This would be our second visit to the beautiful Island of Isle of Arran. Our last visit in 2015, thanks to a Groupon deal and we always planned to return. This time, we were going to camp for a couple of nights and had arranged to meet up with members of our family, who were also keen to visit Arran and camp.

There are three ferry routes from the Scottish mainland and we opted for the Ardrossan to Brodick route as Ardrossan is closest to our home. The ferry journey itself is a great experience, as you as soon surrounded by breath-taking views as you leave the Scottish mainland.

Brodick is a lively town with plenty to keep you occupied. As the ferry gets closer, your eyes will be drawn to the unmistakable peak of Goatfell, the highest point on the Isle of Arran at 874 metres.

We were keen to disembark, head straight to the campsite and pitch up. So as soon as we were docked and able to move, we were on our way.

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Seal Shore campsite was bathed in sunshine when we arrived, adding to the holiday atmosphere. The site has a magnificent view out over the Firth of Clyde with Pladda Lighthouse close by and the island of Ailsa Craig, it’s blue hone granite has long been quarried to make curling stones and was looking as stunning as always. There are good facilities and Bar & restaurant just around the corner. What more do you need!

We were the first to arrive and were able to book 3 pitches next to each other. One for my son and his girlfriend, one for us and one for my dad and partner. My son was borrowing our 3-man tent, which hadn’t seen the light of day since 2014 so fingers crossed that it was ok!

Soon, our tent paraphernalia was sorted and our attention turned to pitching the 3-man tent, before my son arrived. This created a mixture of nostalgia and wonderment as to how we had actually used this tent when we had started our camping journey. Nostalgia for the simple format of somewhere to sleep, bringing basic equipment to cook with and something to sit on. Wonderment that we had been able to camp with such basic equipment!

Finally, the rest of the gang arrived and we spent the next 2 days drinking, eating and talking – perfect.

Well nearly perfect!

Following a night of catching up and more drinking, I didn’t get a great sleep. My left elbow, in particular, was becoming extremely painful and I could feel a large amount of swelling around the joint. So, I did what I tend to do when faced with pain in the wee small hours, I went for a walk. Walking out the campsite at 4.30 am, with the sun already up, it felt special and even with my current discomfort, I knew I would always remember this quiet early morning walk along the shore of the Firth of Clyde.

On return to my tent, I showed Aileen my elbow, which was now bright red, hot and swollen. So off I went to Arran’s War Memorial Hospital in Lamlash, about 9 miles away. It turned out to be badly infected and I was given antibiotics.

By the time I returned to the campsite, everyone was awake and having breakfast. Lewis, my son, informed me that he had spent the majority of the night repositioning himself in his tent, due to the fact that I had pitched his tent on a slope. Somehow, I suspected that our bright and breezy mood from our first day was evaporating fast!

Aileen and I were the only one’s up for a climb to the top of Goat fell. So off we set, 24 hrs after my antibiotics had commenced. The start point is from the Cladach Visitor Centre and we followed the track to the right. There is good signage as you start to ascent through the woodland.

Eventually, the path leaves the forest behind with stunning views beginning to appear. Each time you turn around, there’s something new to catch your eye and get your camera out for.

The final part of the ascent is the steepest part of the walk and requires more concentration as you regularly zig and zag, stepping over or around huge boulders. The hot sunny weather was a double-edged sword as it sapped your energy and we had to regularly stop to take a drink. Our poor wee dog, Sam, soldiered on and considering he was now 11 years old; he was well up for it.

The summit wasn’t too busy, so we were able to get some good photos and a 360 video of our views. Thanks to the clear blue sky, we could see the whole Island, the Scottish mainland and in the distance the Isle of Jura, where we visited in 2016.

We found a sheltered area to sit, ate our lunch and appreciated how lucky we are. It’s good to take stock of your life and never be complacent.

Contemplations over and it was time to head back to the campsite and see what the rest of the gang were up to.

As it turned out, the rest of the gang were also having a great time. Off exploring the Island as, mentioned in the what’s nearby section, Arran has a lot to offer.

The following day, my dad, my son and respective partners packed up and headed home, leaving Aileen and I on our lonesome and with another night at the campsite ahead. We were quite happy to chill and take in the views and the campsite was perfect for doing both. As it turned out, there was a storm forecast for the day that we were leaving, so fingers crossed that we would be able to get the tent packed away and have a safe journey home.

Thankfully, the storm arrived much later than predicted and we made it home. Our return home would be brief though as the following day, we were heading down south to West Runton, North Norfolk, England. About 386 miles away but that’s another story.