Arran

Arran often seems to feature in country-wide biking guidebooks so we had to go and find out what all the fuss was about.   There are some excellent resources published by the Arran Bike Club.   However we didn't see a single rider the whole time!

Our first route was a variation on their Classic Route.   We had parental shuttle so started at South Kiscadale and cycled into point 7.   From here you pretty much cycle the famous Glenashdale Falls walk backwards (with occasional route finding difficulites as all the signs point the other way.....)   It is pleasant with not much technical challenge.   The waterfall is very impressive though - a huge drop and now a great viewing platform too!   After climbing up to Giants Graves (point 10) you then follow the forest road around the hillside to the start of the singletrack (point 12).   The singletrack isn't so much constructed as simply waymarked.   So it doesn't quite flow under the wheels properly and we had moments of wondering whether this was what we'd come all this way for.   After scooting back through Lamlash you can then do a pleasant singletrack climb up to point 18 - they've made a path by the side of the raod that just feels far enough away to feel remote.   I then followed the forest track to point 4.   Note this track has now extended so the road end is not a good navigational point!   It's very scenic with views over the Holy Isle.   However, the descent is a vague trail that is good fun but not awesome and reaches the road quite quickly to descend on tarmac.

The next day we tried the Laggan Route.  We were shuttled to point 2.   However, the descent from here is very vague.   We ended up puhsing downhill over tussocks......   From point 3, the biking on Arran became awesome.   The climb to point 5 was easy enough for rich to do but too hard for me.   So I pushed while rich bum-waggled his way into the distance.   The view on the far side into the Clyde is awesome and really adds atmosphere to the descent.   The final section is ridicolousloy steep so I ended up walking which was a sad finale.   But then you get beachside singletrack all the way to point 9 which is superb - all rideable.

Later that day (after a distillery tour....) we did  the Clauchlands Route.   Again with a cheating shuttle to south Corriegills we rode into point 3.   The descent from point 5 is great - it eases you into a false sense of security and then suddenly gets steep and technical!   After a climb back up to point 4/7 you descend towards Lamlash.   I was worried by the annotated warning but actualy the cliff top descent isn't exposed at all - it's singletrack sufficiently far away from the edge not to be worrying.   It's not terribly tehcnical but very atmospheric!