Arran has been on the agenda ever since I got my bike, and with summer rolling by the window of opportunity wasn’t going to be open for too much longer. Finding ourselves with a Saturday that wasn’t already committed, we decided that this was the day for riding round Arran. The weather looked promising – sunshine and clouds, oh and a 22mph westerly…
View Bike Rides in a larger map
The alarm was set for stupidly early, and we arrived at Ardrossan in good time for the 9.40 sailing. Around the car park a scattering of other cyclist could also be seen unloading bikes, donning lycra, and looking at the wind and clouds nervously.
On arrival in Brodick we waited for the cars to unload, and click clacked off the ferry in our not designed for walking in shoes. After looking at the wind we had decided that we should get the headwinds out of the way early, and go anti-clockwise round the island. The first few miles are nice and flat, a gentle warm up. Every time I come to Arran I’m desperate to see seals, and every time I have to make do with being excited about the seal sculpture at Corrie, which I’m sure they put there to keep kids (like me) happy that they got to see some wildlife.
After Sannox the road starts to rise, it was about this time the headwind and the rain also started to exhert themselves. From sea level ‘The Boguillie’ rises to 200m in 5km, with the steepest section rising 100m in just over 1km . It was quite hard. There is then a long decsent down to Lochranza, an ideal place to stop for a break and enjoy views over the castle. There were also deer grazing on the shore while we were there. The road round the north of the Island is mostly flat, staying close to the sea, although there was a head wind.
Flat roads at the North of Arran
As we turned south the wind seemed to have veered north a bit, meaning a tail wind and we fair flew to Blackwaterfoot, and our planned lunch spot. We ate an excellent, if perhaps too good a, lunch at the Kinloch Hotel.
In my head the south of the Island was flatter and easier – actually it’s pretty lumpy, and some of the hills are fair steep. It is not easier.
Second half – not easier
Now started the race to make the 16:40 ferry – and maybe regretting the leisurely lunch (it was good though). On every hill our pace dropped and it looked like we weren’t going to make it, then we’d peg it down the hills and it looked on. At Lamlash the 3 miles to Brodick sign gave us hope, which quickly disappeard with a final just a little too cruel hill. Over the top, and I surpressed the fact that I hate going downhill fast and peddled like crazy. We made it to the ferry as the cars were boarding (bikes go on first usually) and joined a group of other late arrivals – all glad not to have to wait until 19:40 to go home.
Tired, but on our way home
