We'd been out late on Thursday night, at a production of Jamie the Saxt by Robert McLellan at Auchrannie. It was a really good evening, and alongside my completion of the North Arran shore by walking the dogs over the westerly stretch in the morning, and a lovely afternoon's lazing at Lochranza Castle, made for a great day.
The play lasted a good three hours (none of it boring), but it still meant a later night and therefore a later breakfast than I'd planned! I'd decided to run the "Two Glens" route - a circular from Lochranza up Glen Catacol, Gleann Diomhan, and down Gleann Easan Biorach. That'll be Three Glens then. Oh well.
I've done this as a walk several times, the first back in 1995, and the going has been getting rougher ever since. The "path" is now a terrible mess of bog, mud, water and boulders for most of its 8 miles now, with good stretches only at the very lowest extremeties of the Glens - a real pity, caused by too much water running down the channels created by feet.
However, the run around the coast to Catacol is a nice start, flat road all the way, and it's not too bad up to the turn for Glean Dionham either. It's cool and showery, idea for running. At the entrance to Diomhan, they're building a huge new deer fence, possibly to protect the gorge and its Arran Service Trees (a variety of Rowan). From here on in, the going is rough. Not just ordinary rough, it's about as bad as it gets. It's quite lucky really, as there's a 1300' climb to do on this run, and the awful going is a good excuse to go very slowly. I'm talking about 5K per hour slow! It's possible to jog a few strides now and then but that's it. It rains a bit, then clears, then the top of the pass comes into view - with even a view of the lower slopes of the high hills. 
There's a waterlogged bouldery area , then on the way down it gets really bad - all your favourite obstacles from the the way up, but this time there are deep peat bogs too. I sink into a few of them, hop and stumble down - but at least I'm getting quicker - 6K and hour almost! The sun is out now, and I've escaped the westerly wind, so it's warm too. After wading a burn, I find dry track, and immediately run into two lady birdwatchers who ask if I've seen any Golden Eagles. There could have been a whole flock of them for all I know - I've been too busy watching the ground! Eventually, I get to run fast - downhill to the Distillery, and back to Lochranza for a shower.
The afternoon is spent on an idyllic walk from Blackwaterfoot to the King's Cave and back. It's wet at first, but changes into the most beautiful clear and sunny afternoon. We all enjoy it, and it seems a pity that we've got to pack and go home tomorrow. Ah well, the forecast is wet, at least!
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