counter hit xanga
Cir Mhor | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Cir Mhor’

Glen Rosa – a working walk

Don’t be too shocked, we finally got the boots on again and made it across to the Isle of Arran yesterday. As you know, I’ve wanted to get back to Glen Rosa for the last couple of months but the extremely poor weather has until yesterday, kept us at bay.

Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

Have to say that it didn’t look altogether promising as we disembarked from the ferry in Brodick at eight o’clock yesterday morning ….it was absolutely pouring down with rain and we got quite wet just getting the 100 metres to the waiting room where we’d planned to don the waterproofs. Of course by the time we had all the gear on the rain had passed and as we walked along the promenade the first breaks in the dark cloud were appearing.

It’s always a good walk from Brodick to Glen Rosa and well worth doing just for the spectacular scenery but this trip was a working one. With the plans for creating a big Glen Rosa drawing all arranged with the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine later in the year, I needed to get back to the glen in order to start planning how exactly I’m going to do the piece. Yesterdays visit to the glen was to look at and record the first half of the glen. I wanted to spend time looking and thinking and making a few simple sketches.

As we entered the glen a Golden Eagle flew overhead, low enough for me to see it ….it made a good start to our day. Up to this point it had been difficult to know quite how much snow there was on the hills as the cloud level had been very low, but things quickly improved and we started getting glimpses of Beinn Nuis and Beinn a’ Chliabhain, the summits of both looking white and wintry.

Goat Fell from glen Rosa ...approaching shower

Goat Fell from glen Rosa …approaching shower

A little further on and the glen swings around to the NW and at this point the views open up even more and the fine peak of Cir Mhor stands dramatically at the head of the glen. With the cloud rising and breaking and the periods of blue sky and bright sun increasing, we got some wonderful views and the colours were really quite intense at times. I spent a lot of time standing or sitting doing some quick sketches as we made our way up the footpath at the side of the river. Nita was busy taking photos and was particularly interested in the river that was full and busy but with incredibly clear water ……in the bright sun the patterns of the rocks underneath the water looked wonderful.

It was a very profitable day and I got a lot of information in the way of sketches and photographs. I’m still not one hundred per cent sure how I’m going to do this big drawing but I have come away with a much better idea. Now I need to get up to the head of the glen and record that section.

‘In Glen Sannox, Isle of Arran’

283 'In Glen Sannox, Isle of Arran', Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

‘In Glen Sannox, Isle of Arran’

‘In Glen Sannox, Isle of Arran’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

This is the latest of my 76 x 23 cm paintings. It can be seen in my studio at present ….although I’m not completely sure whether it’s finished yet and I might still have a bit of work to do on it! For any one who hasn’t been to Glen Sannox, it’s a wonderful place with high rocky ridges on both sides and the dramatic peak of Cir Mhor rising above the Saddle at the end. With my sight a little worse these days, the ridges are probably now a little out of my league, but the glen is still a beautiful place to wander and I’ll definitely be making more visits.

‘The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March’

277-the-saddle-from-glen-rosa-isle-of-arran-march-acrylic-pastel-2013-76-x-23-cm

‘The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March’

‘The Saddle from Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran, March’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 76 x 23 cm

As you’ll probably have seen, I’ve been working on several large graphite drawings based on our visits to Glen Rosa on the Isle of Arran recently.  This is a new painting I’ve just completed based on the same subject matter.  We had walked up to the head of the glen below Cir Mhor and The Saddle.  It was cold and grey with snow on the tops and cloud hiding the summits too.  Then, just as we were about to return, it filled in further and started to snow.  This continued all the way back down the glen.  It was certainly a taste of things to come …this was the Wednesday before the heavy snow arrived that caused so many problems on the island a short while ago.  The painting is away to the framer soon and it will then be at the studio should anyone want to come and see it for real.  I’ll let you know when I have it back and on the wall.

Rosa not Rannoch

Below Cir Mhor, Glen Rosa

Below Cir Mhor, Glen Rosa

Well then, all our plans to go and walk some of the paths out over Rannoch Moor on Tuesday, came to nothing ….the bad weather that has been causing mayhem in most of the UK, finally caught up with us here and although it didn’t sound like it would be anything like as bad as elsewhere, we certainly didn’t fancy setting out on the 90 mile drive north with snow forecast and the roads likely to be bad. Instead then, after a quick rethink, we decided to go across to Arran and do a low level walk there. We’re very lucky here in North Ayrshire in that if ever the road conditions look to bad further north, we can nearly always get the few miles to Ardrossan and catch the ferry over to Arran and its fantastic mountains …some of the finest, south of Glen Coe.

