It's Okay To Turn Back - A Hike on the Isle of Arran

Sometimes hikes in the great outdoors don't go to plan. It may turn out more challenging than you imagined, and that scrambly slope just ahead looks way too steep. In such situations it's okay to just turn around and walk away. Indeed, it probably takes some courage to admit defeat, to admit that you have reached your limit; you can go no further. This is one such walk.

A hike on the stunningly beatiful Isle of Arran, from Brodick through Glen Rosa to The Saddle, a low point between Glen Rosa and Glen Sannox, where the rocky peaks of Goatfell and Cir Mhor tower above.

We start in Brodick with a delicious pie from Wooley's of Arran, and make our way through Glen Rosa. The scenery is out of this world, with all sorts of wildlife, ranging from a cuckoo to an eagle and even a snake.

But at The Saddle, just 6 miles out of Brodick, we very swiftly realise that all is not well. The way down into Glen Sannox is frighteningly steep, and we realise with some disappointment and relief that we cannot go that way. To push myself at this exhausted stage could put me in some considerable danger. Turning around and walking away is the only answer. Everyone's different, with different personalities and capabilities, but for me this was the correct decision.

It was then just a case of walking back through Glen Rosa to Brodick, where we sample some Arran Blonde beer in a hotel bar.

A 12 mile trek and an exhausting day. And perhaps a lesson for some.

[Music by Eddy Burns]