Day One on Arran May 2011

Starting out from Thundergay.



Stops were taken on a steep climb.



Our first sighting of Coire Fhionn Lochan.

Lunch break at the lochan.



Walkers negotiating the scree.



<><><><>

<>

<><><><>

After the heavy rain lots of waterfalls were at their best.



Kilmarnock OIR Group of happy ramblers.



Today's walk leader.




Catacol's 12 Apostles.

 Tuesday May 24 saw me and my family set off to the Isalnd of Arran in the Firth of Clyde for 3 days. My sister who lives in Canada was here for 2 weeks so we took the opportunity of a wee break together. Boarding the ferry at Ardrossan I met two wonderful people whom I have met on several walks with different groups a bit like myself a "Nomad". Well today they were part of the Kilmarnock Opportunities In Retirement Group going to do a walk from Thundergay on the West coast of Arran to Catacol. So after a few introductions to the various walkers I managed to secure an invite to join them on their planned walk. A bus from Brodick took us to the start via Lochranza and deposited us in the middle of nowhere with the rain and hailstones pouring down. Lets not be downhearted our walk leader said the forecast is for it to brighten up so off we went up towards the lovely lochan that goes by the name of Coire Fhionnn and it lived up to it's name in all respects. We stopped here for a lunch break before we started to climb up the side of Meall Bhig(438M) to take us on a path which bordered on the sides of Meall Damh(570M) which gave us wonderful views of the wild mountain terrain. Following a rough track this now took us down towards a burn which we were to cross. As we have had so much rain recently we had to go some way up to find a suitable crossing place and then once on the other side there was another path which took us down through Glen Catacol where we experienced extremely strong gusts of wind and at one point we had to stop as the rain and hail came on coupled with the gale force wind it was impossible to continue. After 5 minutes the sun came out and off we went again where we could see the lovely village of Catacol in our sights. Once in the village the walk leader showed us the row of houses known locally as the "12 Apostles" each house being slightly different in some way to it's neighbour. A welcome pint of beer was consumed in the Catacol Hotel as we waited on the bus to take us back to Brodick.My sincere thanks to the group of walkers and their leader for allowing me to join them it was very much appreciated by myself. Once we arrived back in Brodick I made my way to the house the family had rented to enjoy a nice dinner with the usual round of refreshments and joviality that only a family can enjoy reminiscing on the "Good Old Days"