Getting around

Mum and I headed into the big city today, otherwise known as Brodick. I was slightly amused watching these two gentlemen (right hand picture, please view today's collage large) stop what they were doing to watch the boat leaving. To be fair, Arran is very dependent on the boat sailing, no boat means no food, no mail, no papers...

Although it was very windy in Catacol earlier, Brodick was pretty calm, and by the time we got back to Catacol, having passed through the roadworks on the Boguille (no work having being done earlier when we were going into Brodick), it was much calmer. I should note that that photo (left) was taken through the bus windscreen, I hadn't just forgotten to clean the lens!

There is a lot of local dissatisfaction with the way the roadworks are being done, given the changes and the lack of information being provided. Local businesses like Arran Distillers and Catacol Bay Hotel are really feeling the effects. According to the latest Arran Banner, takings at the Distillery are 65% down compared to before they started, and they weren't given notice of the delays, in spite of having to change staff rotas to make sure that people can get to work from the other side of the works, staff travel is also a big factor for Cat Bay. My sister is going to have fun getting to work next week when there are no buses past Lochranza pier. Stagecoach are doing their best, but as they aren't being given the right info by North Ayrshire council, there is not much they can do. I was speaking to a woman in Brodick today, who was saying that her other half drives for Stagecoach, and he set off on the amended timetable (From Blackwaterfoot to Fairhaven and back) on Wednesday, only to discover when he returned that the road works had been put off until next week. The bus could have gone through as usual, so Catacol missed a bus service needlessly. When there are only buses approx. every 2.5 hours, missing one without good reason does not go down well.

Once back from Brodick I took the dog for a wee walk - she is still tired out after yesterday, I've never known her to walk so much to heel before! The centre shot was taken just outside Catacol and in the bottom right corner shows milestone number 42, one of the old sandstone milestones placed all around the island. One of the retired ministers on the island, along with his wife, set out a few years ago to tidy them up, as they were looking rather sad. I believe they are all made from local sandstone, there having been a quarry in Corrie, which is where a good number of the red sandstone tenements in Glasgow came from too. A new affordable housing estate was recently built in the old quarry, which is a nice use of the space.