Exploring the mountains in the North of the island was one of the things I was most looking forward to on this trip to the island of Arran, which is situated off Scotland’s beautiful West Coast. I set off from Brodick bunkhouse at 7.30am and was greeted by the sight of a badger trotting along the path next to some gardens, i was heading for Glen Rosa. Once I left the town it was very quiet and it would be many hours before I saw anyone else. The Glen Rosa road ends at the basic campsite down by the river and a good stony track heads up the Glen with the mountains shrouded in mist and low cloud. After crossing a wooden bridge I turned sharp left and headed up the steep path alongside the mountain stream (Garbh Allt), I was heading for Beinn Nuis. Visibility was quite low as I squelched my way uphill over boggy ground hoping to pick up a good path, after 30 minutes or so I sensed the mist starting to thin, then all of a sudden I emerged out of the murk and into blue skies, warm sunshine and christal clear views, it was a magical moment. The way ahead now was obvious and I could pick out all the mountains on the map. After Beinn Nuis it was onto Beinn Tarsuinn and past the “Old Man” who resides on the ridge. Ahead lay the rocky peak of Cir Mhòr but before that was the formidable obstacle of the A Chir ridge which is actually classed as a moderate rock climb. Once on the ridge the way ahead wasn’t obvious and you are faced with a choice of which way to go, all of them tricky and with exposure too. My route took me so far along, then i bailed out on a steep loose gully on the left, so I missed out the crux descent off the end of the ridge, which maybe was a good thing! Anyhow, it’s a good reason to comeback again sometime. Compared to A Chir the scramble up Cir Mhòr is straightforward and the views from the top are stunning. From Cir Mhòr I picked my way down the steep east ridge to a feature called The Saddle, then ascended the south-east ridge of North Goatfell. The weather was changing now and the top of Goatfell was shrouded in mist but as I waited it would clear for a few seconds and then close in again. I descended back to Brodick via the normal tourist route and for the first time that day starting seeing people again, on reaching the Arran Brewery I crossed the road and took The Fisherman’s Path into town. It had been a long tough day but felt privileged to have seen the Goatfell range at its best.