Standing Stones and a Smart Car

The Isle of Arran – I’d recommend this place to anyone who visits Scotland. It’s so much closer to Edinburgh and Glasgow than the Northern Islands; Arran is just off the coast west of Glasgow. Rich and I took the Cal-Mac ferry, rented a Smart Car and spent the weekend exploring the island. The travel books say Arran is like a small version of Scotland. I’d have to agree – it has everything! Standing stones, sheep, a lighthouse, caves, mountains, a castle, nice people, rain and wind… you name it, I found it all on this island.

On the second day, we turned in the Smart Car and made our way towards the highest mountain on the island, Goat Fell. We crossed the beach, and met a kind, vary talkative old man. He must have been in his late sixties. He’d lived on the island his whole life, and shared some of his memories with us. During WWII, he remembers watching as Allied troops used the beaches to train for landing in Italy. He also gave us directions to the mountain. Later, we tracked through mud and woods looking for the path (yeah, it’s poorly marked) and by the time we found it, with the peak in sight, we had to turn around to run for the ferry. Luckily, another kind resident gave us a ride part of the way and helped us eventually reach the ferry on time.