Glen Rosa ...a wild and beautiful place

Glen Rosa …a wild and beautiful place

We got up at 04.00 to find a couple of centimetres of snow everywhere …but it seemed to have stopped and once out of the estate where we live the roads here were fine. First a quick detour to Kilwinning train station to pick up Guy at just after 06.00 and then on to Ardrossan and the ferry terminal …where we had a brief surprise …the ferry wasn’t sitting waiting where it normally does! Instead it was in a second space further away. After getting out tickets we were told that we would be boarding by way of the vehicle ramp …not a gangway. Different. Even more different when we emerged from the car decks to find that the layout of the ship seemed to have changed!!! When we wandered into a completely re designed café, finally it dawned on us that this was a different ship! Apparently the normal ferry was in dry dock having some work done. The breakfast though was up to its usual high standards and we were soon on our way.

My patient guides!

My patient guides!

Guy had been planning on catching the bus to Sannox and then walking up Glen Sannox, then up and out onto the Saddle and down Glen Rosa back to Brodick. When I heard his plans I have to admit that I said a very loud ‘No’. Nita and I had done this a number of years ago on a perfect summer day and although 97% of the route is a straight forward walk, the final section oft the climb up to the Saddle is interesting to say the least, and proved challenging for me even in good summer conditions. The route climbs steeply at the head of Glen Sannox up a very well made path …but it’s a bit misleading. High up this little motorway ends abruptly and the only way to continue is to scrabble up a very steep and eroded gully and then out to gain the final small path onto the top of the Saddle ….the col between North Goat Fell and Cir Mhor. With the prospect of climbing this gully with snow and ice in it …well …No! As Guy said, he can always go back and do that himself sometime. Instead, with forecasts of strong winds higher up, we opted for the gentle route to the Saddle …from Glen Rosa … returning the same way.

Snow covered slopes below North Goat Fell

Snow covered slopes below North Goat Fell

Although we’ve done this walk several times over the years it is always very beautiful and this would be the first time we done it on a real winter day. The snow wasn’t right down in the base of the glen at first but we reached it higher up. Near to the head of the glen, the point where you cross the stream and go up easy slopes to the Saddle, we stopped. We’d spent so long stopping and looking, taking photos and generally enjoying the complete peace and quiet that we were running a little behind time and decided it was far enough.

Looking down Glen Rosa

Looking down Glen Rosa

The mountains look wonderful in the snow, their upper slopes disappearing into the clouds. I snapped away with the camera and more importantly spend long minutes just stood looking and trying to fix in my mind the subtle colours and tones created under these wild and wintry conditions …I’m looking forward to trying to create some paintings or drawings based on what I saw. My two guides, Nita and Guy had a good day spotting wild life too. There were plenty of deer to see and Nita spotted a couple of Golden Eagles …confirmed by a very interesting local gentleman who we met …and who spent quite a bit of time trying to point them out to me. Alas, I never did get to see one of them this time …but with all the excitement of the others …I feel like I did. I’m not sure who the chap was, but he spoke with so much enthusiasm and passion for the glen. He was pointing out the colours and telling us about how they change over the year ….he was a man after my own heart …he might have been a painter too. Hopefully we’ll meet up again another time when we’re wandering the hills or glens on Arran …and I can remember to give him one of my business cards!

A brief lull ….

 'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

It’s the morning of Wednesday 28th December and I’ve just seen my old college mate Mervin off.  He’s been staying with us for the last couple of nights and is now driving up to visit his mum and sister who live on the Isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde.  He drove up from his home down south on Boxing Day and the plan was to go for a walk over on the Isle of Arran on the 27th (yesterday).  That said though, it was very much depending on the weather, more so than normal as we’ve had another succession of gales blowing in from the south west recently that have been disrupting the local ferry services somewhat.  It was certainly pretty windy all through Christmas Day and Boxing Day but the forecasts seemed to agree that there would be a short lull in proceedings during the early hours of 27th before another band of rain and wind arrived from the south in the afternoon.

