Cycling the Isle of Arran I Bikepacking Scotland Ep. 2

[@joshandsarahride]

Thanks for watching :) If you've not seen, this is part one to our time on the island: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bonZgYybhb55oq8

[@kwatyk]

This library is amazing .

[@joshandsarahride]

It's really incredible isn't it!

[@Charlie-sr6dv]

What a trip indeed. That was most enjoyable!

[@psullivan265]

Beautiful, thank you❤

[@ianclements4268]

Wow what a beautiful island that’s given me inspiration to go up and do it myself. Thanks guys 2 wonderful films really enjoyed them 😊🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@joshandsarahride]

Such a fun place to explore. Really glad you enjoyed them. Feel free to reach out if you want recommendations or advice :)

[@gordonmculloch4904]

Excellent video. Well filmed and edited. Cheers 👍

[@joshandsarahride]

Cheers Gordon, thanks for watching!

[@stagecoach1815]

What a wonderful video, loved every minute of it thanks for sharing 👍 😊

[@joshandsarahride]

Ahh thanks! Had such a brilliant time, real glad to share.

[@stevensad38]

Hi Sarah and Josh, great videos you have made of epic trips: ever thought of the Antipodes? Here in New Zealand, we have multiple possibilities from the bike Te Araroa, 3000 km odd to just wee local rides. I am prejudiced but think the South Island has by far the best to offer. We would love to see you both.

[@joshandsarahride]

Thank you 🙂 We would really love to ride in New Zealand! It looks like such a beautiful country and we do hope to make it there one day. Do you live on the South Island?

[@stevensad38]

Hi, yes I live on the South Island on the outskirts of Christchurch close to Banks Peninsula and the Port Hills and one hour from Porters Pass, the gateway to the alpine area, Arthurs Pass and the West Coast.

[@davidstorm-eu8km]

Fantastic video. Love Arran ❤️

[@joshandsarahride]

Such a brilliant island!

[@benbainbridge]

Ahh so glad you enjoyed one of our favourite destinations truly a gem of a place we always start the Scotland 500 from there. Great vid keep it up!

[@joshandsarahride]

Amazing! Would be interested to know if there are any other islands/locations along the route that would be good for a trip?

[@gmgarymac]

You guys are awesome filmmakers 😎. I am originally from Scotland (now live in Australia) and did a lot of scuba diving round the islands of the West Coast of Scotland. The scenery is beautiful and diving in water with seals is unbelievable.

[@joshandsarahride]

Thanks you, really appreciated! We saw a lot of scuba divers off the coast of Oban. How is the diving? Do you find a lot of wrecks?

[@Tearlaich64]

You could have cycled, pushed round the flat on the coast path towards Blackwaterfoot. There's plenty camping on the way. Magic video.

[@joshandsarahride]

Ah thus is good to know for next time, thank you 😁🏕

[@chrislonsberry1974]

Cool video! As I mentioned in the comments in a previous video, I have just found you and I’m so glad I did. I have shared your videos with a friend and she loves you too! More ticks! I live in Midwestern US, state of Indiana to be more precise, and we have to be very careful in the Spring and early Summer when in the fields and woods. They’re a pain! Loved the little cabin with all the notes! How absolutely cool! Thanks for bringing us along!

[@joshandsarahride]

Hey Chris, thanks for watching. So glad you're enjoying. Ha, yep, ticks are definitely not the highlight of Scottish trips. The library though was really really amazing. We loved it!

[@alexanderlawson1649]

Busy areas. Wait till late eve, then bed down. Up early and away. No probs.

[@joshandsarahride]

We just weren't sure with it being a historical area n all. But now we know. Live and learn 😅

[@welshbikepackingadventures]

Well done, great video

[@joshandsarahride]

Thanks! Such a nice ride 😁

[@TheLeucogaster]

Awesome trip guys! I am from México where we have stunning landscape, unfourtanely the mafia guys are everywhere and can't make this kind of trip. But one day I will make this trip on your beautiful Scotland.😎🤟

[@joshandsarahride]

Hey brother, I'm sorry to hear that. Are there no areas you can ride freely? I hope you make it to Scotland!!

[@TheCoopsvids]

The golf course where you camped my wife’s cousin owns a house right next to it …..was lovely to see it from above … we did a day trip back in May and took a slow drive round the island gorgeous place …..gonna go back next year and do a few days hopefully ….nicest Scottish island I’ve been to …. You should do a mini trip up to the Isle of Cumbrae just up the coast hired a bike and rode round it on my hols only about 12 miles round but dozens of places to camp all straight looking out to sea ….Largs and wemyys bay are nice to explore too …. Wemyys bay has one of the nicest Victorian train stations in the country. Thanks for taking us with you ..ride safe and look fwd to the next adventure ATB Coops 👍🏻👍🏻🚴🚴

[@joshandsarahride]

Really appreciate the recommendations, we're always on the lookout for new different places. Also, if your friend would like, I can send the image/footage of the house? If they fancy, gimme a message and I'll work out which one 👌

[@leedickson3444]

Glad you enjoyed Arran. Im always jumping on then off the island heading to Argyll. Definitely inspired me to explore in more depth. You'll love Mull. More dramatic coastline. Head to Iona if you have the time.

[@joshandsarahride]

Really excited for Mull and the smaller islands too. Weather looks a little different to this trip though. Any other spots in Argyll you'd recommend?

