Scottish Summer
Lochranza
Last year we went sailing on the West Coast of Scotland, and it was so much more we could’ve hoped for. Myself (reluctant sailor), my husband (keen sailor with skippers license) our children aged 10 and 12 (roped into sailing from a young age) and our friends with children the same age as ours, who are all winning combinations of kind, fun and adventure-loving. We found ourselves swimming in the Scottish sea, climbing the heights of Arran, eating the most beautiful seafood and enjoying scenery so stunning that it was difficult to believe our eyes. If you ever question going to this part of the world, let this be your nudge to book the trip.
Day 1 - We set sail from Largs late in the day, after being briefed on our sailing boat (most important thing is to not flush the toilet the wrong way) and a crash course from the skipper on knot tying. We didn’t have much time until nightfall, so we sailed across to the most northern point of the Isle of Bute, a pretty cluster of islands called the Burnt Isles and moored on a buoy. Dinner was some re-prepared chilli heated up on the stove, a wee dram and an early night for a big day of sailing tomorrow.
Day 2 - After breakfast we sailed south on the west coast of Bute, a beautiful island, and saw a lone fisherman out for an early catch. We were headed for Lochranza, on the north-west point of Arran, to a whiskey distillery we’d heard about. Between the two islands there was a vast stretch of ocean so this was a good point for the children to do some makeshift paddle board-skiing on the back of the boat.
When we reached Lochranza we moored in the bay and made our way to The Sandwich Station, a small sandwich hatch decorated in crochet animals with picnic tables sprawling out on the grass in front. Some of the best and heartiest sandwiches were eaten here, tummies restored after lots of water fun that morning. We wandered to Lochranza distillery and sampled some of Arran’s finest Single Malt.
Leaving slightly later than planned (!) we headed north to Loch Fyne for a highly anticipated dinner reservation at Inver, a modern restaurant with beautiful cabins (for residents) set in an old pub in the northern half of Loch Fyne. Arriving at dusk, we met a postcard perfect scene with a perfect view of Old Castle Lachlan and a slightly treacherous journey to shore due to darkness and footwear... Inver didn’t disappoint - delicious food and fine wine in possibly the most beautiful location I’ve ever been to. We made our way back to the boat and had a little swim in the sea with the resident luminescent algae before crashing into bed dreaming of Scottish magic and mysteries.
Day 3 - We decided to make our way south, back to Arran, having heard about the bounty of good food on the island. Sailing south on Loch Fyne we saw fish farms and seals attempting to catch a stray. We sailed to the east side of Arran this time and moored just off the coast in Corrie, to grab a bite at Mara’s Fish Bar and Deli. Again the food was both fresh and ample, and we wandered south on foot down the coastal path in search of adventures.
Our friends had read about Goat Fell, the mountain 875m above sea level. A few of us decided to go for it, and spent the next few hours climbing and walking and walking and stumbling up up up to the summit and down down down to a much needed pub, where we met the other half of the crew who had kindly sailed the boat around to Brodick. Realising we were sort of late for dinner, we sent out a dingy party out for takeaway pizza from The Parlour and enjoyed the unexpected addition of canned spicy margs on deck - the perfect end to a tiring day!
Day 4 - Waking up in the fresh Scottish waters meant taking a fresh and exhilarating swim in the morning. After our swim we reluctantly sailed back to Largs, full of love for the bonny land and bursting with happy memories of our adventures.
