Beach Finale

Lucy here. The youth have headed home, and the dust has settled at Shore Lodge once more, but they didn't leave before one final hurrah on the beach, a competitive map making exercise where they expressed their feelings about their adventures and shared the things that they had learned on Arran. Obviously everyone is a winner, so Rob and I came up with categories to suit each map ☺....

Massive thanks to the group for a phenomenal amount of hard work.  It was an absolute pleasure and honour to be part of their adventure while they "discovered, explored, conserved and shared" Arran- the four pillars of the John Muir Award.

An absolutely rubbish day.

Today we had an early start as we needed to beat the tide for a beach clean along a short section of nearby beach. We left the lodge, headed to the bus stop, and, upon arriving earlier than planned, played a game of Splat! whilst we waited.

When we got to Lamlash, we headed to the COAST (Community Of Arran Seabed Trust) centre, where we carried out an in-depth risk assessment and learnt about the history of COAST. After collecting our equipment for the clean, we walked a couple of kilometres along the beach, before turning back to begin picking up things. It was interesting seeing the range of things that washed up along the shore, as well as a variety of wildlife which we may have missed if we weren't looking as closely. Some of the more interesting finds were a grain sack from holland; a bottle plug from glasgow; and a message in a bottle. Amongst the wildlife we encountered was several sites of an otter's dinner (in the form of a smashed crab); two swans and their cygnets; and a gannet's skull.

Upon returning to the centre, we disposed of the collected rubbish and got ourselves a 'shellebratory' ice cream. We then headed back to Brodick where we had a little wander through the town; decided against a game of crazy golf; and had a thrilling tour round Co-op.

When we got back to the lodge, some chilled; some made brownies; and some tested the cleanliness of the carpet. We also finished off our floral research and presented it to the others. Who knew that the thistle was the national symbol of Scotland due to someone stepping on it, or that Foxglove means Fairy Bells?

After an experimental dinner of fajitas and brownies, we are going to have another attempt at spotting some badgers in the woods later this evening

Day of three halves

Monday morning started with a lot of rain. The mist sat on the horizon like a cat would on a mat. Today we volunteered with the National Trust of Scotland to do some conservation work in Glen Rosa.

At a speedy pace of 4 km/h we approached Glen Rosa. There we met a woman called Kate, who proceeded to ask us to act out an animal with the first letter of our name. We were then given bamboo sticks to beat back the bracken that was growing around the sprouting trees. This was to prevent the bracken from using up all the nutrients in the soil, and blocking the sunlight. At this time of the day it was dreicht and there was a lot of midges, though thankfully most of us were armed with midge nets.

Next on our to-do list was clear the path of heather. While we were walking to this path, after getting the loppers from our new friend Kate, we encountered some youths enjoying the Scottish weather. One of the group had become slightly colder than what is healthy. Our amazing instructor, Lucy, raced into action and pulled an emergency shelter out of her rucksack for the teenager to warm up in. With the help of Irn Bru, Jelly Babies and Mountain Rescue the girl made a quick recovery. We were on our way again.

We were each tasked with finding a flower to discover, identify and research. Later in the week, along with some illustrations, our findings will be presented to the rest of the group as part of our John Muir award.

As we approached the exclosure the sun graced us with its presence. The task here was to use the loppers and reduce footpath erosion by cutting back the heather and grass. This task seemed simple to begin with, yet with close encounters with flowing water and narrow path, it became difficult to get rid of all the hanging vegetation. After around some hard work, we called it a day.

On our return, we sighted two of Scotland's big five: the golden eagle and red deer. We returned to the bunkhouse slightly sore but satisfied with the outcome.

Split three ways

Sunday morning arrived fast and accompanied with robins singing by the window. some of us were out of the lodge before the dew had even risen from the grass in search the wonderful wildlife that inhabited the shores and forests in which we found ourselves surrounded. The colours were monotone due to the heavy cloud that settled upon our dwelling. we set out with a new hope and newfound determination to see what only few had the day before. our luck, which had been looking down in our desperate search for otters had taken a turn for the better as we uncovered the a squirrel hide cozied away in a quaint and isolated part of the forrest. Upon arriving we awestruck with the immense variety of birds enjoying their morning feed a mere 5 feet from where we were nestled in the hut concealed by nature itself. the intensity the moment was increased further and dramatically upon the arrival of the cheeky red squirrels. Their vibrant red colour made stark contrast with the earthy browns of the undergrowth. To soon came breakfast time and we trooped reluctantly back to the lodge.

After a hearty breakfast, the plans for the day were finally revealed. we were to be split, our group divided into three, each going their separate ways to discover a new territory in which we could indulge in everything it had to offer. Our mission? to bring back tales and stories of the adventures we had undergone and the rich history that enveloped the areas we were to uncover. Blackwaterfoot. Lamlash. Lochranza. Who knows the trouble we would find?

Our journey began with a trek through our very own eden in search of a new bus stop that remained unknown to us until then. And of course, the buses were late.

