I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO on a tandem. Perhaps because I imagined it would be relaxing. However, in reality, riding on the back seat of a bicycle made for two is like being the less bossy Siamese twin. You can't see or control the direction of travel, or brake, and you have to completely trust your other half. That's probably why I screamed my head off as my boyfriend rocketed us down the rocky footpath at Glen Rosa, on our romantic break to the Isle of Arran.
But even that view was not a patch on what we could see from the window of our kingsize room at the Burlington Hotel, in Whiting Bay. With the Holy Isle in the near distance, this took in a whole stretch of sandy beach, populated by swans, Canadian g
eese and ducks. The owners of this quaint Edwardian seaside villa hotel, Doreen and John Lamont, were welcoming but never overbearing. And while the interior is rather old-fashioned, it adds to the homely appeal of the place.
On our first evening in the hotel, we enjoyed a meal cooked by John and served by Doreen. Their menu is heavily influenced by the Slow Food movement, which means it favours local and seasonal produce. Rolf particularly enjoyed his haddock in a light Pernod sauce, while my pork with polenta crust was hearty.
The next morning, the priority was to burn off dinner – and there are no shortage of gut-busting walks on Arran. Near the Burlington, look out for a signposted pathway indicating the start of a two-hour circular walk up to Glenashdale Falls. The route takes in Glenashdale Burn, fields of blackfaced lambs, forest glades, the site of an Iron Age fort and culminates in the spectacular site of the falls.
That was pretty exciting, but not as dramatic as the walk we took to King's Caves, near the village of Blackwaterfoot. We were led over a winding path down to the sea, where crashing waves sounded nerve-wrackingly close. Just when we thought we'd accidentally passed it, we stumbled upon the gated King's Cave. It is said that Robert the Bruce found refuge here, and met the fabled spider. Inside, the dripping of water is rather creepy and ominous; we scuttled out quickly.
We spent the rest of the day soothing our nerves at the Auchrannie Spa Resort, in Brodick. This involved a splash about in the 20m pool and a bit of a steam in the sauna. However, the spa is only about as classy as a good leisure centre. It's the hotel and restaurant that win the posh points. The staff of eighteen69 ushered us in to the hotel lounge to enjoy a few nibbles in front of a crackling log fire, before we took our seats in the separate glasshouse space. The food is top notch – my breast of Gressingham duck with fondant potato, baby leeks, beetroot and cassis sauce looked as pretty as it was appetising and a happy Rolf hoovered up his tender Highland venison loin in herb crumb in seconds. However, he still managed to leave some space for the biggest cheese plate I've ever seen – which featured peppered Arran Cheddar, local Crowdie and brie.
Before heading home, he stocked up at the Island Cheese Shop in the Home Farm complex, while I popped into Arran Aromatics next door. You can watch the toiletries being created while you fill a basket with such delights as organic soaps scented with mandarin and camomile, or ginger and cardamom.
One last thing: although most holidaymakers come to Arran in summer, the advantage of going out of season is that you get all the views to yourself. smFactfile isle of arran
HOW TO GET THERERail travel to Ardrossan starts from £22.10 from Edinburgh, £7 from Glasgow and £49.50 from Aberdeen, all with
www.thetrainline.comThe Caledonian MacBrayne ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick costs from £5.25 for a single (0800 066 5000,
www.calmac.co.uk).
WHERE TO STAYB&B at The Burlington Hotel starts from £70 (
www.burlingtonarran.co.uk)
AND THERE'S MOREScotsman Reader Holidays has a five-day trip to Arran departing 23 June from £365. Visit
www.holidays.scotsman.com for details.
The full article contains 715 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
