It's the climb

We had a very active day considering it was Sunday, starting off with last minute preparations for our evening presentations on the importance of conservation in Scotland. This was followed by a long wait at the bus stop in order to reach the bottom of Goatfell - the highest mountain on the Isle of Arran. After being almost eaten alive by midges whilst waiting at the bus stop, a kind bus driver agreed to drive us, and the journey to the summit of Goatfell began.

The sign at the base of the mountain, implying that the summit was a mere 2.5 miles away gave the group new found optimism, soon to be shattered when we took in the steepness of the mountainside. A while after we started the trek, we stopped for a rest at the gate of an exclosure, funded by the National Trust of Scotland, and were asked to observe how many different species of plant we could see - our answers varied from 12 to 22.

The many different vantage points on the mountain gave the group false hope with regard to the location of the summit, but finally we reached the top, and the view of Arran and the mainland was the perfect reward.

After taking hundreds of photos, we began the trek downhill. This was easier on the leg muscles but the descent also meant we were more likely to slip, so we had to go with caution. Luckily, there were no casualties and we all reached the bottom in one piece, pointing out some interesting silver ferns and pine trees along the way.

Reaching the lodge was a blessing for everyone, and immediately after returning, everyone either collapsed on their beds, made a hot chocolate or stuffed their faces with biscuits - an exhausting, yet fulfilling Sunday!