Blackwaterfoot:
Off we embarked on our epic journey,
we were unsure of where we may venture.
We passed new rocks and glistening water,
we could only hope to encounter an otter.

we first saw 3 little boats,
their only asset was their ability to float.
The vessels were small but the town seemed smaller,
At least it made us feel a little bit taler.

The gulls were screaming and the wind was fierce,
Through your boots the jagged rocks would pierce.
We walked the golf course and a man yelled,
Even though his terrible golfing was unparalelled.

We entered the dark and ate our scrumptious food,
it finally put the group in an uplifted mood.
It started to rain and so we tuned back,
little did we know there was more to the track.

Among the Bruceteres it became highly debated,
this could not be the cave that was so highly rated.
We turned on heel and squeezed through a crack,
the infamous cave was well worth the turn back.

The sea was disrupted by the tormenting rain,
We sought shelter to avoid further pain.
we were soaked to the bone, but the coffee was hot,
none of us wanted to be aboard a yacht.

It was with conviction that we returned home,
the ride was invited, no longer did we want to roam.
We shared the memories without the beating sun,
our bond was formed, it could never be undone.

Lochranza

Upon our arrival we decided to venture away from the village centre to go in search of the 'sailor's grave'.  the long and winding road led us straight to a cairn, dedicated to James McLean. A lost soul still in the sea. we headed back towards the infamous sandwhich station where we were greeted by a cheery woman. She explained the colourful history of the shop and the many uses that influenced the village greatly. After indulging in various beverages and snacks, we zig zagged towards the main pier, which housed the ferry terminal. We discovered a monument in honour of the many victims of the shipwreck the great storm of 1943. Turning the corner, we were presented with a magnificent view of an old ruined castle. the blackened walls told many a story as we ventured inside we discovered many different plants. travelling along the main road again, our sight drawn to the grand building that we now know as the youth hostel. As curious creatures, we decided to investigate and encountered a multitude of posters advertising the preservation of the island. Our last stop was the distillery and we were enlightened about the stages and processes of whisky tasting to create the well known taste.

This was a day to remember and we will never forget.

Felling the Goat

We opened our day by leaving at 7am to go to the coast, to look for otters. We saw one otter, and lots of harbour seals. We also learned about the wine port near Shore Lodge, which used to be where wine was delivered to the castle, but now is notorious for its rotting seaweed which gives off a sulphurous stinky smell.

After a brilliant breakfast, we explored the castle gardens. This included the Bavarian Summer House, which was built for a princess by the Victorians, the Walled Garden, which grew kale, quinoa, fennel, and lettuce, among other things, and the castle, which is currently getting a sparkling new sprinkler system to prevent fires. Similarly, the Great Redwood has fire retardant bark, which we discovered to be punchable. On top of this, we also saw a Bronze Age Roundhouse, which was built using bracken, reeds, and heather, to thatch the roof. Interestingly, it did not have chimney, as this is an area of great debate amongst historians. We then tasted some wild wood sorrel, which has the flavour of lemon or apple, depending on who was tasting it.

Following our busy morning, we were herded up Goat Fell, the highest peak on the Isle of Arran. On our way, we spotted many interesting things. For example, deer and badger tracks, the sticky Sundew plant, which is one of Britain's few carnivorous plants, some red deer, and a Hen Harrier. The walk up was long, but it was interspersed with many snack breaks and informative chats about the natural area with Lucy and Rob. We also looked at the rocks, which were predominantly granite, but some basalt had formed from quickly cooled lava during the formation of the mountain. We also saw some "nice" rocks, with their crazy colourful twisting features created during their formation as metamorphic rocks.

The view at Goat Fell's summit was breathtakingly beautiful. We could see many islands; these included the Holy Island, Ailsa Craig, and also the faint outline of the Irish coast. The wind was bitterly cold and we had to layer up, as shown in the picture below.

The descent was much quicker than the ascent, due to the assistance of gravity. However, we still had time to look at and debate the effectiveness of cairns.

When we arrived back at Shore Lodge, the cheerful chefs got to work creating a Thai Green Curry, whilst the rest of the dream team started working on their John Muir projects. After a delicious dinner, we then had some tantalisingly tasty traybake. This was complimented by dilutin' juice / squash / cordial. Now, all that is left to do is to present our findings on the life and legacy of John Muir.

Till we see you again...

Arriving on Arran

Today we arrived on the Isle of Arran. We began by meeting in Glasgow Central station and set off on our journey by train to Ardrossan harbour. From there, we caught the ferry across to Arran. It was freezing but the scenery was breathtaking. After reaching Arran we took the final step before reaching our destination by catching a local bus to Shore Lodge.

While our chefs were cooking in the kitchen, we took a stroll down to the beach. We spotted a couple of seals on the rocks and several seabirds. Additionally, we skimmed stones and paddled in the sea.

After we returned we had a lovely meal of spaghetti bolognese followed by rhubarb pie and custard.