Autumn Trip 2019. Kintyre, Isle of Arran, Edinburgh and Rothiemurches.

Kintyre Peninsula. (Carradale Bay)

The long and winding road that stretches down the East Coast of the Kintyre Peninsula is said to have been the inspiration for the Beatles song of the same name.  This inspiration came during Paul McCartney’s first visits to his property, High Park Farm near Campbeltown; it was here he spent many happy days with his wife Linda and their young family. Once you turn off the A83 and head towards Carradale Bay Camp Site the 24 miles of the B842 is certainly a long and winding single-track road.

The Isle of Arran offers a magnificent backdrop to our campsite, which is situated on one of the best beaches on the Kintyre Peninsular. Our allocated pitch offered superb panoramic views out over the sea and of the surrounding countryside. This was a very restful location that was not too busy, and had the benefit of adequate and clean facilities.

The nearest village is Carradale, which can be approached either by road or the mile long beach in front of the caravan park and then by following a pathway across some lush farmland. In the 19th century the village developed as a small resort with steamer connections between Campbeltown and Glasgow. A wee fishing harbour still exists although no longer boasting a herring trade it now mainly deals with shellfish. Just outside the village, close to the local Community Centre is a community shop run by volunteers and also to be found in the village is a highly recommended restaurant and coffee shop, which unfortunately was not open on the day we visited the harbour.

A short walk to the top of the road leading from the campsite will bring you to a small settlement. Outside the local Health Centre you will find a stop where you can catch a bus directly into Campbeltown.

The chief town and port of Campbeltown is set around a beautiful harbour that sits at the head of Campbeltown Loch. The sea has provided a natural highway from Campbeltown to national and international markets, a transport route still used to day by renewable energy and the timber industry. In 2005 the Quay was widened with further piling works taking place in 2012, which allowed significant dredging works and provided a minimum available depth of 9 metres. Work partly funded the European Regional Development Fund.

At the mouth of the Loch can be seen the tidal island of Davaar with its Stevenson Lighthouse. The town is not as big as we expected and still suffers from the decline of its fishing and whiskey industries and apparently the closure of the nearby Air Force base, but there are still many attractions for the visitor.

Following a Fish Supper in the Bluebell Restaurant it was time to explore. Just passed the restaurant, along a nicely renovated seafront, can be found the oldest functioning picture house in Scotland.

Campbeltown Museum offers a unique insight into Kintyre’s ancient and modern history. This masterpiece of Victorian Renaissance architecture was built by John James Burnet in the 19th century and retains all of its original features. To access the museum you have to pass through a rather splendid meeting room and a gold door!

At the back of the building is a sheltered inner garden that is dedicated to the memory of Lady Linda McCartney. Following 56-year-old Linda’s death from breast cancer in 1998 her friends and admirers locally decided that her memory and contribution to Kintyre, where her ashes now rest, should be marked in a permanent way. Following the formation of a small charitable trust this quiet haven for rest and contemplation was created. The centrepiece of this lovely garden is a bronze statue, which was donated by Paul McCartney.

This part of Kintyre was very quiet, allowing a restful few days, something that was needed after a recently busy time. Also some rather nice walks allowed us to sample some of its picturesque delights including Sally’s Walk to Bridgend and look around Saddell and Carradale Church.

The Isle of Arran.

Our next port of call was Lochranza Camp Site at the north end of the Isle of Arran at the north which meant a short Cal-Mac crossing on the Claonaig Ferry link to Lochranza a small ferry port, built in 1972, alongside a yachting resort.

But before settling in to our new campsite a visit to Arrans central town of Brodick was required to pick up provisions at the largest of the towns two Co-Op’s. While we were in town we indulged in a light lunch at the rather nice, and reasonably priced, Little Rock Cafe.

On the evening we arrived at the site there was a very large contingent of youngsters staying in wee tents, which we were informed were taking part in various sections of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Apparently the next stage of their trip was three days wild camping - hopefully some dry weather awaits them?

Another resident of the campsite, and its adjoining golf course, was a herd of deer including some very large and impressive stags. Each morning the site manager would tour the campsite and collects the deer’s scat – not quite sure what she did with it!

The following morning we walked up to Lochranza Village. The village developed in association with a castle, and later with salt extraction, coal mining and herring fishing. Opposite the end of the pier is a rather nice sandwich bar that was originally the Fire Station, it has an outside seating area and there is also a bench over looking the sea where you can eat your piece and watch the ferry cross the Kilbrannan Sound.

