Four go wild in Arran

Racing to catch the last ferry, deep fried mars bars, riding crashing waves on an inflatable launch and tree felling were just some of the ingredients that made for a memorable late May Bank Holiday on the Isle of Arran for 4 intrepid Landmark/ Argyll members of staff - Ben Furlong, Ali Stanton, Miranda Pont and myself (the author who was co-organiser along with Ian Cowan for this year’s event).

This was the annual UKELA Scottish Wild Law weekend originally conceived by Sir Crispin Agnew QC and now in its fifth year.

Making our way from all corners of the UK the group met on the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry as we left Androssan Harbour heading west to Brodick- the main town on Arran. There we disembarked for fish and chips and for some, the local delicacy of deep fried Mars Bar which though perhaps lacking in vitamins was certainly made up for in calories and saturated fats.

After this feast we piled into the mini bus and set off to the hostel in Corrie - our home for the next three days. This hostel sits just above the sea looking out south east to the mainland- it is run by Rauri and his partner Claire who live in a caravan on the grounds with their dog Dougal.

Our Saturday morning started with a drive over to Lamlash Bay and to meet members of COAST (Community of Arran Seabed Trust) to hear about the No Take Zone (i.e. no fishing ) that is now in place in Lamlash Bay. This came about by the local community coming together and providing public pressure on the government to have this established- the first in Scotland. Having been kitted out in oilskins, life jackets and safety information, we then took to the water with a tour of the No Take Zone in a Rigid Inflatable Boat where we learnt more about the state of the seas and the devastation of the marine ecosystem from dredging and over fishing. Our tour included the circumnavigation of Holy Island which is now the home of a Tibetan Buddhist retreat with eco-houses, and a herd of feral ponies.

 

 

Back on dry land we prepared for our next adventure and headed south to a community woodland project at Fairy Glen. Much of the south of the island had been planted 20 or 30 years ago by the Forestry Commission and generally as a block of mono species, often sitka spruce. Such close planting with non-native species provides minimum habitat for wildlife and it is recognised now that a more enlightened approach to forestry and woodland management is required. When we reached the wood we were given a brief instruction of our task - to remove the small sitka spruce to help the regeneration of native species. So we set off into the undergrowth armed with saws and loppers and started felling. You will be pleased to hear that the Landmark Team approached this task with characteristic energy and effected a notable transformation to a small area of the forest.

A short drive later we reached Brodick Castle and over tea and cakes heard about bee keeping on the Island. Bee keeping had declined on the Island but had recently undergone a renaissance through the reintroduction of the native black bees. One of our group, Sandy Abrahams, told us about the work of her father who is a beekeeper on the nearby Island of Colonsay.  Sandy’s father was responsible for bringing in new legislation to protect the native black bee on Colonsay – which is one of the last strongholds for this species in pure form. 

After all of these adventures and tours we were getting quite hungry, but if we wanted to eat we had to cook the meal- and once again the Landmark Team got stuck in and prepared a delicious risotto and salad back at the hostel. This was washed down with wine and the odd dram when we settled down for discussions on wild law and why it is crucial to change our relationship with nature if we are going to have a healthy planet.

 

 

And that was just the Saturday. I will leave others to tell the tale of our further adventures. Unfortunately (and for the first time on a wild law weekend) the weather on Sunday was ‘mizzling’ and so our planned ascent of Goat Fell had to be called off- and we had to go on other walks at lower altitude.  As a fitting end to a thoroughly enjoyable weekend, we were joined after dinner on Sunday by Tom Appleby who spoke about his work with COAST, as their legal advisor during the campaign to create the Lamlash Bay ‘No Take Zone’. 

If all of this sparks any interest in you then please let me know and we can look to you joining us for next year’s adventure. We don’t know yet where that will be- but wildness is guaranteed!

Simon Boyle, coordinator UKELA Wild Law Group