It wasn’t great, but better than nothing and despite having driven around 300 miles the day before, Merv agreed that it would make sense to catch the early, 7 o’clock ferry to Brodick.  We only live a short distance from the ferry terminal at Ardrossan but even so this still meant leaving the house by about quarter past six in the morning!  The one advantage though of this early ferry (as I’ve no doubt said before) is that you can get a good breakfast on board during the 55 minute long crossing and arrive fuelled and ready to go.  I must admit though that I was a little surprised to find it still completely dark as we walked off the boat in Brodick ….don’t ask me why …I just never thought about it.  The ferry was quiet although we did meet one other chap who like us was heading for a walk …in his case, up Goat Fell.

 'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

At this time of year, especially on days where there is heavy cloud, the light is very poor and makes seeing where I’m going even more difficult than normal …and even slower more to the point.  For this reason I knew I’d not have enough daylight to get to the top of one of the hills and back and so we decided to walk up Glen Rosa between the mountains instead.  Mervin had never been to Arran and so we thought that this would at least give him an idea of the wonderful quality of the mountains here.  When he next makes a visit in the summer we can then go over and get up onto the tops.    The forecast seemed to be about right as the crossing was quite calm and there was little wind.  Even the grey clouds were above the summit of Goat Fell (the highest point on Arran) and it was looking good as we walked towards the start of Glen Rosa in the first light of the day.  Much of the snow that had been on Arranjust the other week had gone but Nita and Merv said they could still see some on the higher slopes and crags.

It was so quiet as we entered Glen Rosa; just the sound of the river rushing along and the odd pheasant and crow calling…..it was so peaceful.   We did meet the local farmer walking back to his farm and he reckoned it was wonderful in the glen that morning with the river flowing fast and clear.  He was right and it was hard to believe that it was just two days after Christmas.

 'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

After a mile or so the glen takes a hard turn to the north and the path crosses a bridge over another very busy stream that flows down the steep hillside in a series of waterfalls ….needless to say really, it was looking and sounding impressive.  Beyond the bridge the path gets narrower but over the years it has been well maintained and makes for good walking ….if for me, a little difficult in the gloomy light.  Care very definitely needed as in places the River Rosa, flowing on our right, cuts a small almost gorge through the rocks and there is a long drop into the torrent if you miss the edge of the path!

We had no real aim for the day and so fairly ambled along taking in the wild scenery of the glen and watching as the cloud slowly descended onto the tops once again.   Luckily Mervin did get to see the wonderful pyramid that is Cir Mhor, standing dramatically at the end of the glen, but then it too, slowly succumbed to the clagging mists.  We reached the head of the glen just before midday after many stops to take photos and eat Christmas cake.  At this point the path splits, one half crossing the River Rosa and climbing up to the Saddle between Cir Mhor and North Goat Fell, the other heading up to join the ridge on the other side of Cir Mhor.  We didn’t really have time to go much further and the river was high enough that to attempt crossing it would almost certainly have ended in wet boots or worse!  Up to our left though Merv could see a large boulder  several hundred feet  up on the hillside and we headed up towards this for a short while in order to get some views over looking the river…..but very quickly the cloud that had been getting lower by the minute, decided to let out some of its rain.   It was only fine, but the kind of stuff that really soaks you.  Mervin made it to the boulder and then it was just a case of walking back out in the increasingly heavy rain.  The light got even more gloomy but there was a strange stillness in the glen ….thankfully the rain might have arrived but the accompanying gales had not.  We made it back to the ferry terminal in Brodick as it was once again getting dark and had time to get out of the wet gear before catching the ferry home.  It wasn’t a classic Arran walk, but very enjoyable all the same and just great to once again get out into the fresh air and the quiet.

 'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

'In Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran'

The gales though, are back with a vengeance this morning and Mervin left here not knowing whether he’d be able to get over to the Isle of Bute …reported disruption on the main ferries again.  There is though a small very short crossing over to Bute that is apparently still running …but this involves a long drive around to get to it.   He just left here armed with food and a large flask of hot tea just in case he gets stuck and has to wait for the winds to abate …it could be a long day for him.

On the subject of brief lulls ……there is not going to be a blog next week I’m afraid …normal service will resume the week after that.  I will however, endeavour to post regular updates on my Face Book page for anyone interested, so why not check that out if you’ve not yet visited it.

I hope you’ve all had a good time over Christmas and have an equally fine few days over the New Year.  Back in 2012!

