Plank Road: Glenashdale Falls and Bitey Moorland

Weather was a bit rainy as we headed out for the village of Whiting Bay at the south end of Arran. The walk today started out from Whiting Bay with the first stop being the Giants’ Graves. Our walking book talked about 337 steps to get up to the Giants’ Graves, that was prior to the clear-cut of the forest which took out the steps and replaced them with a series of switch-backs. The trail was in great shape but the blasting wind was unbelievable, 75 km/hour according the weather report. With no trees for cover, it was really difficult to walk on an open hill.

The Giants’ Graves are two chambered burial cairns dating from the neolithic period, 5,700 - 5000 years ago. John had quite a time getting photos in the wind.

The trail carried on through the clear-cut down to a forested area and Glenashdale Falls, which are quite spectacular. We wanted to wait until after a bit of rain to view the falls when the flow is higher, the rain the last few nights helped out.

After the falls the trail passed though a really nice forested area past an Iron Age fort, then up out of the forest into an older clear-cut area. We goofed up and took the wrong road for a while but then figured it out and retraced our steps. Once on the correct forest road, uphill we went skirting a hill and eventually through forest where the path ended at the moorland.

If anybody thinks that walking the pathless moor is idyllic, let me set you straight. The moorland is vile to walk through, the heather is taller than you would ever imagine, the branches are slippery and there is always swampy ground underneath or tiny rivulets of water. Then there are a few rocks hidden underneath the almost impenetrable terrain, makes for tough going. The Highlanders who used to travel the moor prior to roads must have been made of steel.

Our destination was a lonely little loch in the middle of this emptiness. The walking book warned us off from passing too close to the outflow or risk sinking in the bog. We erred a lot on the side of passing the outflow too far to the north east and missed the ‘notch in the heather’ we were to pass through enroute to the forest. Not that we would have noticed a notch in the heather if it was right in front of us. On we slogged, decided we missed the notch, came back across a side hill then plunged into the forest, looking for a faint path. Thought we found it, did not, but kept on going. We ended up hacking our way through the clear-cut and dealing with brambles which root at both ends; thus, setting up the perfect trip wire. John’s walking pole saved him, I sprawled but managed to regain my balance as the walking book flew out of my hand.

We knew a road was to the north east so we proceeded in that general direction and were happy to make the road. Our guide book is out of date, the sign directing us to Whiting Bay was gone due to a very recent clear-cut, so we proceeded down a muddy logging track which did turn out to be the correct path. All in all, a route that was to be 11.5 km came in at 17 km according to our GPS. What was really great though, the sun was shining for most of the walk.

Since it is the last night in Arran we dined out at Arran on a Plate. The dining room was really nice with very comfortable chairs which is what we needed. John had mussels and the duck and I had scallops and the duck, all were absolutely excellent.

Whiting Bay - notice whitecaps from the severe wind