Arran, part four - the String road & photographers heaven!

It looks like it's the rutting season! Please - no 'horny' jokes!

I don't know why I've got my fleece on - it was a fabulous, sunny morning. Kath served us duck eggs for breakfast, along with the super black pudding, sausages, bacon etc etc.

We'd seen a picture of the Goat Fell range on the wall of the B&B.

After telling Kath we admired it, she did no more than rang the photographer and asked him

where we had to go to get the same picture. He told her, and she told us.

We set off for the 'string road'. This was a road that dissected the island right across the middle. It was a high road, and had been cut off by the snow, but was now passable with care.

And here we are - parked in a drift!

This Honda has been great in all the recent snow, and gone wherever I've asked it.

We'd soon got a few hundred feet under our belts, and a look back to the string road

showed us just how well we were progressing.

The snow was getting steadily deeper though, the higher we climbed.

I think it's this way!

With no path to follow, and just our tracks in the snow, we had to pay

close attention to the map and the surrounding contours,

but it was a very clear day, so not too difficult to wayfind.

I think we should head for that ridge (crunch, crunch, crunch)...........

Luckily, we could walk on the top of the snow, but like on Goat Fell,

every now and then we sank up to our thighs.

We didn't mind though, because if that was the price to see all this beauty,

it was a small one.

A REAL winter wonderland, but with hot sunshine - phew!

I ask you - where in the world can surpass that?

The big picture was great, but we took time to look at

the snow and the tracks the animals had made.

Here, we saw a bird had run, flapped it's wings,

and taken off. Almost ghostly!

Sue walks to the perfect spot for the perfect picture!

I was just content to pose at the trig point.

In the distance behind me, you can see our destination for later in the day.

Smile please!

We're so in love with Arran that we've already booked to go again in November.

That ridge behind us to the left of Goat Fell is on the 'to do' list.

We just couldn't stop looking at this panorama.

We felt we were so lucky to be seeing it in these conditions.

I'm sure it looks great without the snow, but somehow...........

Looking at Goat Fell from here, it just doesn't seem possible that we got right to the top.

It was very hard work, but it was also VERY worth it.

Right Susie, time to go - which way?

(Just follow the footprints).

We made our way back down to the car in the strong sunshine.

The snow must be melting fast now.

We drove to the South of the island,

and the lowlands, with no snow, as you can see.

This track is what we were looking for.

Why?? Find out in the next instalment.

Clue - what we found was 6,000 years old.