Mark Scott's Blog: The Isle of Arran - winter peaks, birds and sea

On top of the world - this is Arran!

The week before Easter saw Megan and I heading up to the Isle of Arran for the first time. Day one dawned bright and clear with what looked from the valley like a dusting of snow on the jagged granite peaks. We soon found out how different things were on top. We headed up Glen Rosa making for Beinn Nuis, when yours truly pulled off both left and right handholds trying to climb out of the far side of a mean and gushing burn and went swimming as a punishment. Totally soaked, but I figured the wind was strong enough to dry me out before we made Beinn Nuis and the ridge to Beinn Tarsuinn, and my outer clothing were dry, having been in my sack. And so it was, and the route was superb, with breathtaking views and good firm snow. Coming down from the summit to the col on the other side got a bit tricky - out came the crampons and the rope (a shorty 20m 8mm static line) as we went down ice and snow on granite slabs that would have been a pleasant scramble in summer but were quite serious in winter. Four short pitches - one I could not lead down safely, so I did a classic abseil from a spike. Hmm! Some "walk" this!

The pic shows us on the tricky roped descent to the col below.

This slowed us down and made the route seem a bit of an epic, but it was the right and safe thing to do and so we got down (my is it a long way down!) safely after ten hours on the hill, just as it was getting dark.

And so it went on. We did some superb coastal walks, and then (when stiffness had subsided a bit) Goatfell from Corrie via the exciting snowy Stacach Ridge from North Goatfell. More amazing mountain scenery, and more interesting wintery walking. We were lucky with the snow, most of the time it was good and firm.

All this and Arran whisky, and good birding too! Golden Eagle, Snow Buntings, various Divers and Grebes, Eiders making their weird mating coos, Pergrines plunge diving...