Day One: Glasgow to Arran (Tour of Western Isles)

At last, the meander of the year for us has arrived, a jaunt that has been weeks in its construction and taken months of training. A journey that has required foresight in its planning and one that has caused numerous bumps and bruises in its preparation, an adventure that requires adherence to strict time parameters and a resolve to conquer all the irregularities that the Scottish weather conditions can muster. A holiday that will bring a daily challenge of energy, strength and determination and one we hope will be rich in reward as we tour the scenic splendour of Scotland’s western isles by bike and boat.

On day one we take the train from Glasgow to Ardrossan on the Clyde coast where we will take our first CalMac ferry to Brodick in Arran and cycle north to Lochranza to our first overnight stop.

Day Two will see us take the short hop by ferry to Claonaig where we cycle over the Mull of Kintyre to board the ferry for Port Askaig on Islay and then cycle south to Port Charlotte.

Day Three will be a rest day on Islay in which we intend to discover its sandy west coast.

Day Four sees us return to Port Askaig to catch the ferry to Oban via The Isle of Colonsay and access to the Outer Hebrides.

Day Five, we board the ferry to Isle of Barra stopping at Coll and Tiree en-route and then circumnavigate the island.

Day Six and we take the ferry from Barra to Lochboilsdale on South Uist and than cycle through South Uist, Benbecula and North Uist to Lochmaddy.

Day Seven and we cross between Lochmaddy and Uig on the Isle of Skye and cycle south to Sconser and another ferry to the Isle of Raasay lying to the east of Skye.

Day Eight is our final day which takes us back on to Skye and a cycle south to the port of Armadale where we board our final ferry to Mallaig on the mainland and a train home to Glasgow.

Standing majestically at the northwest edge of Europe, these far flung islands offer a rich diversity of landscapes and species, arts, crafts and music: the islands have an abundance of beautiful habitats... peaceful, unspoilt and natural. Fresh water and sea lochs unsurpassable in their beauty and abundance provide a great resource for fishermen and bird life alike; an oasis of calm in a chaotic world.

Cycling through Glasgow’s mean streets on a Sunday morning is not for the faint hearted as we pass various groups of males and females struggling to identify there whereabouts and time of day as they stagger about blinded by alcohol and false bravado. The sight of two people with heavily laden bikes so early in the morning seems to fuel their booze sozzled brains with amusement, they, of course see no amusement in being in a near state of undress while being unable to put together two coherent sentences. Can we really be leaving all this behind ;-)

The 8:40 am train to Ardrossan has a mixed bag of passengers, some of whom are suffering badly from the Saturday night excess and some like us who are going to Arran to explore its delights. Our pre-plan for this part of the holiday was to take our time and break ourselves in to our new bikes gradually as we travel north from Brodick to Lochranza. Unfortunately the weather as we look across from Ardrossan does not look promising. Low threatening clouds close in on us as we alight from the ferry and the sky opens up in torrential fashion. Stopping to make a minor adjustment to Eric’s seat we press on undeterred on the 14 mile road which is becoming increasingly busy by the use of Sunday morning churchgoers.

Passing through the small coastal villages of Corrie and Sannox we stop to capture the mooring posts on their harbours which have been painted to look like sheep, they look so life like from a distance that you feel compelled to go out and check there authenticity.

The hill that rears before us at 11 miles comes as a surprise as we were anticipating a leisurely coastal stroll on our first day. As we struggle with our gear recognition on our new bikes we take great pride in reaching the top of a two mile hill and take great exhilaration as we freewheel at great speed all the way down into Lochranza.

Lochranza is the most northernly sited of Arran's villages and is located in the north-western corner of the island. The village is set on the shore of Loch Ranza, a small sea loch. Lochranza itself lays along both sides of the loch it is named after, though the main focus of activity is on the south western side. The mouth of the loch on this side is home to the ferry slipway, and as you progress along the shore from here you pass a string of cottages, hotels and guest houses and the village hall. Dominating the small village is the stunning Lochranza Castle which sits proudly on a curved shingle spit in the bay. Opposite the castle lies our overnight stop; Castle Kirk guest house which as the name suggests was the old castles church at one time and has now been transformed in to a time preserved B&B and art gallery.

Although still early in the day we attempt to gain early entry to our accommodation as the rain has soaked us through and we are keen to gain some shelter to change our clothes. Our early arrival catches our landlady unaware as we wait patiently as she gasses on relentlessly to a friend on the phone oblivious to our presence downstairs waiting to be booked in. Coming off the phone she immediately suggests that we should give her all our wet clothes which she duly washes and dries for us. This is a thoughtful gesture that we are grateful to take her up on, as we prepare ourselves for an evening dinner in the nearby Lochranza Hotel.

As we stroll along in the early evening for our meal the torrential rain has subsided and the locals are out counting the damage and clearing blocked drains while hordes of Red Deer feed in gardens oblivious to the homeowners concerns. An extraordinary coexistence which seems to suit all concerned and one that adds to the fairytale feel of this quaint little idyll.