The English are coming!!!

[Pete Cooper]

I left Mr & Mrs FC yesterday in Largs. Sunday we hit the fleshpots of Tarbert, Monday was Lochranza, including a trip to the distillery, and Monday was back to Largs for a meal in the Lounge. Four days of gorgeous weather, calm seas and good company. Wednesday I returned to work in torrential rain and very high winds. I have not heard from Mr & Mrs FC today, but they had plans to go to the water sports place and take refreshment in Millport or stay in Largs with possibly a trip to the Holy Loch before returning to Kip on Friday.
In Lochranza we initially picked up a visitor's mooring, and encouraged by a couple of pints Deuchars, we returned to the mother ship and decided to berth on the pontoon. Within seconds of mooring some old biddie, who from her accent was from further South than me, offered to sell us raffle tickets so we bought some. She implied that the locals had built and paid for the pontoon although I suspect that this isn't the case, or at least not directly as the sign clearly states Argyll & Bute Council. She then went on to tell us that we couldn't berth overnight there so I pointed out that the sign doesn't actually say so - it says use the buoys for overnight berthing, but not what to do if there are no buoys available. Anyway we walked up to the pub again after tea and partook of refreshment. The staff were fun but the guy who runs it seemed to be a right miserable sod.
After an ample sufficiency of varying kinds of alcohol we returned to the boat to find that the NW wind was bouncing us on the fenders so we cast off and picked up an empty mooring. Yes we could have anchored, but the mooring buoy was a lot closer than the available anchoring area.
If you are not allowed to moor yachts on the pontoon I don't really see why it is there. It is no problem to lift or drag a dinghy out on the old slipway so nothing is gained by having the pontoon there.

[Telo]

She implied that the locals had built and paid for the pontoon although I suspect that this isn't the case, or at least not directly as the sign clearly states Argyll & Bute Council.

Many of the so-called "locals" wouldn't part with the steam off their pee if they could avoid it. The cooncil built it, at a cost of £158,000 from the public purse.

You might well wonder how it managed to cost £158,000.

[Bodach na mara]

No shame in picking up a mooring as opposed to anchoring in Lochranza. I have seen the best of them failing to get the hook to hold in the treacherous kelp that infests the bay. And it is not a place that you want to be in if the wind shifts and you drag, which is quite likely. I have heard it said that a large fisherman anchor is the only thing to use there.

Regarding the pontoon, I read about it last year. I do recall mention of a rule barring overnight berthing and restricting daytime berthing to three hours..

We were in Lochranza a couple of years ago and were disappointed with the place. Stores are restricted to what you can get at the caravan site, about a mile up the distillery road. There did not appear to be an operative pub or restaurant at that time. All in all, a pretty but not particularly welcoming place.

[Booby Trapper]

We did the distillery tour on mon 8th, the guy taking it was hopeless, but made up for it with quite a few samples of the produce. Like you it was a glorious day when we were there. We berthed on the pontoon and gave the required donation for a 2 hour stay but when we got back from the tour the visitor moorings were full. We decided to head for Brodick, what a bad idea no one told me Brodick was closed on a Monday evening. I'll know better next time.
Fancy a Scuttlebutt Clyde cruise in August Pete?

[Falkirkdan]

Everyone like different places. For me Lochranza is the best.

So lets put a few points right.

The pontoon was originally asked for by the locals (Lochranza and Catacol Sea Society) and they started raising cash, then like all good ideas it was hijacked by the North Ayrshire Council (sometime called North Ayrshire and Arran Council) The original idea was for a pontoon for landing dinghies but like topsy it grew. If overnight berthing is allowed, one will start it and before long there will boats rafted up. As Pete found you were bouncing off the pontoon and before long there would be no pontoon.

There are however 12 public moorings which was increased from 5 following requests from the locals. Anchoring can sometimes be a trial in Ranza and the best place seems to be nearer head of loch between the public moorings and the north shore although can be deep and some boats do not have enough chain.

I think I know the "old biddie" you refer to Pete and and she is anything but. Her husband was born and bred in Ranza. Will I let her know what you call her????. There is many a time her and her husband have launched there dinghy to help sailors in problems.

I find all the locals very friendly.

Yes there is no shop now but the butcher at the pontoon has brilliant local meat and keeps some milk and dairy products and veg. The caravan park also as you say has a small shop. There is also a restaurant at the caravan park called Stags Pavilion. The hotel is normally open all day and sometime the owner has been know to smile but not often and they do a great steak pie. About one mile down the coast is Catacol Hotel which is friendly and good food and the cheese burger is great. Also round from the ferry is a sandwich bar which I am always told do lovely fresh sandwiches but always closed when I go on a Wed. The post office set up one day at community centre and the mobile bank calls a few times a week.

Then why am I praising Ranza. I should be saying what a dump and so keep all the mooring so myself

[Rowana]

I've posted this before from the local paper, but here it is again for info -