One thing you ought to know about a Rachel Owen holiday is that there is rarely time for resting! Seeing as the weather forecast was so good for the day, I decided to get lots and lots of walking done – as well as take advantage of my week-long bus ticket.
My main aim was to see the stone circle at Machrie Moor – a site of incredible archaeological importance and beauty. Despite setting out at 10am, I did not make it until gone 12noon. The buses on Arran are… somewhat limited. But I am very grateful that even with the limited capacity that I am able to get to all the places I want to go. That public transport life, eh?
I arrived in Auchengallon where I discovered almost immediately that there was another stone circle to be seen. I trekked up the farm path to check it out. I thought it was a lovely site, with beautiful views over towards the Kintyre Peninsula. The interpretation here suggested that a person could be buried in a stone cist within the stone circle itself. What a lovely view they must have from the afterlife.
A short walk down the road brought me to the Machrie Tea Room, where I was served a very pleasant lunch of tomato soup and bread whilst I watched the waves roll out to sea. Once done there, I headed on to my main destination – Machrie Moor.
Arriving here, I realized pretty quickly that this must have been a very special place to the Bronze Age inhabitants of Arran. There were lots of stone circles and standing stones to admire – especially when you consider the effort that went into transporting them in the first place. Clearly Machrie Moor was incredibly important. On the way to the main site at the top of the moor, you can see some standing stones and the Moss Farm Road Stone Circle.
Continuing along the path, I came to Fingal’s Cauldron Seat – another very impressive stone circle (apparently a giant used it to cook his meal on!). I must admit, I was confused by the other people using the path who were walking by these circles with barely a glance in their direction. I know that stone circles are pretty common on the island, but still? Anyway, it was here that I discovered that the field was FULL of yellow waxcaps, so I spent a number of happy minutes flat on my tummy and taking pictures. I also enjoyed exploring the overgrown ruins of some old farm buildings.
But then it was time for the main event – Machrie Moor itself. And guys… it’s beautiful.
There are six sets of standing stones and stone circles here, believed to be the centre of ritual activity for the Neolithic peoples of Arran. Within the dominating surroundings of the moor itself, as well as the mountains, it’s just an incredible place to be and I recommend anyone who is on the island to go and visit. My favourite site was Machrie Stone Circle 2, which was a collection of 3 standing stones, and I just couldn’t help but be awestruck by the effort and love that must have been put into creating this place. Absolutely wonderful, and it was heart-breaking to have to leave.
After this, I headed down the road to Tormore, where I intended to visit King’s Cave, walk through the woods, travel along the clifftops at Drumadoon Point before getting to Blackwaterfoot where I could get the bus back. However, as I approached the path (where a scarlet clutch of beautiful fly agarics were tempting me) the bus to Blackwaterfoot came along. I had a chat with the driver and hummed and hahed about my options. You see, I missed out visiting Pladda Lighthouse yesterday, and I was really keen to get that in during this trip. But I was running out of time and I realized that something would need to be cut.
It started to rain and my decision was made. I would go to the lighthouse. This turned out to be an even better move than I realized because I stepped off the northend bus, and ran straight onto the southend bus – giving me an extra couple of hours to explore at Kildonan. Amazing!
The views on the way were incredible, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of Pladda Lighthouse.
An absolutely gorgeous structure, with the silhouette of Aisla Crag in the background. Just wonderful. 100% the right decision. I had picked up a leaflet about a walk at Kildonan on my first day, and I spent quite some time looking for it. Took a while, but in the end I found it and began my trek. However, I was very worried about catching the bus back as it would be two hours before the next one, so I decided to stop and watch some very relaxed seals banana-posing in the setting sun. There was a splash in the water, and through my binoculars I couldn’t believe what I was seeing! A squabble between a seal and a sea otter – what an absolute treat!
As the clouds began to gather, and the temperature started to drop, I decided to make my way back into Kildonan. However, I realized that I was now in the prime position to look for the dinosaur footprint that I had been told about. I paddled about in the water, looking at different rock formations with a hopeful squint that maybe it was dino-shaped? Honestly, everything looks like a footprint if you’re optimistic enough. Anyway, I found it with a little confirmation from Google Images and I headed back to the bus stop satisfied that I had made the right choice.
I was a little sad that I hadn’t been able to do King’s Cave, but I guess that means I have a good reason to come back to Arran! I caught the bus back to Whiting Bay – delighted to see the driver that had taken me to Blackwaterfoot earlier for the second time – and grabbed myself an excellent dinner from the local restaurant. Before I headed up to the hotel, I tried to do some astrophotography. Sadly, the clouds were against me, but I did enjoy watching the lights at Troon, across the Firth of Clyde.
So that was my second full day on the island, and you’re probably not surprised to hear that I’m absolutely shattered! Not to worry, I have another full-on day planned for tomorrow. Will I need a holiday from my holiday, I wonder…
