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The breathtaking sight of Goatfell covered in snow greeted islanders and visitors alike as they stepped off the ferry at Brodick last Saturday morning.
The snowline, a long way down on Arran’s best-known mountain, looks picturesque and neighbouring peaks, including Cir Mhor and Caisteal Abhail, looked just as striking in their deep coats of white.
Goatfell and its immediate area are popular with hillwalkers from all over the world and last Saturday it looked pristine, clear and clean in the cold winter air and in the snow — a real beauty.
But if you walked along the shore near The King’s Cave near Blackwaterfoot last weekend you would have seen something of a beast – litter not washed up by the tide but deliberately left by lazy and uncaring campers.
Walk along from Shiskine golf course down to the shore towards the series of caves of which The King’s Cave is one and this unacceptable sight of an abandoned old tent and clothing, possibly left behind by anglers, could not have failed to hit you — especially when it is near such an important historical feature as the cave, reputedly where Robert the Bruce, hiding from the English, experienced his encounter with a spider which encouraged him to ‘try, try again’.
The picture shocked Councillor Margie Currie, who lives at Shiskine, who said she feared it could be a result of changes in the Land Reform Act.
‘It presents a logistical problem for North Ayrshire Council as well in how it can get rid of it,’ she said.
‘It is comparatively rare for people to show such disrespect as that and is what we feared could arise elsewhere from changes in the legislation of the Land Reform Act and how you enforce responsible access.
‘It is difficult for the council to get anywhere near it, possibly by quad bike or boat, to clear it, but I am sure someone would help to dispose of it.
‘It just shows what can happen when people disrespect the area, and is not good for the image of Arran.’
