June-July 2025 Glasgow, Arran, Skye, Western Isles (Part 2 -- Arran)

Day 2 -- Friday, the 27th June

At breakfast, we solve the mystery: we have two towels for three, because JS booked rooms for two people. Safe to assume the user experience misled her. In any case, the host is relaxed about it, and gives us the additional towels, no questions asked. Breakfast is good.

My Full Scottish, complete with edible flower and all

adc's Eggs, Bacon and Tomato on Toast

JS's Vegetarian Breakfast

Our host is talkative to say the least; another Scot who has lived everywhere and done everything. It puts one's own experience into perspective.

Replenished and eager, we drive to Lagg via the southeast road, and reach the distillery, in the rain, at 10:10 for our 11:00 appointment. Ahem. The car sees us take another nap. Gotta catch them Zs when you can!

Read about our visit of the orchard here.

[link to the warehouse tasting to come]

After our tasting, we loiter a bit, then depart. We go back north via the west coast. En route, we spot gannets, a black guillemot and oystercatchers. We stop at Lochranza; the tide is high. A couple of swans patrol the shoreline to the castle. We visit said castle (adc has never seen it from up close).

We also see this sign

Then, we proceed, slowly but surely, to Brodick. There, we take a quick nap (I know), then head to Brambles for supper. Excellent food, decent staff (not always on the ball). It is very warm, though. All in all, it is very positive.

My whisky-based cocktail whose name I foolishly do not write down

JS's gin-based cocktail whose name I foolishly do not write down

Inch's Apple Cider (adc)

Arran Cheddar Scone with Arran black pudding, asparagus, lightly poached egg, hazelnut butter (me)

Brambles Fishcake (adc)

Steamed Scottish Mussels (JS)

Fillets of Sole with orzo, samphire, tomato, capers, black olives (me)

Tandoori Lamb Shoulder with rogan josh jus, creamed potatoes, pickled coriander onions (adc)

Gochujang Sesame Marinated Tofu with rice noodles, Asian vegetable broth (JS)

Battered Onion Rings (JS)

We hit home around 22:00, exhausted. We have enough energy for a doughnut, though.

Vegan Strawberry "Pop Tart"
'Bad' would be too strong a word, but it is not our favourite

June-July 2025 Glasgow, Arran, Skye, Western Isles (Part 1 -- Glasgow to Arran)

Day 1 -- Thursday, the 26th June

It is a super-quick early train to Glasgow. What is near the station?

Aye.

Then, we are treated to the Scottish experience on the car-hire shuttle: the bloke tells us about road works ("This has been there for months. They're not doing anything, just exercising traffic cones."), ship-building, and the various ways the City is trying to ease congestion in the centre.

It goes south at the agency, where a trainee is unnecessarily doing things by the book, much to my annoyance (remember I once hired a car without as much as a proof of ID?), but we make it out with a vehicle. Phew.

A few days ago, we received a notification from Caledonian MacBrayne that our ferry was cancelled due to a fault, and we were reassigned to depart later from another port (on another ship, obviously). All of a sudden, and despite planning a tight schedule, we now find ourselves in Glasgow with a few hours to kill. Oh! noes. We head to Clydeside distillery, because, of course we do.

There, we meet DH and AMcD, have a couple of drams (Clydeside 6yo HMS Glasgow b.2025 (46%, OB, Guyanese Rum Casks) which is very much to my taste and Clydeside Velvet Odyssey b.2025 (48.5%, OB in celebration of 20 years of SWG3, Bourbon Barrels + 5mo Pedro Ximénez Sherry Butt), which is less my thing).

Chilling with the boys

We discuss our impending trip, and receive recommendations -- starting with where to grab a bite now: Celino's. adc and JS bring back sarnies as I guard the automobile.

We eat them, then drive to Troon, which we reach with three hours to spare. A nap seems in order.

We board the ship and depart on time. It is an easy-peasy crossing to Brodick, and it is made particularly funny by the fact MV Alfred, a Pentland ferry we took in 2022, still sports all the tourist information about Orkney, where it usually operates. They did stick up a map of Arran in a corner, which may be even funnier.

Once on the island, we check into our accommodation then head to Lamlash, and settle at the Lamlash Bay Hotel, where MD of the Swissky Mafia left something for us. We enjoy a lovely supper too, and even spot gannets in the bay.

Wild Mushroom & Feta Tart (me)

Lamlash Bay Fishcake (JS)

Arran Butcher Haggis Bon Bon’s With Arran mustard mayo (adc)

Arran Butcher's Sausage of The Day (me)

Salt 'n' Pepper Soft Shell Crab Burger (JS)

Rolled Baby Sole Parcels Wrapped in Parma Ham (adc)

JS has a dram of Arran Sauternes Cask Finish (50%, OB, Sauternes Cask Finish) 7/10

We are treated to Scottish Tablet with the bill \o/

They have the coolest cushions too

There is still room for a Tantrum Doughnut when we get home, though!
(Vegan Mango Matcha and Double Blueberry & White Chocolate 'Old Fashioned')

It could be Charles...