UKC

I'm planning a trip to Arran in July, the primary objectives of which are the A'Chir traverse and Sou'wester Slabs. Accommodation-wise we are planning to camp. The obvious place to stay is the campsite at the mouth of Glen Rosa. However, my partner reckons that this is a bit of a unsavoury place due to its proximity to "the fleshpots of Brodick" (his words). I can see the benefits of being close to Brodick in that we can get a pint and/or an evening meal in town if we so desire. On the other hand I really don't enjoy trying to sleep in a tent while others nearby insist on making a racket in to the wee small hours.

My partner has suggested Glen Sannox instead. I can't see a campsite there marked on the map, and anyway it seems to be on the wrong side of the hill for our main objectives.

Is the Glen Rosa campsite really best avoided at this time of year? Is Glen Sannox a viable alternative? Your experiences and ideas would be most welcome!

In reply to Martin W:

Tell your partner they are talking pish. Will you have a car?

In reply to Martin W:
I'll clear up where I can:
- The walkin from sannox to rosa pinnacle is not radically different than from glen rosa although you will loose some height gained for many routes.. There aren't any campsites there though....
- The rosa camp site is pretty nice, I like the rustic style, didn't have any problems when we were there, but I imagine it gets midgey. Don't think it gets too busy either. It's well outside brodick, but as it's not managed much there wouldn't be anything to stop people making a bit of noise on the campsite. It's pretty big though so you can get away from it I should think. You can make fires.

The other campsites are:
- Middleton campsite in Lamlash, this rarely gets fully booked, but it's not particularly nice with moody management and boggy ground, rarely hot water, lots of midges and lots of caravans.
- Lochranza campsite, looked a bit better than lamlash.
- Seal Shore, by far the nicest especially if you want to chill on the campsite at all and reportedly midge free, right next to a fairly cheap hotel for food and drinks also. Gets fully booked very easily.
- That's it for campsites on arran!

Stevo

In reply to Martin W: The campsite at Lochranza has its own golf course and restaurant for breakfast etc large site with visiting deer in evening.We stayed there 3 weeks ago and it was ok.

In reply to Martin W:

I'd go with Glen Rosa my self. Sannox would be wild camping, and there are some excellent spots. The climb from Sannox to do your primary obs is a bit of a slog - it was VERY boggy on the approach the last time I was there (altho i've heard the path has been improved). The last pull up to the col (which meets Glen Rosa at 444 mtrs) was steep and loose and not very enjoyable. Also, if you camp in Sannox the only pub/restaurant was a bit pricy and we got the impression us climbing types were a bit "unclean" (It's changed hands since then mind) There is a Hotel in Corrie which is about 3 miles from Sannox which was more our style tho.
The flesh spots of Brodick is a good 45mins walk from the Rosa campsite. And yes it can get VERY midgy - like all of Arran.

In reply to Padraig:
sannox wasn't too boggy 3 weeks ago. Path was pretty good. Your right there was some nice wild camping spots on the right hand side of the path on flat ground near a river with trees for shade.

In reply to Martin W:

>"Is the Glen Rosa campsite really best avoided"

Setting aside the "stories" of the stabbings, on the basis of a confrontation I had with the owner, where he approached me as I was walking by and argressively suggested that I 'must' camp on his camp site, I've never and would never stay there.

He wrongly assumed my big bag contained a tent and I was going to wild camp. I was actually going climbing and then on to the YH in Lochranza.

OK, so maybe Glen Rosa isn't too bad (midgies I had already factored in). Looks like partner and I will be poring over a map to weigh up the pros and cons of Glen Sannox as an alternative.

Seal Bay sounds fantastic but we were planning to pick dates at short notice, so it might be too late to book by the time we've made up our minds. Just hope that doesn't mean we can't get on the ferry either (we are planning to take the car - partner doesn't seem too keen on cycling as an option).

In reply to Martin W:
I've camped at the Glen Rosa site twice. On both occasions we were kept awake most of the night by drunken 'musicians'. The second time it was in the summer, and when I looked out of the tent in the morning, the inner was completely coated with midges.
This was about 15 years ago, and I've never been back, so the former may have improved, but the latter won't have!

The Lochranza site would be my choice, not only is it a good site but there's often a sea breeze to keep the midges at least vaguely tolerable. Getting around's not a problem even if you don't have a car/bikes, as the bus service is excellent.

