Scotland 2008

20th - 26th September 2008

Words

Ah, Arran. The holiday we look forward to before a manic new academic year hits us. The weather could not have been better - we had the sunniest week in the entire Scottish summer! Four days of work in the glorious sunshine broken up by a day off in the middle meant that we got to explore the island, play lots of games (Twister!!), get in a spot of birdwatching, go to the pub and even do our bit for nature!

Despite accidentally leaving Katy behind (oops) and not being able to track down the rangers, our first evening there improved greatly with the arrival of Ranger Corinna and a Land Rover! So we brought yummy, greasy fish and chips back to Shore Lodge to appease the travel-weary hungry tummies.

Sunday saw us rhodie bashing at Merkland Wood - these invasives are impossible to get rid of, and always on our agenda. We picked blackberries while being scratched by brambles (and eaten by midges), and made a lovely apple, pineapple (!) and blackberry crumble for dessert. Then to the pub for some folk music. Will won a raffle prize and got cider spilt on him, so it was all good.

On Monday we cleared drainage ditches, which was really an excuse to walk up the stunning Glen Rosa, led by Kenny the ranger/mountain goat. The weather was so nice that Aisa and me (Serene) went for a brave/foolhardy dip in the sea after that.

Tuesday's day off saw Steve, Caroline, Lizzie and me braving the hills to cycle around the north of the island. The rest took the smart option - the bus - to explore Lochranza distillery and enjoy the sun.

Wednesday was ptarmigan survey day! The dwindling ptarmigan population on Arran, at the southern-most tip of its Scottish range, seemed to have disappeared in recent years, and we were to help find signs of them. Wandering up Coire Lachan (ptarmigans are only found above 600m), we didn't see any, but found three feathers that may have belonged to one. And a golden eagle. And lots of red grouse and sheep poo. Mm, poo. Pete's favourite conversation topic. We also found a sheep carcass. Anyway, we got another lovely walk and lunch by a glacial loch for our efforts.

We spent Thursday doing various tasks including painting a loghouse, making a gravel path, a boardwalk and sowing wildflower seeds. Ranger Steven then let us check out the castle, while some of us opted to watch seals snoring on the beach. To wrap it all up, we all went for the traditional Ormidale pub quiz, which we unfortunately didn't win, despite having more than twice as many people as the other teams!

Verdict? Masses of fun, silliness and outdoorsiness (surely that's got to be a word..). See you next year!

Quotes: We've got some gems in there, although the quantity would be more substantial had Charlotte been around! By the way, Steve really is a lovely guy and isn't as offensive as the quotes imply!

Aisa's Pictures

Serene's Pictures

Will's Pictures

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