Arran Mountain festival: Holy Isle Visit

It's traditional for the day of the Goatfell Hill Race to be fairly wild and woolly.... which didn't bode well for the Arran Mountain Festival's annual visit to Holy Isle- which this year is on the same day as the race. Luckily, Russell and Elspeth from Ocean breeze Ribtours were on hand to replace the Holy Isle Ferry with their Rigid Inflateable Boat, giving us an fun and speedier than usual journey across the 1.3 miles of choppy sea. They are also both members of Arran COAST, and so were able to give our group of hardy walkers an insight in to work ongoing to protect Lamlash Bay and the South Arran MPA.

It's not possible to tell from this picture just how windy it was....

A happy if windswept group of island wanderers!

We were joined by a team from NCAS who took meaurements on the summit

Great views to the Goatfell Range in the north.

Sunday Sea Kayak

After this morning's torrential rain it turned out nice today so Wally, Amanda and I headed for Lamlash bay in our kayaks for a little potter on the water.

Setting out from Lamlash 

The distinctive shape of Holy Isle

A rest at Kings Cross

Back to the village via Holy Isle

Bliss

What do you do when you have a day on Arran between expeditions, you are tired, and the sun is beating down from a cloudless sky?  Get on the water, thats what! This was last Saturday, back from a Gold DofE Exped in Glenshee, and just before a Silver in the Kinlochleven area. Time to rest the legs, chill out, and relax in my sea kayak.  Wally and I paddled around Holy Isle at a leisurely pace, took in the sights, and were back at home in time for dinner and for me to catch the last ferry off the island.

Making for the Inner Lighthouse opposite Kings Cross

Moon jellyfish drifts past.

Looking back towards Arran's hills, basking in the sunlight.

The Inner Lighthouse keepers cottages, home to a closed Buddhist retreat.

Rounding the southern end of Holy Isle

Pasing the Outer Lighthouse

Arran Mountain Festival: Holy Isle

Yesterday I was on the lovely island of Holy Isle, volunteering for the Arran Mountain Festival, and working alongside Andrew Binnie from the Comunity of Arran Seabed Trust.  We were there to enjoy a walk over the top of the island, and along the shore, enjoying the wildlife and learning more about COAST's ambitions project for marine conservation and a South Arran Marine Protected Area.
The day dawned damp and misty, but we crossed Lamlash bay on the Holy Isle Ferry in a flat calm. The climb to the summit of Mullach Mor (314m)  is a fairly steep one but is thankfully over pretty quickly.  Following this is a steep rocky descent to the south end of the island and a leisurely stroll back along the shore to the slipway. Wildlife highlights included lots of coastal wildlife including oystercatchers and common gulls nesting close to the path (please take care), as well as kestrel and peregrine falcons tousling together in the sky above.

The Holy Isle Project has a lovely new welcome sign at the slipway.

Chatting with Andrew from COAST on the summit of Mullach Beag.

Mist clearing from the summit of Mullach Mor

Team photo

The Holy Isle walk has a bit of everything, including art appreciation.

Green Tara

Exploring the intertidal habitats on the shore of Holy Isle.

Around Holy Isle

The weather today was blissful.  This afternoon I dragged myself away from a mountain of admin to paddle around Holy Isle- a little mountain of a better kind, sitting in the middle of Lamlash Bay. Its a stunning journey in a sea kayak, and do-able in half a day with leisurely stops. We saw plenty of wildlife, including eiders, black guillemots, gannets and fulmars. The eiders are particularly entertaining just now as the males are displaying like mad and exclaiming ooo-OO-oooh at everything. The best of today's photos are below.

 The summit of Holy Isle stands 314m high. 

The peaks of the Goatfell Range visible looming above the Lamlash hills. 

"Wee Donald", the inner lighthouse on Holy Isle, and the lighthouse keepers cottages, now home to a Buddhist retreat.

Pillar Rock Lighthouse, the first square one to be built by the Northern Lighthouse Board, and designed by David A Stevenson