Explore with Amie

My first ever Scottish island trip was in in February of this year to Arran. I’m finally getting the chance to share it with you today! Arran is off the West Coast of Scotland and the largest island in the Firth of Clyde. Overall, it is actually the seventh-largest island off the coast of Scotland. It was a great one to start off my island journey and it definitely should be on your list too.

Getting There

You can get the ferry to Arran from Ardossan and Troon. We originally booked a ferry from Ardossan but, this was ultimately moved to Troon because of the weather or some other circumstance. This wasn’t an issue but is something to be aware of if you are planning a trip. They usually cancel based on wind speeds so don’t expect to be travelling across in a storm. Both departures from Ardossan and Troon arrive at Brodick which is probably the biggest town on the island.

The other option is to get a ferry from Claonaig to Lochranza. Claonaig would be a good departure point if you were including this in a trip to the Scottish Highlands as it is further north than the other options. Lochranza is at the northern end of Arran and is a much smaller place to arrive though, the castle would make a great first sight of the island. Note that this can be amended depending on the tidal conditions. For all departure points, the times vary depending on the season so check the winter or summer timetable for the correct information. Prices also change depending on the season. The weekend that we went was the final weekend of winter prices, hence Alex’s decision to book the trip then.

You can get to Ardrossan and Troon by train from Glasgow Central if you are relying on public transport to make it to your ferry.

Things to Do/See

Goatfell

Perhaps the most popular thing to do on the island is hike up Goatfell. Although this isn’t classed as a Munro, it is a Corbett. It is also the highest peak on the island at 874m which puts it as taller than Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England. Despite the height, this is a very accessible walk for beginners. It requires lots and lots of steps essentially. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any kind of view when we reached the top as the last couple of hundred metres were in cloud (and incredibly cold!) but, it was well worth the walk nevertheless. There are a couple of options here depending on difficulty and experience too. The hardest route takes you across a ridge known as The Saddle. We were thinking about doing this one but the wind, poor visibility and snow covered ground quickly caused us to change our plans. The second option is to do a circular route back down through the forest towards Corrie and then back to the car park. Or, you could always just go up and down the same way and no harm done. It was a beautiful walk and is a must do on the island if you enjoy hiking.

Brodick Castle and Country Park

I’m putting this one next as you can actually incorporate it nicely into your hike up Goatfell which is what we decided to do. Brodick Castle and Country Park is owned by the Scottish National Trust and was built in the 19th century. It is a baronial castle which features period furniture and art as well as having wonderful gardens to explore. The castle is closed for the off-season so we didn’t go inside; it was nice to see the building though. I imagine that in the spring time the flowers are beautiful when they are in full bloom. We saw a glimmer of that when we went in February.

Blue Pools – Glen Rosa

The first of the many waterfalls on the island that you have the option of visiting is the Blue Pools at Glen Rosa. This is another of the most popular hikes on the island as it is an easier 8km than Goat Fell. It is also a very popular wild swimming spot as the water in the pool is supposed to be calmer due to the surrounding glen. You will be lucky to get nice weather for swimming but, if that doesn’t bother you, go for it!

Lochranza Distillery

One of the things that Scotland is famous for is, of course, whisky and the Isle of Arran is no different. The Lochranza Distillery is the home of Arran Whisky and has been since 1994. If you’re a whisky lover then this is certainly a spot to add to your list. It is home to a visitor centre, shop, cafe as well as whiskey tours and tasting. The length and tour that you do determines the price but they range from £15-75 per person which isn’t actually as expensive as I was expecting.

Lochranza Castle

If you go to see the Distillery then you should definitely head further down the road to Lochranza Castle. This L-plan tower house dates back to the 13th century but most of the structure we see today was actually built three centuries later in the 1500s. It is believed that Robert the Bruce claimed the castle for his own when he returned from Ireland in 1306 to claim the Scottish throne. As you can tell, this is a sight that has a lot of history attached to it. There is just something about this castle and the coast beyond that gives you a sense of the wilderness and remoteness of the island. Alex also wants me to emphasise that the road from Brodick to Lochranza is the best on the island. Well, towards the end when you’re getting towards Lochranza anyway so, something to bear in mind for those that enjoy driving.

