A Trip to Arran, April 2012

A couple of weeks back we had a four day trip to Blackwaterfoot in Arran. It was a treat for Caitlin's twelth, and Ryan's eighth, birthdays. John, Michael, Gail and myself went along with the two children. Unfortunately, we missed the fabulous warm and unseasonal weather that we had in early April but we still had a great time at Angely, our very comfortable self-catering accommodation. It was perfect for a family holiday with everything we needed including a spacious dining area and very well equipped kitchen. We had plenty of room to spread out with three bedrooms, one ensuite, and a family bathroom. The showers were super and the couch super comfy. The kids enjoyed being able to go out and run about outside and it was great for us too as we knew that they were safe.

It was only a five minute drive to Blackwaterfoot, the picturesque village with a dinky little harbour and it didn't take us long to get our bearings. On our first afternoon the boys went off to have a game of golf at the nearby course while Gail, Caitlin and I had a lovely wander along the beach then a leisurely afternoon tea at The Kinloch Hotel. The staff in the hotel are very friendly and it was very relaxing sitting looking out over the Kilbrannen Sound towards Kintyre.

We returned to the hotel a few nights later for a meal to celebrate the birthdays and the food was delicious. A particulr treat was spotting some seals in the water and on the rocks down on the beach.

On the second morning of our trip we wakened to a blizzard but it cleared up by the afternoon and the snow clad hills looked so picturesque it really was a bit of a treat. Michael braved the elements and took the kids off to the swimming pool at The Kinloch Hotel and the rest of us had a very lazy morning until the weather cleared up. Fortunately, Angely is lovely and cosy so perfect for chilly weather and a nice deck for when it's more clement.

The snow only lasted a few hours so we wrapped up in the afternoon and went off to see some more of the Island. We visited Arran Aromatics, where the children had fun learning to make candles, and I picked up some gorgeous gifts and a few wee bargains for myself. We also had a great time in the cheese shop and stocked up on some Isle of Arran cheese and oatcakes and Caitlin and Ryan just had to try the tablet flavoured ice cream.

We then took a drive round the Southern half of the island; some of the scenery is pretty spectacular and I particularly like the view over Pladda Lighthouse. We all met up for tea in Lamlash at Made In Arran, where homebaking and local crafts made for an interesting combination, the coffee tea cakes were terrific. Afterwards we drove round the southern tip of the island and back up the western facing side to Blackwaterfoot. It was a lovely drive.

In the evening Michael and Gail went off to play pool at The Kinloch Hotel, which was now our local, and John and I had great fun with Caitlin and Ryan playing The Simpsons Monopoly.

I had a lazy day at home on the Wednesday, reading my book and making use of the Wifi to catch up with my emails and the website, while the rest of tthe gang headed out for some hiking and a picnic. John was a bit disappointed that the local fishery had closed but he checked out a small loch nearby in the hills, while Michael and Gail went off with the children to explore the King's Cave.

On our last day the boys had an early morning game of golf and then we drove round the Northern part of the Island and back to Brodick before we caught the Ferry. On the drive we passed lots of different scenery and climbed high into the hills and then down into Lochranza. We stopped for a wee wander in Corrie, which is a very picturesque village on the coast under the mountains.

There is certainly plenty to see in Arran and we had a very relaxing short break and a lot of fun. It's very easy getting to Arran on the ferry from Ardrossan and the trip on the boat particularly appealed to the children. They are already asking when we can go back.

I would recommend Angely to anyone looking for clean, comfortable and attractive self-catering accommodation.

Angely, tripadvisor

Contact:
Allan Johnston: 44 1294 465794
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