Kings Cave Forestry Car Park, Isle of Arran

Yesterday evening the weather was beautiful. How long had we waited? And a sunset, the sky slowly turning pink, purple and then grey. The silhouettes of the wind turbines back on the mainland visible in the changing light.

This morning it was situation normal. Rain. We know in England you are experiencing glorious warm sunny weather. Don't complain it's too hot!

Today we wanted to visit both the standing stones on Machrie Moor and the Kings Cave on the nearby coast. The car park at the standing stones soon filled up. We were a little taken back at how many visitors there were. We've become used to being very much alone when we visit anywhere. Whilst there, a lady pointed out a Golden Ringed dragonfly devouring a bumble bee behind one of the stones.

 Astonishing. We'd never seen this before, never imagined that bees would be on the menu for this flying insect. The stones were fascinating, and the views along the path superb. Back at the parking area a family of Americans were readying to set off. The mother telling the children excitingly that 'they we're going to get to walk with sheep in a field'. Something we've done almost every day since arriving in Scotland. The sheep own the land in these parts.

Next stop the Kings Cave a mile away. Another long circular walk beginning with a steep climb up through the pine trees emerging to sweeping mountain and far teaching coastal views, before a descent down to a Stony Beach. The King Cave is one among many caves. It is where Robert Bruce supposedly hid and watched a spider spin a web, failing many times, but after much persistence completing it. It inspired him to return to fight and defeat the English at the battle of Bannockburn. The caves now, home to many piles of stacked rocks left by the visitors. Many years ago they were an ideal place for smugglers to store their bounty, and we could see why, they're huge. The walk back up from the shore was difficult. John held onto Angela advising her not to look left. She didn't. 

Arran is described as Scotland in miniature, and today we could see why. Stunning mountain and coastal views. Walks over moorland and through forests of scotch pine trees grown for timber. We've been here two days now and look forward to exploring more over the next three before we leave. Let's hope the warm weather from England finds its way up here.