ISLE OF ARRAN: 30 DAYS WILD IN A DAY

It is 56 miles to cycle the coastline of Arran and today this was our ride. We were not alone and there were large numbers of cyclists doing the very same thing. It included 1,020 metres of climbing.

I did not realise until later that Dagmar was in a moody.
I peddled on oblivious to this and discovered that the south end of the island felt remote while most of the hills were at the north. The roads were bumpy in places but we encountered few motorists.
This ride was however not to be rushed. Despite light rain at the start, the weather cleared and it was exactly a route for a slow bike ride.
What I found special was wildlife spotting. This was mostly on the west coast and I lost count of all the different things. There were two hares in a field, cuckoos in three places, a gannet diving, fish leaping, a stag sitting quietly as we cycled by and so many birds. Apart from a few motorists, all we could hear were birds singing, the movement of air around us and the splash of water. There were wild flowers and trees everywhere we looked. In the evening, we heard what we believe was a nightingale.  These are a few images

This for me is what cycle touring is all about. It is experiencing the world around you whether they are the mountains, our wild places or the sea as they approach you slowly. There is time to stop and enjoy these moments. Hopefully others do the same. Please read this link from Devon Wildlife Trust . Tomorrow we leave for Glasgow and then home