To the Gulf of Corryvreckan: Part I

Easter came up on us rather unawares, to be honest. Somehow, though, we managed to hatch a plan so cunning that...you know the rest...

The idea was to drive to Ardrossan, catch the ferry to Arran, cycle north to meet the ferry to Islay and cycle north again to meet the Jura ferry. We'd camp there, have a day climbing the legendary Paps of Jura, and again, you guessed it, cycle north to where the land runs out and the sea very much takes over, at the Gulf of Corryvreckan. The lure was a sometimes spectacular maelstrom of water where two tides meet over some very pointy rocks, creating 15 foot high waves and some very difficult sailing conditions...

What could possibly go wrong?

As it turned out, things started to unravel quite early. In hindsight, though, this was a very good thing. Having ensconced ourselves in a B&B at Ardrossan, we set the alarm for an early start to meet the Arran ferry. We were abruptly woken from our coma to a knocking at the door. There was a Keystone Cops moment as it began to dawn on us what exactly had happened: we’d slept through the alarm, and had 15 minutes to catch the boat. As we watched the ramp being raised on the ferry through the breakfast room window, the landlord said, in a spectacular display of Scottish understatement, “Are ye no’ cuttin’ it a wee bit fine?” …

Plan B was to drive round the headlands, skimming over the water in between on the Gourock and Portavadie crossings to make the ferry to Islay by the afternoon. We knew our luck had turned when we went in search of refreshments after the first ferry crossing. Black of Dunoon, purveyor of fine baked goods, appeared not a moment too soon, and quite honestly, the counter displays were a sea of plumptiousness in what is normally the Spartan domain of things coated in bright yellow icing. With our faith restored in local Scottish baking, we got over to Islay and by the end of the day, on to Jura without a hitch. It had all turned out very well, as if we had made it to the Arran ferry, the extra cycling would have creamed us.