Kildonan, Isle of Arran

It might sound selfish, but I was disappointed to find that the access to this beautiful beach has been improved by the removal of a gate and the creation of a gravelled footpath (with benches). When I arrived it was full of people: more crowded than I have ever seen it. As a child I used to come here often on family holidays and you could sit on the beach for hours with very few people walking past. Today I got kinda annoyed as the wildlife (especially the seals) were being constantly disturbed and dogs were running about everywhere (typically, I had one jumping on me the very instant I opened my lunchbox).
These people never visited the beach when they had to make the effort to walk 5 minutes along the rocky beach or climb over one fence! People should be prepared to put a little effort into viewing wildlife. I'm worried that Kildonan's seal colony will become another crowded, dog-shit covered, litter-strewn, cheap tourist attraction. Reminds me of my disheartening visit to Dunvegan in Skye... :(

Anyway, sorry about the rant...

On the upper shore there were profuse clumps of white Brassica-type flowers which were attracting lots of Orange-tips (Anthocharis cardamines) and Green-veined Whites (Pieris napi). I didn't have the pleasure of taking many photos due to being constantly harassed by people wanting to know if they were rare butterflies and asking me if I was aware that I'd left my rucksack 2 metres behind me *SIGH*

Green-veined White (Pieris napi thomsoni)

Likewise I was unable to take good pictures of the basking Common Seals as there was already a group of people taking pictures.

Common Seal (Phoca vitulina)

Common Seal (Phoca vitulina)

Frustrated, I took a walk along the shore to the path which leads up to Levencorroch. Flowering plants included Red Campion (Silene dioica), Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and Common Milkwort (Polygala vulgaris).

Once I reached Levencorroch I wandered along the main road towards East Bennan where I saw a Brown Hare (Lepus europaeus) galloping across one of the fields. Rows of Swallows (Hirundo rustica) were perched on the telephone lines and a few Hooded Crows (Corvus cornix) were marching about the sheep-cropped fields.

Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix)

The Hooded Crow was long considered a subspecies of the Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) and has only recently been granted species status. It replaces the Carrion Crow over most of Ireland and Northern and Western Scotland.

Kildonan, Isle of Arran

My flatmate's schoolfriend came over from France to visit her and I suggested we visit Arran because in many ways it's 'Scotland in miniature'. The Highland Boundary Fault divides the island into highlands in the North and lowlands in the South and it has dramatic mountains, open moorland/sheep, unspoiled beaches and most importantly, is an easy day-trip from Glasgow.

The train from Glasgow to Ardrossan takes one hour and the Arran ferry takes an hour to sail from Ardrossan to Brodick harbour, from there you can catch a bus to anywhere on the isle. On the ferry you can get a decent fried breakfast and coffee (although the black pudding isn't great) and the chance to see gannets, various sea ducks and porpoises.

Arran is famous for its varied geology and this is reflected in the amazing diversity of its beaches. Corrie has red sea-sculpted sandstone rockpools, Brodick Bay and Whiting Bay have golden sands, Largymeanoch and 'the Fallen Rocks' at North Sannox have spectacular boulder-beaches and Blackwaterfoot has interesting sea caves.

Kildonan lies on the Southern coast of Arran and the beach has white sand intersected by rugged walls of rock, groups of Grey and Common seals bask on the shore and there are excellent rock pools. Along the coastline is a dramatic raised beach and above this there are green sheep-fields which abound with Brown hares.

From the coast there are excellent views of the tiny islands Pladda (flat, green and possesses a lighthouse) and the Ailsa Craig (further away, a sharply conical volcanic plug which was once quarried for the production of curling stones and also has a lighthouse - now automated).

Isle of Pladda

In summer the rocks are a riot of colour: encrusted with lichens in clashing shades of parking-paint-yellow and minty-green, and with tufts of candy-floss-pink thrift (Armeria maritima).

Thrift (Armeria maritima) with Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) 

Thrift (Armeria maritima) 

Thrift (Armeria maritima) 

This slab of beach-rock strangely resembles an elephant's skin:




The Arran ferry has an entourage of very photogenic Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus). There is something distinctly velociraptor-ish about their faces, with their pale stern eyes and fierce blood-drop bills.

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Herring Gull (Larus argentatus)

Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus)

When a group of gulls are this close together, you can be sure that a squabble isn't far away! The bird second to the left is a juvenile in second summer plumage.