 Dating back to the 13th century the castle was owned by various people and was involved with some important historical characters including Robert the Bruce. When he landed in Lochranza in 1306 on his return from Ireland to claim the Scottish throne, James IV used the castle in his dispute against Clan MacDonald. During the 1650’s Cromwell used it and by 1705 it became the property of the Duchess of Hamilton. During the 18th century the castle fell into disuse and was abandoned to the elements. Historic Scotland is now responsible for its care.

After a good look around the ruined castle we walked back to the site via the rather beautiful St Brides Church. The leaflet found in the church will give you a brief history of the building and does state that strong historical evidence exists that there has been a church on the site since medieval times and certainly since before the reformation in Scotland in 1560. Originally known as ‘St James’ a name that did not survive the anti-Catholic bias of the 17th century. It finally became known as by its present day name only in 1929.

Opposite the front entrance to our site is the Isle of Arran Distillery Visitor Centre with some very nice looking buildings and plenty of parking spaces although we were not interested in alcohol it does have cafe, a shop and a gallery. Its outside this building you will find the bus stops that will take you to and from Brodick.

We took a very enjoyable circular walk direct from the campsite via South Newton up across the headland, pausing for an ice cream at The Whins Cafe Shop, and on to Fairy Dell where can be found a white cottage and a boat shed. Following a leisurely lunch break overlooking the sea we then continued back along the Coastal Way to South Newton and Lochranza.

You can’t visit the west side of the island without a day out at Broderick Castle and its splendid gardens and Country Park.

The castle is situated on the northern outskirts of Brodick and can be seen quite clearly from the town. It was the ancient seat of the dukes of Hamilton. The fortified tower dating from the 13th century was extended in the 16th century, and again by Cromwell in the 17th century. But it was not until the 19th century that the castle was finally extended to what we witness today.

In 1843 the 10th Duke of Hamilton decided that with a few modifications the castle would make a grand home for his son and his wife but he did not foresee the amount of modifications that would make it into a very fashionable Victorian mansion fit for one of Scotland’s richest and most powerful families. William the future 11th Duke and his royal bride Princess Marie of Baden wasted no time in adding what Marie described as ‘adding a few rooms’ which in fact doubled the size of the castle. Once this grand extension was complete Marie turned her attention to the grounds and along side German artist George Hering, she redesigned the surrounding landscape, introducing romantic walkways along with four decorative Bavarian summerhouses. The final Hamilton to reside in the castle was Lady Mary Louise Douglas-Hamilton who was a key figure in the conservation and development of the gardens that now forms the Country Park. Following the death of Lady Mary, Duchess of Montrose in 1957 Brodick Castle and the grounds came into the stewardship of the National Trust for Scotland. A very worthwhile day out unless you get caught in a heavy downpour whilst waiting for the 324 bus - but that’s Scotland for you.

Moving on again this time south of Brodick. Middletown’s Caravan and Camping Park is situated on the outskirts of Lamlash and is mainly made up of static mobile homes but still gives the impression of wide-open spaces.

The camping park is a short walk from the village, which itself lies beside the deep and wide bay sheltered by Holy Island. The bay has provided an important anchorage for navel vessels and is also where the wreck of the Derwent, which went down in 1880, rests to this day. Lamlash has a Co-Op, a general store that sells newspapers, some high-class gift shops and a selection of hotels, restaurants and cafes. It is a lovely wee village with houses/shops set back from a wide grass verge along side the sea front.

Its from the pier that you can catch a wee ferry across to Holy Island, which takes its name from its association with St Molaise (566-640 AD) It was once known as Eileen na Molaise - the Isle of Molaise. In the 6th century the saint spent several years in a cave on the island, ‘mortifying his flesh’ in preparation for becoming a missionary. Formally owned by the Duke of Hamilton the island was purchased by the Scottish Buddhists of the Samye Ling Tibetan Centre. This Sacred Site is a Nature Reserve that boasts ponies, Soay sheep and feral goats. Visitors are welcome as long as you stay on the designated footpaths and not bring dogs onto the island. At the north end of the island there is the Centre for World Peace and Health and at the south end there is a closed Buddhist Retreat.

You can if you feel really courageous walk up and across the Mullach Mor at 1030ft or if not you can follow the lower coastal path round to the Pillar Rock lighthouse - built by D A Stevenson in 1904 for the Commissioners of Northern Lighthouse.

On the walk you get to enjoy many of the islands animals roaming quite happily about the grass banks and the pebble shoreline. Also there are some splendid rock paintings, the cave where the saint spent 6 years of his monastic life, a tree grove dedicated to the memory of ‘The Children of Dunblane’, and a Healing Spring and the Judgement Rock. Returning the same way to the Jetty where you wait for the small ferry to take you across the Bay back to the Mainland.