Heading for Goat Fell on the 7am ferry…

'Heading for Goat Fell ...on the 7am ferry'

'Heading for Goat Fell ...on the 7am ferry'

Talk about leaving it a bit late, we took the decision to head over to Arran for a walk up Goat Fell yesterday, after I got back from the studio on Wednesday evening. Not the greatest of preparations but thankfully we had some bread rolls in the freezer and a supply of Lucozade …it wouldn’t be the best packed lunch in the world but good enough.

It’s been pretty miserable up here in Scotland for the last few days with rain and high winds but as we put the rucksacks into the car for the short drive to the ferry …at about 6.15am …there was just enough light to see that the sky was virtually cloud free …it was looking good.

As you may have noticed from the blogs, we haven’t been out on the hill for a good few weeks now.  I’ve just been so busy at the studio that with one thing and another …coupled with many days of low grey cloud and rain …well we just never managed to get out.  I’ve been wanting to go and walk my 50th Corbett but still haven’t decided which hill that will be and so on Wednesday evening we just wanted somewhere to go that would stretch the legs and give great views …what better place to go than Goat Fell over on the Isle of Arran.  On a clear day the views from its summit must be some of the best in Scotland and for us living just across the water in Irvine; it has the advantage of virtually no driving, and the luxury of getting breakfast during the 55 minute crossing between Ardrossan and Brodick.  You arrive in the picturesque little town of Brodick and can see many of the big Arran hills (including Goat Fell) rising just to the north.  You don’t even have to catch a bus to the base of the hill …there is a wonderful path that picks it’s way between the golf course and the sea all the way to below Brodick castle where the main ‘tourist’ path starts and the wonderful Arran Brewery has it’s home.

'On Goat Fell'

'On Goat Fell'

Everything looked so beautiful as we walked along the beach the final few hundred metres to the start of the Goat Fell path.  The sea was an intense blue and the trees were just starting to take on that autumn colouring.  The path picks its way up and around the edge of Brodick Castle gardens ….heading through a mixture of trees and habitat.  After a while it reaches a small fast flowing stream with a wee bridge over it.  I can remember a few years back when this bridge was just a fairly narrow affaire with no hand rail …I used to shuffle my way over it, worrying that I’d miss the edge and end up getting a soaking!  No worries now …as I say, there’s a proper little bridge in place.  About this point you get to the edge of the trees and the path turns and runs across a fairly level section heading for the shoulder of the hill.  We had seen just two other folk at this time and it was so peaceful as we wandered along the stony path.  Already the views to the south were impressive …but there was also a lot of very low cloud out there and we worried that this was the ‘weather’ that the forecast had said was due in later that day …arrived early as it were.

Once onto the ridge the path is nearly all rock …hours and hours of time and hard work moving greet stones and boulders into place, utilizing the natural outcrops and picking a clever line, have created a fine and safe path all the way to the summit.  You don’t have to follow it of course and you can clamber your way up and through the granite boulders and outcrops if you choose.  The views just get better and better as you gain height but the best is left to the last on this hill.  As the angle suddenly eases you arrive on a boulder and slab strewn summit and suddenly you get the most amazing views…the whole of the rocky, Arran mountains stretch out before you, the narrow ridges, rocky pinnacles and bright sand screes. . .there is just so much to look at.  All around you can see the sea and out to the east is the dark line of the main and Ayrshire.  Further to the south Nita pointed out Ailsa Craig.  We had reached the top just before midday and so it seemed like the perfect spot for lunch.

East from Goat Fell

East from Goat Fell

As we sat looking out over the deep trough of Glen Rosa, the very low broken cloud we’d seen earlier to the south, started to feed in on the breeze.  It bubbled up beneath us heading north up Glen Rosa before briefly shrouding the fine pointy summit of Cir Mhor.  It came and went creating a constantly changing view, different colours, tones and patterns.  The strange thing was that for almost an hour as we watched this wonderful changing show …the cloud never enveloped us on the summit of Goat Fell …the highest point on the island.  Indeed, we were sat in bright sunshine much of the time we were watching the flowing and breaking clouds ….quite amazing.  There was a good few folk on the summit by this time …all transfixed by the scene.  After about an hour the cloud faded away and we were left with an almost cloud free sky.  The ridge over to North Goat Fell looked tempting (we first scrambled our way along and over its stumpy pinnacles way back in 1988 during our first ever holiday together), but we decided instead just to have a leisurely return in the sun.

