Adapting to a much slower pace of life on a relatively unplanned tour of the delightful pocket-sized island of Arran
WORDS & PHOTOGRAPHY: Richard Pickles
Most people will agree that the summer of 2023 was a bit of a washout in the UK. By the time we got to September, we were desperate to get out in the ’van, feeling the urge for a Scottish experience that we both know and love, and seeking out valuable quiet time in the mountains and by the sea.
Arran really is a miniature version of Scotland all wrapped up into one tiny, convenient and accessible package. In terms of geography, it really does have it all.
To the north, the wild and rugged mountains and associated wildlife; to the south, lowland moors cascading down to wide and deserted beaches. Add to this the rich and diverse history of this island and you really do have it all within a very modest 166 square-mile area.
Everything is so accessible – it’s hard to get lost on the only main road that traces a simple figure of eight around the island. We always feel a real sense of excitement with any trip that involves a CalMac ferry crossing… it just enhances the feeling of adventure and wilderness, even though in Arran’s case you always remain less than an hour from the mainland!
Having relocated to the Yorkshire Dales, the Scottish Borders are now so much more accessible for us. We know we can get into Scotland in less than an hour and a half with the benefit of predominately traffic-free and scenic roads all the way.
All was going well until I realised, an hour into the journey, that I had not locked the bikes to the bike rack! After having our bikes stolen in Italy a few years back, we are paranoid about our bike security, so our relaxed journey north soon became a frantic search for places to buy bike locks on a Friday night. After a lucky discovery of the Go Outdoors outlet at Penrith (a great little stop-off), and a much-needed sugar fix of Timbits at the nearby Tim Hortons, we were on our way.
The remainder of the drive was uneventful, and we arrived at Ardrossan late on Friday evening ready for the 6.30am ferry. We hadn’t really thought things through in terms of where to sleep for the night, as it was a Friday night with the potential for any urban park-ups to be quite rowdy. We needn’t have worried, as there was secure overnight parking at the port for just £5. It was ideal, having the added luxury of being able to sleep next to our ferry that was docked for the night!
