Cycling Arran (with a tent)

I have not been a great cyclist in the past but, as day trips, I had cycled around Bute a couple of times, along the Forth & Clyde Canal to the Falkirk Wheel, and up to Loch Lomond using the Canal and the River Leven. I had always fancied cycling around Arran and, also, trying a first ever solo camping trip, so when glorious weather arrived one weekend I decided to combine the two, even though my camping and cycling equipment were far from ideal.

Costs. Train + ferry (return) £12.30. Campsite £8. Dinner and drinks £19.

Places I stayed and was happy with. Lochranza Camping Site, Lochranza.

Books. The Rough Guide to Scotland (Rough Guides, 11th edition).

Maps. OS Landranger: Sheet 69, 1:50,000.

See also. Two Arran hills (with a bike and tent).

Day 1: Travel to Arran; cycle to Lochranza; camp. I cycled the 5 miles from home to Glasgow Central and put my bike on the 8.34 am train to Ardrossan. By pure coincidence, I bumped into a friend from work who has a house on Arran and who was also heading there by bike for the weekend. We arrived on Arran at 10.40 am and cycled the short distance to his house in Brodick and had a cup of tea. I then set out on my cycle ride but, as it was now rather later than I had intended, I cycled across Arran on the hilly B880 (“The String”) to Blackwaterfoot rather than doing the full circuit of the island on the A841. I bought some filled rolls and had lunch on a picnic bench by the sea. I then cycled north on the A841, detouring (first by bike and then on foot) for maybe an hour to look at the famous stone circles on Machrie Moor. I arrived in Lochranza in the early evening, pitched my tent at the beautiful campsite (pre-booked), and had a shower. I then put on fresh clothes and cycled back into the main part of Lochranza for a meal at the pub, passing within a few feet of a curious stag on the way. After dinner, I cycled back to my tent and slept.

Day 2: Cycle to Brodick; travel home. In the morning I packed my tent up and cycled along the A841, up over the steep pass and down into Brodick, stopping for a brief look at the brewery in Cladach and the start of the tourist path up Goatfell. I caught the 11.05 am ferry and the 12.36 pm train from Ardrossan Harbour, arriving in Glasgow Central at 1.22 pm. I then cycled home.

Kit notes. I strapped my 1.5-kg, one-person tent and 3/4-length self-inflating mat to the rack on the back of my bike. On my back, I had a 20-litre rucksack containing a sheet sleeping bag, trekking towel, toiletries, camera, phone, clothes for the evening, and bike accessories.

Wildlife seen. Curlew, Red Deer, Red Squirrel, Green-veined White, Small Copper.

Other useful links. ScotRail train + ferry tickets

CalMac ferries

Arran tourist information

Reflections. An excellent trip. Even in great late May weather, I could have done with a proper sleeping bag. (I have since bought some bungees and can now attach a sleeping bag to my bike rack in addition to the tent and the mat – or I could buy some panniers, of course.) The plan is now to head further afield; to Jura via Bute or Arran, or over to Kintyre via Arran.

© 2014 The Untravelled World