In reply to Martin W: Wild camping in Glen Rosa is another option - saves you doing the walk-in twice! We got to the A'Chir traverse by climbing up some random Diff near Pagoda Ridge, which meant we didn't have to walk all the way round to the south end of the ridge up to A'Chir.

In reply to Martin W:
Have never camped in any of them as I'm a local so no need. However, if it were me I would consider wild camping further up the glen. The campsite at Glen Rosa has little in the way of facilities and is often full lads drinking and lighting fires. Plus it floods. And I mean helicopter-airlift-in-the-middle-of-the-night FLOODS.
Lochranza is nice (with the deer and all,) but it is midgy just like other places, if you have got the car go seal shore in Kildonan if you can get on it as this is in the prevailing wind. Has won national awards and you can see otters on the beach on a regular basis. Its ace.
I lived on the Middleton campsite in Lamlash for 5 months, it is no more midgy than anywhere else on the island (except Glen Rosa which wins hands down), but agree, the management can be terrifyingly bad tempered. It is near a three lively pubs though. Always a bonus.

In reply to The Gibbon:

I've realised that the reason it's never been midgy for us there, is that we've always been at Easter

In reply to Martin W:
been walking and climbing in arran for the past 15 years, i would camp up stream, hour or so from glen rosa camp site. that leaves a 40min-hour walk in to achir (if your doing the chimney to the ridge. The rosa burn runs all the way up the glen and its perfecly good to drink/wash in as well. glen sannox leaves nasty boggy walk in to the achir and tarsuin

In reply to johnrc:
Agree whole-heartedly! BTW As an ex Ranger on the NTS property (who own and manage Glen Rosa)and a regular user of the glen I am unable to resist saying that as responsible climbers you won't light fires and will clear up after yourselves. You'd be surprised at how many don't!!! Apologies for even thinking otherwise.

In reply to The Gibbon: Lochranza site had a few midgies this weekend. Brodick resembled Ibrox.

In reply to The Gibbon:

Agreed. Me and my mate camped further up the glen at a boulder under the South West Direct cliff (Cirh Mhor?) and that was fine. The Glen Rosa campsite seems to have no facilities and is in a terrible place for midges - seems like you pay for something you could get for free further up the valley.
Lochranza is nice if you want to stay at a campsite with showers after you've done your climbs.

In reply to Fawksey:

Did you enjoy Arran?

I was going to recommend this to you:

http://tinyurl.com/ltt5mc

(up Sgiath Bhan, down Muileann Gaoithe), but it must be twenty years since I was surprised how much fun it was. There's always this ridge (which my parents referred to as "Barnacle Ridge")

http://tinyurl.com/l763op

Y.

In reply to Martin W:
Unless things have changed recently, the Glen Rosa campsite doesn't have showers, so it's a bit like wild camping alongside lots of other people, and paying for the privilege.
Midges are probably inevitable wherever you camp on Arran.

The main advantage of staying in Brodick or Glen Rosa is that there's no need at all to take a car (or bike, for that matter), saving a small fortune on the ferry. If your partner is insistent on taking the car, you might as well drive round to a nicer spot, though.

Both of your planned excursions are fantastic, by the way.
Another good scramble, if you have a car or other transport, is on Beinn Bharrain (I think it was the North Ridge from this top). A bit more out of the way, a bit quieter.

In reply to Martin W: Try camping on west side of Arran You can can camp past Catacol Bay Hotel. This would give you an alternative route to access your planned walk. Ask at the hotel for details of where to camp. The best campsite in Arran is just past Lamlash. Excellent bus service to your chosen start route.

In reply to Ewan McGregor [not him]:
Hiya,
Camping in the west means one hell of a (boggy) walk in for your planned routes in Glen Rosa if you don't want to drive/get bus! Buses are fine but they are about 3 hours apart from the north and west of the island. The bus service around the south/east between Brodick, Lamlash and Whiting bay is more frequent.

The Lamlash campsite mentioned above is the lamlash one- also called Middleton Campsite- at Cordon (small hamlet on edge of lamlash), that has been mentioned earlier.

In reply to Fawksey:

LOL! Have you ever been here for the Brodick Highland Games? Its the only day of the year that the locals lock their doors.

In reply to skog:
Oh and found this footage from July last year to give you an idea of how bad the flooding gets in the Glen Rosa Campsite.....! Its a fairly regular occurrence.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7499873.stm