Wednesday 12 July
Another perfect summer’s day!?! The crew were up early to go ashore to catch a bus to the beginning of the popular walk up Goat Fell. The scenery from the bus along the coast road, hedged with wild fuchsia and honeysuckle, was delightful. The first section of the walk, up a shady gorge beside waterfalls and pools, with foxgloves and ferns in dappled sunlight, was beautiful and peaceful. 
Higher up the path left the woodland for open heath, where fluffy flax danced in the breeze, and lots of walkers rested at a bridge across the stream. The climb was very busy, ‘paved’ in places to mitigate the erosion caused by thousands of bootsteps, elsewhere difficult, steep scrambles.
Once the summit was finally reached, the view from the trig point was incredible, very clear with the Western Isles laid out all around – just like on the chart. A brief lunch stop was sufficient to recharge Mate for the descent, which was actually easier than expected, and she was glad of the encouragement of fellow walkers, with whom they celebrated with a welcome drink at the pub at the foot of the mountain. Goat Fell is not high enough to qualify as a Munro, but very popular as the highest point on Arran.