The rain eased off for a while during the night but started again just after first light. There had been no wind and the tent was running with condensation. Unfortunately a lot of it had dropped on to my sleeping bag. As I was camping on a concrete slab I hadn’t needed to find a flat stone to put my stove on. I started to pack up in a cloud of extremely annoying midges and the still damp conditions suited them well.

A wet camp on concrete

Camp 1 by the helicopter landing pad. Pladda and lighthouse with Ailsa Craig in the distance

The rain had stopped but the tent was a horrible wet mass as I packed it in my front pannier. Out to sea was a hazy view of the tooth shaped profile of Pladda looking as though it didn’t belong in this part of the world. About this time a few minutes of warm sunshine appeared which would have been ideal to dry the tent a bit. I was on the road just before 8am and thankfully it was dry. I continued clockwise round the island. There were a few ups and downs but no long climbs like yesterday. With no wind it was a joy to be cycling. I had about 10 miles to cycle to reach Blackwaterfoot. I took the right turn which was signposted to Brodick. The road ahead goes over a pass but I had a few miles to go before reaching it. The road is the B880 but also called ‘The String’ I stopped to photograph an interesting stone construction with a post box in it when a cyclist stopped for a chat before continuing on his training ride.

Post box with a difference

The climb to the summit was uneventful and the gradient was steady. Over the top was a hazy view out across the Firth of Clyde. I took the descent steady all the way down to the north of Brodick. A sign pointed left into an area of small businesses, one sign saying Brewery. I tried to find it but there was no sign. For the next few miles to Sannox the road followed the coast line and also sea level. It was very flat and easy riding but at Sannox the road took a turn upwards. To my left were some of the high mountains of the island but they were mostly shrouded in mist.

Towards 'The Bastion' near Goat Fell

There were some interesting milestones along the road and a sign a while back mentioned a publication called ‘Milestones of Arran’. Eventually I reached the summit then a nice picturesque descent through a valley to sea level and Lochranza which is where the ferry terminal is for the next part of my trip. It was 11:30 when I arrived and the ferry was due at 12:00. There were a few cars and some cyclists already waiting. There was a waiting room but no ticket office, which several people tried to find.

Milestone

Lochranza pier about 100 years ago

On the ferry from Lochranza to

It turned out it was on the boat. The ferry arrived and we all boarded. It was due at the Claonaig jetty at 12:30 and a ferry was due to leave Kennacraig for Arran at 13:00. With a road pass on just over 5 miles I though I could make it. Unfortunately the ferry was late arriving, leaving me only 25 minutes to get over the pass. I still thought it was worth a try but the climb was about 3 miles and fairly step. On the descent to Kennacraig I cold see the ferry at the jetty and just as I turned off the road towards the terminal I saw it pull out. I missed it by about 2 minutes. There was a ticket office and comfortable waiting room. The weather was fine so I took the opportunity to dry my sleeping bag and the liner.

The ferry  to Port Ellen

The harbour at Port Ellen

Later I got the tent partly dry. There was a water tap at the back of the buildings so I cooked an early tea before the ferry arrived. Some of the cyclists I’d seen earlier turned up for the ferry and we were all on board before the 18:00 departure time. The crossing was uneventful and we arrived around 20:20 at Port Ellen. On the harbour approach I noticed some patches of grass so after leaving the ship I rode round the harbour to the right and followed the road to it’s end. There was a nice flat patch of recently mown grass almost at the water’s edge so that’s where I spent the night. It remained calm and overcast with just a few spots of rain.