Day 5 - Arran to Mabie Forest

The 10.30 ferry to the mainland was cancelled due to choppy weather, so we had to take the 11.20 which made us late starting. A 50 minute crossing brought us to Ardrossan on the West coat of the mainland. Wet start and negotiating lots of traffic for the 1st time. Very hard going into a head wind for about 32 miles, couldn't make any progress, stopped exhausted and fed up in a small and rather depressing town, where we bolted down a pizza and then commence a 700 foot climb.

Sun then came out and we enjoyed a lovely mountain route and saw virtually no cars for about 25 miles. We were due at our forest lodge, Marthrown of Mabie, in Mabie Forest outside Dumfies, where our landlady, Pam, was cooking Chicken and Mushroom Pie for us. Time was running on and we were very late and tired.

Eventually found Marthrown after a few mistakes and arrived at 10.10pm, really tired and a familiar, end of day, 1.5 mile climb into the forest finish off our hardest day, totalling 90 miles. Backsides are really sore now!!

Brian collects more Maltloaf.

Ate our meal and Brian and I finished the day off with a relaxing soak in a solid fuel outside hot tub surrounded by the forest. Phil retired and nursed his knee.

The Hot Tub at Marthrown of Mabie