Isle of Arran.

[Fkw]

Which is the best way to go, clockwise or anti clockwise ?

 

[Crackle]

Check the wind on the day. The most exposed part is the top of the west coast from Machrie to Lochranza. It'd be better to be cycling that with the wind behind you. If there's no wind, then if you turn left off the ferry you get to do the hardest part of the island first apart from the climb from Lochranza back over to Sannox. Turn right you get a nice easy start until the Sannox climb, then a flat coastal section and then the hard Southern section. So, take your pick.

 

[bruce1530]

And my hint. If you’re going clockwise, as most do, don’t come straight off the boat and immediately turn left when you leave the terminal. Especially if it’s cold and you’ve been hanging about on the car deck for 15 mins.

If you do, you’re hitting the first hill with no warmup.

Do a few hundred yards to the right, then turn back, just to stretch your legs.

Dont ask me how I know this...

 

[Fkw]

Check the wind on the day. The most exposed part is the top of the west coast from Machrie to Lochranza. It'd be better to be cycling that with the wind behind you. If there's no wind, then if you turn left off the ferry you get to do the hardest part of the island first apart from the climb from Lochranza back over to Sannox. Turn right you get a nice easy start until the Sannox climb, then a flat coastal section and then the hard Southern section. So, take your pick.

Thanks for the info

 

[Fkw]

And my hint. If you’re going clockwise, as most do, don’t come straight off the boat and immediately turn left when you leave the terminal. Especially if it’s cold and you’ve been hanging about on the car deck for 15 mins.

If you do, you’re hitting the first hill with no warmup.

Do a few hundred yards to the right, then turn back, just to stretch your legs.

Dont ask me how I know this...

Thanks for the info

 

[furball]

And my hint. If you’re going clockwise, as most do, don’t come straight off the boat and immediately turn left when you leave the terminal. Especially if it’s cold and you’ve been hanging about on the car deck for 15 mins.

If you do, you’re hitting the first hill with no warmup.

Do a few hundred yards to the right, then turn back, just to stretch your legs.

Dont ask me how I know this...

Think I found this out the same way as you.
Also agree that wind direction is the critical factor. The wind can be insidious. You go from the shelter on the east and south and gradually the strength increases but you don't notice it because there are no visual clues apart from the fact you can be almost at a standstill while people going the opposite way are freewheeling with stupid grins on their faces. I found this out on the same trip that I turned left straight from the ferry.
Arran the island of cycling discovery.

 

[Edwardoka]

And my hint. If you’re going clockwise, as most do, don’t come straight off the boat and immediately turn left when you leave the terminal. Especially if it’s cold and you’ve been hanging about on the car deck for 15 mins.

If you do, you’re hitting the first hill with no warmup.

Do a few hundred yards to the right, then turn back, just to stretch your legs.

Dont ask me how I know this...

I think I know how
This is seriously good advice, though. The difference between doing that climb on cold legs and doing it in the middle of a ride is night and day.