Our final move on Arran was across to the west coast to what was without doubt the best campsite we had stayed on to date. Bridgend Cottage Camp Site at Shiskine is a lovely small site that’s very well located to explore the western edge of the island. The facilities are warm and kept very clean and the owners are very friendly and offer good quality Wi-Fi and in-house washing facilities, both at a reasonable rate. Its location finally persuaded us to take down our two wheeled transport.

Four miles south of the site is the wee village of Blackwaterfoot that lies in the Drumadoon Bay. There we found a well stocked Post Office/Store, a take away, a gift shop were you can get a newspaper and a very grand looking Best Western Hotel opposite the shop is the Arran Butcher which has supplied butcher meat to the people of Arran for over 50 years. Just a short walk along the coast is the local golf course that has a public pathway along the shore. The village is a grand wee place and was well worth a visit. There are seats around its picturesque harbour allowing you to take in its tranquil ambiance and on which you can enjoy your picnic lunch.

Turning left out the campsite and following a short section of roadway until you come to a forestry track. This long track took us up through the forest and offered some grand views of the surrounding area. Eventually you come to the bridge that crosses the Clauchan Water and the very edge of the Clauchan Glen. You can carry on up the forest path but there is no way through so you have to return the way you came - making a total of eleven miles. During the night before our walk there was a very stormy night with some very strong winds that persisted at the start of our walk but once the wind eased the day materialised into a very sunny and warm day.

Machrie lies four miles north of Blackwaterfoot and its here you will find the famous sacred landscape of Machrie Moor with its stone circles and standing stones. The first stone circle is surrounding a cairn that marks the burial of a powerful individual who died approximately 4000 years ago. Opposite some derelict farm buildings is Fingal's Cauldron Seat. Fungal was a warrior giant and it is said that the circle of stones supported a cauldron, which he ate from. Big appetite these giants!

Following the pathway through the gate, a little way passed the farm, are the standing stones. According to our Clan Walk Guide these may have been constructed for religious reasons, perhaps as calendars using the position of the sun and the moon, or as meeting places, but no one can be quite sure why they were built. They are believed to date back to Neolithic and Bronze Age, between 5500 to 3000 years ago. In 1985-86 the remains of timber circles were found which predated two of the stone circles. It is believed that there are still many other sites lying below the peaty landscape. This area of the island has always attracted settlers because of its fertile land.

Strangely you sometimes miss what is on your doorstep during our travels. It was at the very last part of our stay at Shiskine that we discovered Clachan Church and Kirkyard just below the campsite.

We never thought that the wild and stormy night before we were due to leave Arran would result in an additional drive time of 3 hours! Arriving at Brodick Ferry Terminal with plenty of time to spare to catch the Ardrossan Ferry only to be informed that it was cancelled due to the sea swell, which to be honest did look a little wild. We were then informed by a rather snotty individual with large Harry Potter glasses that Cal Mac could not get us on another ferry until after 9 o’clock that evening which meant hanging about for eleven hours! The alternative was the Lochranza to Claonaig Ferry, which was possibly still running. Decision time, the Lochranza option looked our best bet, but would involve us in a great deal more drive time than we had planned. We eventually arrived at our next destination at 5pm - a long and tiring day.

Edinburgh.

The main reason for our stay at Mortonhall was to take part in the AUOB Independence March something we very much enjoyed last year. It was estimated that upwards of 200,000 Yes supporters took part. Not even the wet weather could put a dampener on the day, but because of the rain we did not spend as long as we would have liked at the gathering in the Meadows at the end of the march. This was certainly the biggest demonstration for Scottish Independence to date and, quite rightly should panic the English Government and their Unionist bedfellows. Quoting a recent article in The National “These marches symbolise hope, they symbolise self belief and a new found confidence. There’s been a sea change in how Scotland see’s itself and how it envisages its future, one where it can make its decisions on how to create a fairer and more equal society” Are you listening Unionists?

Our stay also allowed us to see our family, and carry out one or two massages in Scotland’s grand capital city.

Any visit to the big city should of course include a visit to the theatre or the cinema. This time it was a visit to the Odeon Lothian Road to see the film of the moment - Joker. The film has an Oscar winning performance from Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. It is a study of mental illness that has you empathising with the Phoenix character. I also found it quite a hard watch demonstrating what can happen when the population rises up against authoritarian oppression. Although it was set in 1981 it could be know, bearing in mind the politics being forced upon us by a extreme right wing English nationalist government.

Rothiemurches.

Moving on again much further north to spend a week near Aviemore on the tranquil Rothiemurches Camping and Caravan Park that is situated amongst some very majestic and ancient pine trees and is at the centre of the Rothiemurches estate and forest. The facilities are warm and clean, although quite a hike on a chilly and wet morning; the managers were very helpful and friendly. The site incidentally is open all year.

