Our grand day out was all arranged and ready to go but things did not turn out quite as planned thanks to an inspirational taxi driver whom I shall call Johnny.
My wife Jenny and I had booked a taxi to pick us up from our hotel The comfortable Riverview in Irvine an historic seaside town in North Ayrshire, Scotland, early the following morning.
Our destination was to be nearby Ardrossan Harbour in time to catch the first ferry for a fifty-five-minute voyage over to Brodick on the Isle of Arran famously known as Scotland in miniature because of its unique blend of highland mountains and verdant lowlands countryside.
Here we planned to visit its famous castle and beautiful gardens, rich in history and overlooking the Firth of Clyde before returning to the harbour for a seafood lunch and sail home again.
But alas the weather forecast for the following morning was not looking great and there was the possibility that the return ferry would be cancelled as many had been done before and we could be marooned on the island and miss our train back to Wales the following day which was certainly not an option.
So, we cancelled the trip only to be cruelly taunted by clear blue skies the following morning and left with a free day on our hands.
Oh, why oh, why had we not let fortune favour the bold and just gone for it we chided ourselves but then up drove taxi driver johnny with his can-do attitude.
We had booked him to take us to the nearby railway station for a consolation trip to nearby historic Ayr the birthplace of Robbie Burns.
Established as a royal borough by King William the Lion in 1205 picturesque Ayr grew into a major market town and medieval port and went on to become a 19th century Victorian resort and would be worth a visit we had consoled ourselves.
Having been told of our original and now much regretted intention of sailing over to Arran from Ardrossan Johnny agreed that we should have just gone for it and enjoyed the adventure however it had turned out.
But then he suggested that we might still just make it over to the nearby ferry port at Troon in time for a sailing and if not, the town was just as worth a visit as Ayr in his opinion and besides it also had a great fish restaurant overlooking the harbour he pointed out.
So that was it our plans were changed instantly and despondency dispelled as we changed direction and headed for Troon.
The wind was blowing a hooley as we drove into the ferry terminal and our obliging driver waited for us to discover that the next ferry would not depart until 1pm which was far too late anyway. And the weather was now such that we would not have ventured out from Ardrossan in the first place I was relieved to admit to myself
“I will drive you around to the yacht marina to show you where the fish restaurant is and then drop you off in the town for a look around,” he volunteered.
Troon, we learned had developed steadily from an 18th century fishing hamlet into a bustling port and renowned golfing destination following the establishment of the Royal Troon Golf Club back in 1878.
Most influential in the town’s growth had been the Duke of Portland who developed coal, shipping and shipbuilding activities.
Having been dropped off by Johnny we had a brisk walk around the town where the wind was such that a flying bin almost collided with a woman walking with a pram before making our way to the sea front.
Now heads down we battled our way around to the ferry terminal and on to the Troon Yacht Haven beyond while a clutch of hardy wind surfers battled it out tossed between sea and sky.
Known as Scotland’s most accessible marina this Firth of Clyde complex provides sheltered berthing with all tides access for around four hundred yachts as well as providing a boat yard and marine services.
Scott’s restaurant is on top of the modern marina reception building and it was a relief to escape from the wind and be shown to a table affording fine views over the marina and its forest of masts to the distant hills beyond.
And Johnny was spot on with his restaurant recommendation because our seafood sharing platter comprising garlic and chilli prawns, smoked salmon, tempura prawns and pil pil marie rose prawn cocktail proved to be a culinary delight.
Now in contemplative mood as we waited for our coffee I reflected on the futility of spending precious time on regrets when new adventures could be waiting just around life’s corner and who knows another Johnny might just drive into our lives!
Nigel Heath.
