Where: Machrie Moor Stone Circles Walk
on the Isle of Arran
When: July 2013
Who: J Parker
Why: A day out to Arran
Weather: Sunny
Distance: about 3 miles round trip
The image below is of the Arran ferry
Caledonian Isles arriving at
Ardrossan. It costs about £8 per
person for a day return on the ferry, and
about £33 per return for a car, so
many people park in the large car park next
to the pier for a few pounds per day,
rather than take the car. If you are taking
a car at weekends or in the school holiday
season, it is best to pre-book, as the
ferry can be fully booked then.
I was giving relations a tour round the
south side of the Island to the Glenashdale
Falls at Whiting Bay, the Torrylin Cairn at
Kilmory on the southwest side of the
Island, then dropping them off at
Blackwaterfoot for the beach, so took the
car. I then went on to visit the Machrie
Moor Standing Stones and the Kings Cave
myself, as they are only a couple of miles
north of Blackwaterfoot. Doing the four
attractions in one day is a fair amount of
walking.
The image below is from the ferry car
park right next to the pier, it only costs
between 2 and 3 pounds per day to park
here.
Ardrossan Train Station is situated less
than half of a mile south of the ferry
terminal. You can normally buy train/ferry
tickets together with a discount. Train/Ferry
Map.
The first ferry normally departs
Ardrossan at 07.00 and the next at 09.45.
Afternoon ferries leaving Brodick are
normally 16.40 and 19.20. In summer, there
is also a smaller ferry that runs so there
will be more crossings available. Price
checks and timetables for the ferry can be
found at the ferry website:
www.calmac.co.uk
|
The image below is of one of the
restaurants on board the ferry. The
crossing takes about 1 hour to Brodick, so
we had plenty of time for breakfast.
|
The image below is from the ferry when
approaching Brodick. There should be buses
waiting at the Brodick Ferry Terminal for
the all the larger ferry crossings if you
do not take the car. Note, there are no
buses that run to suit the first early
ferry though?
The bus stops are right next to the
ferry terminal and there should be three
buses sitting waiting. One goes north to
Cladach, Brodick Castle, Corrie, Sannox,
Lochranza and round to Blackwaterfoot. That
is the bus you would need to get to take
you to the Machrie Moor or Kings Cave car
parks.
Another bus goes straight over to
Blackwaterfoot via the mountain road, and
the other goes south to Lamlash, Whiting
Bay, Kildonan, Kilmory, Lagg and round to
Blackwaterfoot.
Bus
Website
If you miss the bus, or are on the early
ferry, A.R.C. Private Hire are based in
Brodick. Tel: 0777 608 2752.
Lamlash based Taxi and mini bus hire
call George on 07967 587 481.
|
The image below is of the car park at
the Machrie Moor Standing Stones. That is
the hiking gate and path that leads all the
way to the three main sets of standing
stones.
It is 27 miles round the north side of
the island on the bus to this car park. The
route is nice and scenic. The map link
below will show the route straight over the
hill road, drag the blue line from the
middle, up to the north road at Lochranza
for the north map route.
The car park here is just under 1 mile
south of Machrie, 3 miles north of
Blackwaterfoot. Machrie Bay is mainly a few
houses with a golf and tennis facility that
has a popular tea room.
The car park for the Kings
Cave walk is situated 1 mile south of
this car park. Many people take in the two
walks on the same day.
Machrie Google
Map
Arran Attractions Click On
Map
|
The image below is from about half of a
mile out from the car park. This is the
Moss Farm Road Cairn, said to be the burial
place of a powerfull individual that died
around 4,000 years back.
The path here leads on for almost
another mile to the the largest standing
stones at Machrie Moor.
|
The image below is from reaching the
first main stone circle at Machrie Moor,
about one and a half miles out from the car
park on a good trail that leads right to
them.
You can just see the largest stones past
the trees.
|
The image below is of the entrance to
the largest stones on Machrie Moor. There
are two information boards here that state
the history of the area.
It is believed the stone circles here
were built around 4,500 years back, around
the same time as Stone Henge. They are
thought to have been used for worship, and
later burials.
Information
Sign Large Image
|
The image below is of the three largest
stones at Machrie Moor. This is one of the
most popular photos on the Isle of Arran,
with these three large stones and the Arran
mountains in the distance to the north.
Large
Image
|
The walk to the Machrie Moor Standing
Stones from the new car park at the start
of the trail is fairly level on a good dry
path. The views of the stones to the Arran
mountains is well worth the walk.
It was back to the car after this walk
for a short drive south, about 1 mile to
the car park for the Kings
Cave walk. After that walk, it was back
to Blackwaterfoot beach to pick up the
relations, then back across the hill road
to Brodick for the last ferry back to the
mainland.
For more information on Arran, Machrie
and Blackwaterfoot, visit the Tour of
Arran Page.
|
|
|