From Goat Fell ...the summit of Cir Mhor above the cloud

From Goat Fell ...the summit of Cir Mhor above the cloud

As I’ve said before, the Isle of Arran Brewery is situated right at the start of the path up Goat Fell, and as we reached it on our way back …having cut it too fine to catch the 16.40 ferry, we stopped by and bought ourselves a couple of bottles of Arran Blonde from the brewery shop.  They have seats and tables outside and so long as you open the bottles yourself …you can sit and drink them in the evening sun …which is what we did.  Within 15 minutes several other walkers, arriving back after a hot day on the hill, stopped and did like-wise.

A gentle amble back around the bay and just time for some chips before the ferry arrived …then coffee and a kip before arriving back in Ardrossan a little after eight in the evening …what a wonderful day.

A local fisherman ...near Brodick

A local fisherman ...near Brodick

Interestingly on Wednesday evening I also received an email inviting me to take part in a group exhibition at the Dick Institute in Kilmarnock…at the end of January.  They asked if I might have any paintings I could include that were local to the area.  I’m thinking I may well be able to do a couple of pieces based on the incredible views we had while at the summit of Goat Fell.  Anyway, more details about this exhibition as and when I know them.

Finally, if you’re reading this and live in Ayrshire and have never made the trip over to Arran …well then …do go and visit.  It is a magical place with something for everyone and as I found yesterday, when you’ve been working hard and are tired and worn out …a day on the island relaxes and restores.

A working walk

Arran: Scottish Mountain: Cir Mhor

Cir Mhor from Glen Rosa

Well, as I said in a brief comment on Face book earlier this week, I finally got a day, if not on the hill, then certainly in amongst them. We’ve been having a lot of fine cold clear days recently and last Friday we decided to take a trip over to the Isle of Arran.

From Irvine, Arran is just a few miles away across the Firth of Clyde. Indeed, even with my poor bit of sight, with the aid of a monocular I can see the mountains at the north end of the island from my studio door. To actually get there, takes a short trip up the coast to Ardrossan where the ferry to Brodick goes from. Until a couple of years ago, it wasn’t really possible to do a serious walk on Arran in a day trip during the winter months. The winter ferry service was somewhat restricted and for me at least, there wasn’t enough time between first and last ferry. Now though, there is an early ferry leaving at 7.00am and, and a later ferry back from Brodick.

Arran: Scottish Mountains: Glen Rosa

Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

So then, with the temperature at -4C and the first light just appearing, we went on board and went straight to the café ..you can get an excellent breakfast on board and it sets you up nicely for the day ahead. It takes about 55 minutes to get across to Brodick and by the time we walked down the gangway the sun was lighting up the tops of Goatfell and it’s neighbours …all of which were covered with snow. It looked stunning. We hadn’t at this stage decided quite what we were going to do and had carried all our winter gear incase we decided to head uphill. The scenary and colours were so good that we decided to make this a working walk and to simply take a wander the few miles up Glen Rosa in the heart of the Arran hills. With the wonderful mixture of snow, crags, grass and bracken, there would be plenty of scope for photographs and sketching.

The walk along the front and around the edge of the golf course at Brodick is scenic enough in these conditions but as we approached Glen Rosa it was just spectacular. On the north facing slopes the snow was all the way down to the base of the glen, on the southern slopes the lower levels were free of snow and the grass and bracken was a mixture of bright ochres, yellows and terracotta in the low early morning sun light.

Arran: Scottish Mountains: Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

Glen Rosa, Isle of Arran

After about a mile the glen takes a sharp dogleg to the right and you can see all the way up the glen to Cir Mhor – a wonderful pointy peak at the head of the glen that incidentally, is as pointy at the tip as it looks …but that’s another tale. At this point we were out of the shade and into bright sun and so it seemed a good point to do some sketching and just enjoy our surroundings. Then disaster ….I thought I’d packed my sketchbook and drawing pen …well, I’d got the sketchbook, but the pen I’d picked up was not a drawing pen ..it was a thicker indelible marker pen! Oooops. That’s the joy of fuzzy sight for you! Oh well, nothing for it, I’d just have to draw with this …but it wasn’t very successful and although that day I did three drawings – all of them were dreadful. What do they say about bad workmen always blaming their tools?

Despite this, it was a great day and a very useful one for me. I came away with several new ideas for paintings and although the drawings weren’t great, just sitting and looking at the hills and glen with my monocular really helps when it comes to painting later.