Day 36: A841 - Lochranza ⛴️ Claonaig - Cairnbaan

Today we start with the usual elegance of a dog that has slept more than necessary: slowly, stretching its legs and looking at papi Edu with a face of "Is it time to move already?". The sky looked good, no trace of the clouds from last week. And the landscape... oh my God. We follow the coastal road north of Arran, which winds between mountains and sea like a Scottish spaghetti. And what views, cousin!

First stop: The Sailor's Grave. Sounds like a pirate movie, doesn't it? But no, it's a solitary tomb in the middle of the field. According to legend (or the information panel, which is the same but without a soundtrack), a mysterious sailor who didn't fare well with the neighbors was buried there. They say he was murdered for obscure reasons and left there, in a corner overlooking the sea. I sniffed around to see if there were any traces of rum or a peg leg, but nothing. Not a single loose bone.

Then we continued towards Lochranza, where the most photogenic castle on the island is located. We parked near the ferry pier, although it wasn't time to set sail yet. We took a walk along the coast and reached Lochranza Castle, which is one of those with history, ruins, and a lot of angles to pose. It dates back to the 13th century and has been everything: fortress, noble house, and probably a filming set for some series with swords. You can enter for free, without doors, without schedules, without guards. In other words, a paradise. We explored inside and out. I imagined myself as Sir Chuly of Lochranza, defender of the royal croquettes.

Then, heading to Sannox, where we parked again, we ate something delicious (well, papi ate delicious, I settled for my usual menu) and without a nap or complete digestion, we launched ourselves into the adventure! The goal: to conquer Sannox Glen, a postcard valley, with a river, meadow, mountain, and not a soul in sight. The path is easy at first. We followed the river, which looked like a giant granite slide. I tried it with my paw, but it was slippery. We crossed the river on some stones (I was carried like a noble wounded in battle).

And then the serious stuff began. Up, up and more up. The path became steeper and steeper, the wind blew, and the clouds appeared as if saying "you're going to find out". Papi Edu continued with his face of "this is healthy", but I had already seen the future and it didn't look pretty. So at one point... I stopped. Strike of fallen paws. I turn around, and if you want to go up, Edu, you yourself. But I'm going down. And he, seeing that we wouldn't make it to the ferry if we kept climbing like goats, listened to me. We went back the way we came, which at least was shorter and without shocks. In the end we did more than ten kilometers, and yet we arrived on time and without stress.

Back to the car. And to the ferry in Lochranza, where this time we did embark. Three cars in total. Three. More exclusive than a canine spa in the Alps. We boarded, the boat left on time... and then, surprise. The captain began to make very strange maneuvers, as if he was parallel parking or playing Mario Kart maritime. "Is he drunk?" papi muttered. I grabbed onto my backpack in case we were going to Mordor. But no, we arrived safe and sound in Claonaig, which is like a comma on the map: nothing but a pier and wind.

From there, we drove along the mainland, already on the Kintyre peninsula. And after about forty kilometers of curves, greens and sheep, we found a very cool place to sleep: next to a lock of the Crinan Canal, near Cairnbaan.

The Crinan Canal is not just any canal, no sir. It's like a VIP aquatic shortcut for small boats, built in the 19th century to prevent them from having to go around the feared Mull of Kintyre (where even the Vikings turned around). It has locks that raise and lower the boats as if they were water elevators.

And we are parked right next to one. There is total tranquility, except for the constant stream of water falling through the gate, which sounds like a shower without a faucet. I like it. Papi Edu feels like going to the bathroom every five minutes. But the important thing: we are warm, we have had dinner and we have views of a historic lock.

And tomorrow... more adventures, of course!