We got up at 5 and caught the 7am ferry from Ardrossan across to Brodick. We then took a bus up to the Goatfell trail from High Corrie. Starting at Corrie instead of Brodick allowed us to do a straight walk without backtracking, which was nice. We were able to see more landscape that way! We started on a small local road which turned into a dirt path. We followed the path up along Corrie Burn. At one point, we climbed over a 'kissing fence,' or a ladder fence that connects two fields. It started to drizzle and then it really rained on us for the length of the glen, but it was just gorgeous, even in the rain. There were a few times when we had no idea of we were following a trail or just a riverbed, but we figured it would all work out either way... Always up for a good adventure!
It rained a lot. We were soaked. The forecast had called for a beautiful day with good visibility, so we kept hoping that it would clear for us. When it did, we were just arriving at the top of the glen where the Corrie path meets the saddle, the low point in the ridge trail that connects Cir Mhor with North Goatfell. What was so spectacular here was that we suddenly peaked the ridge as the sun came out, giving us a breathtaking view of the mountains and glens that span the middle of the island. It's impossible to do this place justice, it was fantastic. Also, we stopped here to watch a herd of red deer cross the path just above us. We stayed in sight of the herd for a good hour or so as we made our way up North Goatfell and on to the peak of Goatfell itself.
The Isle of Arran is called a miniature Scotland because the terrain changes drastically from South to North, mimicking the change from lowlands to highlands on the mainland. The peaks around Goatfell really do resemble the sprawling, stately peaks in the highlands, complete with expanses of moorland and strewn rocks and boulders.If anyone has ever done the Castle trail from the top of Mount Jefferson in NH, the ridge trail has some similarities. It spans small peaks, or 'castles,' all along the length of the trail. On this hike, you have the choice to scramble over the castles or take a lower trail around them. We tried to scramble some of them, but the rocks were still a bit slippery and the drop from the trail is extreme into the glen far, far below.
We had been hiking alone all morning, but we found a few groups of people when we reached the summit of Goatfell. The trail we would take down the other side is the more popular ascent, as it leads from the grounds of Brodick Castle. At the summit, there's a map of the surrounding islands and mainland to help you get your bearings. We had a great picnic and enjoyed the sunshine and the views from the top.
We passed many other people on our way down to Brodick Castle. When we finally reached the bottom, we turned down a quiet lane of hedges bordering farms and walked on to the Arran Brewing Co. where Mike tried the local beers and I enjoyed a Strongbow. We then checked out the Arran Cheese Co. (SO GOOD!) and bought some cheese to bring home. We caught the bus to take us back to the ferry and we ran into four guys that Mike works with! They had finished a different hike and were heading to the pub in Brodick. We went with them and caught the later ferry.
All around, it was a spectacular day! About ten miles of perfect Scottish hillwalking, about 2800 feet of elevation gain and then loss, and some good pints with great people. Definitely worthy of the Adventurer's Club!Kungaloosh!
oh i am so sad we aren't coming to visit!!
ReplyDeleteamy