Isle of Arran - Day 1
The Isle of Arran is the nearest island to us in Glasgow. My Aunt holidayed here during the 70s when she was a young(er) free spirit and described it beautifully; with rough mountains and deep blue skies.
The weekend we visited some 40 years later, true to Pat’s word, the mountains were rugged and the pockets of clear sky we saw were piercingly blue.
We spent our Saturday driving around the island’s ring road and doing two brilliant short walks. After driving the loop of the northern, more mountainous half of the island we set off on the (very windy) Machrie Moor Stones Circles walk.
With six (!) stone circles in Machrie Moor, it is clear that the Bronze Age (1800-1600 BC) people of Arran held great ritual importance for this place. Timber circles dating from 2035 BC have been found below the stone circles, indicating human’s even longer standing connection with this place.
Some circles are made with short stout granite boulders, others with tall thin pillars of red sandstone, and the ‘opening’ of each circle aligns with the sun on Midsummer’s morning. The day we visited, a ring of cloud circled and then opened above us to reveal a pocket of blue sky. Imposing as the passing storm was, it certainly added to the drama of the stones themselves.
Walking back through the windy Moor seemed faster, but we were being blown back, and in truth the longest part of this short walk for us, was taking time to be in the stones.
With a couple hot chocolates and scones later (from the remote and excellent Café Thyme), we headed a few minutes down the coast to walk in search of Kings Cave.
A great short walk along the edge of a spooky green and mauve forest rounds to the left. Looking down over the cliff to the right, the path follows the coastal edge of the forest to your left – this stretch of walk was the stillest, most silent place we visited on the whole of the island.
The path eases down to the beach, through a crevasse in the rock. Along the pebbly beach, a number of caves in cliffs line the landscape before we make it to the famous Kings Cave.
It is rumored (although generally discredited) that this is 'the cave' where Robert the Bruce whilst sheltering from the English, saw a spider build a web and then gathered the courage to rise up to liberate Scotland. Whether or not this story is true, this cave in itself is intriguing and is also of other significant legend and history.
Numerous Pictish, Viking and early Christian carvings cover the walls (under some less charming modern graffiti). The cave is also associated with mythical Irish hero Fionn in 17th century texts. Standing in front of the ‘alters’ either side of the central cave pillar is mesmerizing, and I do believe in the magical stories just for as long as we are alone in the cavernous silence of the cave.
The walk continues along the beach towards a gorgeous headland, before turning sharply back up the cliff and then through the forest back to the car park.
If you make it to Arran, do both of these walks – they take you to truly magical places like no where I have seen before.
