strong wind, rain, dodgy road surfaces, new extra wide buses and daft drivers
of other vehicles and cycled for many miles all over Arran, finally returning to Corrie in one piece.
Sunday dawned wet. Those camping outside the hall were lucky if they remained dry and could feasibly have drowned if they had camped in some of the lower parts of the hall grounds. Many took this opportunity to do low level walks and visit the many tourist attractions of Arran whilst others gave up and went home.
Sue, on the other hand, set out to climb Maol Donn from Brodick, via Glen Rosa. The tops were in cloud and the burns in spate so after a while she opted to return in one piece, rather than try to force a route in inclement conditions. Just as well she did return safely to the hall, she was later presented with a fluffy toy dinosaur as a memento for when she heads off for several months to dig up dinosaurs in Utah.
Sheena, Katie and Rachel did a circuit of the north end of the island from Lochranza. The weather wasn’t great but there were plenty sights to see. Ancient fossils, desert sandstones, Ossian’s Cave and the Cock of Arran, which apparently is quite large. They also saw Eider ducks, swans, various small birds, primroses, violets and flag irises, following it all by a tour of Arran Distillery.
Joe and Sheila made the most of the weather by spending much of Sunday drinking tea and eating cake. When the weather finally cleared and most people had returned to the hall for the evening they set out to Lochranza and followed the coast to the east. They searched in vain for Ossian’s Cave, not realising that three fellow club members had been there earlier in the day. At least Sheena confirmed that it was “quite difficult to find” so maybe they weren’t quite as lost, blind or mad as they feared. The return to Lochranza was sublime in the pink glow of the setting sun, with appreciation of the view slightly tempered by the knowledge that the headtorches had been left in the car.
Unfortunately many people had to leave early on Monday. Unfortunately, because the clouds of the past two days had parted to reveal blue sky and Arran was bathed in warm sunshine.
Some took this opportunity to climb Goat Fell and appreciate the views of Arran and beyond to the great peninsular of Kintyre, the hilly island of Jura to the west, the mountains of Argyll to the north and the rolling Ayrshire hills to the east.
Bob, Fiona, Joe and Sheila, inspired by tales from Andy and John, headed to the Holy Isle. The traverse of the hill felt very mountainous for its diminutive size, almost like a wee tamer version of Stac Pollaidh and a wander around the gardens of the Buddhist Centre.
Report: Joe Glennie
Photos: Andy, Kat and John