The Grant family has owned the estate for nearly five centuries. It lies between the Cairngorms Mountains and the River Spay. As well as having the largest remnant of the Caledonian Forest, the ancient forest of Scots pine that once covered large swaths of the Scottish countryside, it comprises vast areas of moorland. There is a visitor’s centre just a short distance from the site that has a farm and gift shop along side a small restaurant. From here you can book a variety of outdoor activities. Happily the area hosts a great many well laid paths for both walking and cycling.

In an idyllic setting amid the mountains Aviemore, “the gateway to the Cairngorms” which is less than two miles from the campsite, started life as a humble scattered crofting township, that was until the 1960’s when it became a centre for skiing in the Cairngorms Mountains making the town an all year round tourist resort. It comes across as a very affluent wee town and has a grand selection of outdoor shops, as you would expect. It also has a range of general shops including Tesco’s, Aldi, and M&S Food Shop. The Old Logging Way is an off road bike/pedestrian pathway that takes you into town and there is also a bus service from outside Rothiemurches campsite.

On one of our visits to Aviemore a Half Marathon was taking place. This race was a fundraiser for the Spayside Trust that facilitates people with a disability to enjoy an outdoor holiday at Badaguish Centre where the race started.

As I’ve said before one of the best and most enjoyable things about the Grant estate is the network of well-maintained walking/cycling paths. Loch an Eilein (Gaelic for Loch of the Island) is a small Loch and the walk there took us through some magnificent pine forests and offered some wonderful views of the Cairngorms National Park.

On a small island in the loch stands the ruins of a small 14th century castle originally constructed as a place of refuge from thieves and ‘threatening activities’ by the notorious Wolf of Badenoch whose real name was Alexander Stewart, a younger son of King Robert of Scotland and grandson of Robert the Bruce. Forever linked to Jacobite history when in 1690 the defeated Jacobites from the Battle of Cromdale besieged the castle. In 1745 after the bloody battle at Culloden the window of the 5th Laird Jean Gordon (alias Grizel Mhor a well known Jacobite Lady) sheltered fugitives in the castle. Further round the Loch there is a visitor’s centre that is basically a gift shop and a cafe.

Our walk back revealed a herd of Roe Deer grazing in a field, which was a real bonus - and the rain held off for most of the day!

The following day the weather was to be predicated to be dry and bright, although cold, so we headed west towards the Cairngorms Mountain to see where the funicular railway, when repaired, will take people up to the summit of Cairn Gorm.

Bike trails most of the way that is until you come the very steep 4-mile climb that takes you up to the 2000ft mark where the ski facilities start. At this level you have a large cafe and shop along side the very interesting Cairngorms Story Mountain Exhibition. We were very proud of the fact that we made this hard climb on our bikes - they may be battery assisted but believe me it was still a very hard slog!

There is plenty to see on the way to and from the mountain centre including the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre. Re-introduced to Scotland in 1952, having died out many years ago, the Cairngorm Herd are the only reindeer in the UK today that live in their natural habitat. They are also the only herd that roam freely on the mountains for much of the year, living a completely natural lifestyle in the sub-artic habituate of the Cairngorms. The centre offers a chance to see the beasts in their natural environment out on the hill but we were to late to join a trip. Some of the reindeer are kept in a paddock along side the centre which gave us a chance to see these lovely animals up close.

There is also another campsite, opposite the Glenmore Visitors Centre, which looked very nice and is much bigger than the site we were staying - worth thinking about if we ever revisited the area.

Another place that was worth stopping off was Loch Morlich that has a very large natural sandy beach and is a centre for water sports and has its own cafe.

Going up to the Cairngorm mounted centre gave us an appetite to explore the area and have a go at some hill walking. As the forecast for the following day was pretty positive we decided to catch the number 31 bus back up to the centre.

Welcomed by some lovely sunshine and no wind the very friendly lady that is in charge of directing the visitors, many get no further than the cafe/restaurant, recommended a walk that should take no longer than 3 hours. Climbing for 2 miles we reached our target just in time for our piece and coffee. After stopping for a while to take in the panoramic views the temperature did drop but once you started back down the hill you soon warmed up. For once the forecast was correct, lovely bright sunny day with no wind certainly made our day even more enjoyable than we expected. Would be quite happy to come back to this wonderful natural area and perhaps take on some longer hill walking routes.

So another trip ends, mainly visiting areas of Scotland we had not been to previously and again taking the opportunity to enjoying our splendid countryside. Always so much to see, already planning our next trip.