[@grahampreedy8900]

You did really well getting your bikes down there. We walked that route a year back and that was tough enough. 😅

[@joshandsarahride]

Haa thanks! It was tougher getting them up I won't lie😅 I think that's where I (sarah) picked up the ticks too as it was pretty grassy in patches

[@timwright5466]

I only found your channel a short while ago but I'm catching up 😊.I love your channel sadly my old bones wouldn't support a cycle ride around arran

[@joshandsarahride]

It's a beautiful island to explore on or off the bike I think 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@SwampyDuckRidesAgain3636]

This part was even better than the last. Love the bit where you get the shot diving in the water. Not sure I’d be brave enough to use my action cam to do that. A few of the folk I know have just left their bikes hidden and gone down and bivvied at the caves later at night. Think as I’m always on my own I’d find them a bit creepy lol. I’ve only once cycled around Arran and that was a belt round with a stop at the Velo Cafe and the other times on a club ride. I think that’s why I tend to ride solo now as you miss so much. I will return at some point for a slow ride round, that sounds daft being only a ten minute cycle to the ferry but life has gotten in the way this year so when I do get away I tend to go further afield leaving doorstep adventures for a time when getting away isn’t possible. You do realise that you need to go back and do the roads you haven’t done, The String and the Ross and there’s also some gravel roads too. If you want to go another great island I’d recommend Mull it’s just awesome loads of interesting places and amazing wildlife.

[@joshandsarahride]

That was such a nice swimming spot. The water was a perfect temperature! The GoPro survived too 😅 Completely get what you mean about missing out when you're riding with others. I guess pros and cons. We're enjoying the slower pace much more atm. Appreciate the recommendation - you'll never guess where we're off to this weekend!

[@SwampyDuckRidesAgain3636]

@@joshandsarahride well if it’s where I think I’m well jel!

[@joshandsarahride]

@@SwampyDuckRidesAgain3636 😉

[@alexanderlawson1649]

Yes Arran is real bad for Tics, so are most of the other Islands depending on the deer population. The worst I think in my own experience is Jura.

[@joshandsarahride]

Damn, Mull got us BAD (have two videos up from that trip). Beautiful, but SO MANY TICKS

[@goblinpiper]

I live in Scotland and while I have passed folks eating a meal by their pitched tent literally next to the path I walk my dog every evening and thought nothing of it, my personal preference wild camping is to get off the path and find spots more hidden and secluded - which sometimes means shouldering the bike and following a deer trail into the woods a few hundred metres!!

[@joshandsarahride]

I'll be honest, our plan for this night was to cycle up into the hills but as we cycled along the coast we chatted with some locals camped right next to the trail and as it was getting late decided to camp nearby. We love camping off the beaten track, the issue we've found in Scotland is that as soon as we do this, we've ended up swamped by ticks. In our trip to Mull we pulled off more than 100 and ended up with Lymes, so we're now keeping away from deer tracks 😅

[@goblinpiper]

@@joshandsarahride ticks can be troublesome! I have no idea why but I've not had any for two years - even found them crawling on me but not embedded! It might be that my dog attracts them all - or something I eat? I also tend to avoid camping this time of year though to be honest - best time to adventure in Scotland is October and early may, though if you have the kit the landscape is fantastically rugged in February too! Hope the antibiotics take effect and you both recover from this nice and quick!

[@joshandsarahride]

@@goblinpiper it's funny, we've spoken with quite a few locals who never get bites despite going in the bush, whilst others seem to get swamped. I hope you tick-free reign continues! We're planning a trip to the Cairngorms in autumn to spy some deer rutting hopefully 🙂

[@goblinpiper]

@@joshandsarahride it's so strange!trying to work out why would be quite a job but I'm curious. You have fantastic taste! My second date ever with my partner of now 6 years was camping in the Cairngorms at the end of October, a completely different but equally special part of Scotland - I look forward to that video!

[@joshandsarahride]

@@goblinpiper sounds like a brilliant first date! Any recommendations or tips for deer rutting?

[@ayrshirecamper7040]

There’s a good spot for camping just down below the library

[@joshandsarahride]

Do you mean further towards the coastline or actually within the woodland area?

[@ayrshirecamper7040]

@@joshandsarahride if use stood at the door of the library about a hundred yards in front of use as there’s a place to barbecue

[@joshandsarahride]

@@ayrshirecamper7040 we saw this actually. Is it fine to just pitch up there?

[@ayrshirecamper7040]

@@joshandsarahride yes it’s okay to camp there as I’m going there at the weekend I’ve subbed your channel keep up the good work and carry on camping

[@joshandsarahride]

@@ayrshirecamper7040 cheers, happy camps!

[@karineirvine5863]

This looks great. How many nights did you spend ? Any particularly tough accents? We are planning on doing this with 5 children 😊

[@joshandsarahride]

Hi 🙂 we spent 4 night on the island in total I think. No tough ascents at all, it was a pretty flat route and really easy to follow as there's just on big road around the island. Hope you enjoy your trip!

[@Bikepacking]

I miss black pudding been over 32 year since i had a ulster fry

[@joshandsarahride]

Can you not get one shipped out to Vietnam? We had some friends bring us back some of the garlic and chili Chin Su we used to love in Vietnam but couldn't find in UK 😅

[@americansteel100]

How did you guys manage to eat black pudding? I thought you said you were vegan. Great video though and thanks for sharing.

[@joshandsarahride]

It is vegan black pudding! It's pretty tasty if I say so😋

[@WaywardLifeSailing]

Are ticks kind of an unavoidable problem around there? Ticks aren't usually an issue hiking in western Canada so I never really think about them being an issue

[@joshandsarahride]

Yeh they are kinda spread around UK and particularly an issue if you're off trail or in overgrown areas. TBH, we've been surprised these were the first. More often than not they are harmless but there's an increasing amount of Lymes disease that's spread by them. Cows, ticks and dogs are probably the only things with any element of danger in the UK. And midges perhaps 😅

[@janvas7690]

Think like you would have moved on!🙏