Goat Fell And A Wrong Turn

The 9:45am ferry to the Isle of Arran, departing from Ardrossan on the Firth of Clyde is our first time parameter today as we set off in anticipation of a gentle ascent up Arran’s highest peak. On arriving at Ardrossan pier we find the stunning vista across the water to Arran that usually greets its visitors is today obscured by a heavy haze which sadly fails to lift as the day progresses.

The Isle of Arran is one of the most southerly Scottish islands and sits between Ayrshire and Kintyre on the South, West coast. It is 19 miles long by 10 miles wide but has a remarkable diversity of landscapes and seascapes and is often regarded as "Scotland in miniature". The pretty villages on Arran's beautiful coastline are complemented by a rugged and mountainous interior in the north and green rolling hills and woodland in the south which is home to the majority of the 4,500 people who live here.

Our gentle 55 minute cruise on flat calm waters is enlivened by a trial rescue mission by some of the ships crew as they clamber aboard the rescue RIB and take off at great speed on a phantom exercise. It is not until we reach a few miles offshore that the Isle opens up too us and we catch our first glimpse of the mountain we are about to ascend, Goat Fell. At 874 metres (2,867 ft), Goat Fell it is one of four Corbetts on the island. The name is believed to mean either 'Mountain of Wind' (from the Gaelic gaoth) or 'Goat Mountain' (from the Norse geita). It is a spectacular example of an open, rugged, upland landscape formed during the last ice age and on a clear day you may see as far as Ben Lomond to the north and the coast of Ireland to the south-west.

The start of our anticipated climb entails catching a local bus which conveniently awaits our arrival at the pier, then departing around the island at a leisurely pace it delivers its local passengers to their doorstep whilst stopping for a few seconds as we recognise a few seals lounging on some rocks. On being dropped at the small hamlet of Sannox we start our assault on Goat Fell. This is also where, with the benefit of hindsight that we make a wrong turn which eventually puts an extra 3 hours on our day and turns our anticipated gentle climb in to something a tad more exhilarating and rewarding. As indicated on the map above, we do not veer to the left on entering Glen Sannox but cross over the stream and head due east through the majestic Glen towards and a sweat inducing climb up ‘The Saddle’ which separates Glen Sannox from Glen Rossa. While walking through Sannox, Eric narrowly escapes being bitten by Britain’s only venomous snake; ‘The Adder’, as he unwittingly strolls through open heathland.

From the top of The Saddle we head east up on to North Goatfell. An easy walk with a couple of harmless scrambles it wasn't long before we were perched on the slab of the false summit. From here we set off south for the top of Goatfell, half a mile away. A well graded ridge - Stacach - links the two peaks. This section calls for a steady nerve as we traverse over a set of delightful granite tors, the rocky bunions offering an array of handholds and ledges which were not listed in our anticipated itinerary.

The summit trig point offers a welcoming rest point as we take in the haze restricted view of the outgoing ferry leaving Brodick Bay far below. Our rest break at the summit is cut short on the realisation that we must catch this outgoing ferry on its return to Brodick 2hr 30mins hence. Our descent from the summit takes on an almost comical element as we hurtle down the boulder strewn path at great speed in the quest to make the last ferry to the mainland. As we reach the final 2 mile stretch along Brodick beach we see the ferry in the horizon preparing to land at the pier. Once again we step up our pace and run along the promenade like errant children running for a school bus and we board the ferry with 5 minutes to spare.

Our return journey to Ardrossan is guided by partying Porpoises as they ride high on the bow waves of the ship, and as the haze begins to rise we capture a final sunset shot of the mountain where we took the wrong turn.