The Three Beinns Horseshoe Isle of Arran. July 2011

View of Goatfell at 8.00AM

The path through Glen Rosa.

Some very steep ravines to cross.

The Kilmarnock Rocket on the summit of Ben Nuis(792M)

Am I colour co-ordinated she asks!

Walk leader on Ben Tarsuinn (826M)

My fellow walkers today.

Steep drop down to Glen Rosa.

P.S. Waverley leaving Brodick Pier.

Yesterday I was kindly invited to join a pensioners group (bar one) to tackle the famous Three Bienns Horseshoe on the wonderful Island of Arran off the West Coast of Scotland.We met at Ardrossan for the 7.00AM ferry to Brodick on a very warm clear sunny day. Even at this time of the morning the mountains were all bathed in glorious sunshine.We left the ferry terminal at Brodick and walked up through Glen Rosa passing a campsite where some of the residents were not even up. The main path carries on  to an area known as the saddle but we branched off  on the first part of the horseshoe to take a very steep track which got us to the first summit of Beinn Nuis(792M). This was quite a difficult climb as none of us are used to the heat we were experiencing today quite unusual for Scotland even at this height.Once on the top the views were superb and a well earned break was taken before we dropped down a path to climb again this time on to Beinn Tarsuinn (826M). The scenery of this part of Arran can only be seen from this altitude, the different mountain ranges were all identified round about us by our walk leader. The next part of the ridge was very steep with  drops on one side so the going was fairly slow here until we all navigated a safe passage  to follow a track to Beinn Chliabhain (653M) This is where there is literally a sheer drop on one side  into Glen Rosa quite scary stuff is you do not have a head for heights. A steep rocky path took us down over Coire Beag and Cnoc Breac back to the safety of Glen Rosa. A long break was taken here to recover and replace all the body fluids we had expended on our wonderful walk. It was so warm that two of our group went into the river for a swim (names and addresses are being withheld for legal reasons) Once back in Brodick it was the usual beer in the hotel gardens before boarding the 7.20PM ferry back to Ardrossan. Thanks to our leader who had done the walk before and was able to guide us on this fairly difficult ridge walk of 12 miles.Look forward to the next Arran challenge which will probably be in the month of August.