Eas a’ Chrannaig and Giants’ Graves

I’m putting these next two together because, if you see one, it is very easy to see the other. Just off Whiting Bay is a waterfall that really is stunning. Only a couple of kms from the road, down an easy and gentle climbing path, you will find the waterfall. It has been well maintained for tourists with viewpoints and fencing to secure the area. As well as that, you can complete a nice circular route that also incorporates the Giants’ Graves.

Giants’ Graves are the remains of two Neolithic chambered tombs – the final period of the Stone Age. They are burial cairns and it is said that bodies were first left outside the chambers so that ravens removed the flesh from their bones before they were placed inside. People were buried here alongside decorative pots, stone arrowheads and knives. However, they were also seen as the burial grounds for their ancestors and it became a place of remembrance and ritual. They’re well worth a look as part of this walk and are an interesting part of the history of the island.

King’s Caves

This was a sight that was high up our list but, unfortunately, we just ran out of time. It is a short walk of about 4.7km from the car park down to the beach and back. It is worth noting that whilst the walk is suitable for most abilities, it does contain a couple of steep drops that may be difficult for those with walking difficulties. Legend has it that Robert the Bruce sheltered in this cave before the Battle of Bannockburn, though the Forestry and Land Scotland say that they believe this was unlikely. It seems like such a cool feature of the coast and I’m sad we didn’t get the chance to see it on this trip. Hopefully, if we return to Arran, we can head to King’s Cave.

Eas Mor

Another waterfall option on the island is Eas Mor. This is very popular tourist spot and has lots of woodland area to explore. We opted to head down to the beach and away from the waterfall. This included going through a fairy grove which was cute and would be a very good place to visit with small children. There are small fairy statues and wooden sculptures around a lovely small waterfall. From there, we walked down the road towards the beach – well, coast, it was more stones than beach. The best part of this was seeing seals! It was so great to see them in the wild. Both of us have seen them before on the Norfolk coast but, I had never seen them actually swimming and bobbing up from the sea before. That was pretty cool! The aim was to see the dinosaur footprint on the shore but, it was submerged by the tide unfortunately.

If you go in the other direction from the road, you head towards the waterfall. The path is well marked and there are many viewpoints along the way for you to stop and have a look at the river but, the most impressive of all comes at the top! There is also the option to continue past the waterfall to Loch Garbed though this is a much rougher and muddier path than the initial one. With the loch and waterfall included, the walk is around 5km so another manageable length which should take around two hours to complete.

Machrie Moor Standing Stones

Another Neolithic feature on the island are the Machrie Moor Standing Stones which are found not far from Blackwaterfoot on the west side of the island. The stones were used as a ritual site, like the graves’, and were used for burials and cremations and the head of the circle aligns with the midsummer sunrise and the Machrie glen. The best way to see the standing stones would be to do so the same day that you walk to King’s Cave as they are in the same region of the island.

Arran Cheese Shop

Another shop that sells local produce from the island is the Cheese Shop which is located inside Home Farm Visitors Centre about one mile outside of Brodick. They sell a wide selection of – you guessed it – cheese both from Arran and other areas of Scotland. If you’re looking for a souvenir or a gift from your trip, this is a great edible choice. There is also a large viewing window in the shop where you can watch them actually making the cheese. This isn’t something I’ve ever seen before so is a great addition to the shop that gives it that bit extra as a tourist attraction.

Holy Island

The last ‘thing to do on Arran’ that I had to share with you is actually not even on the island itself. Holy Island is just off the coast of Lamlash – you will have probably seen its lighthouse if you got the ferry from Ardrossan/Troon to Brodick. A tide dependent ferry takes you from Lamlash to the island which has a strong history of spirituality and is used for retreats and courses. You can visit for the day but cannot stay on the island unless you are involved in one of the retreats. There are strict rules that you must abide by which include no pets, no fires, no bikes etc. The excursion on the ferry gives you four hours to spend on this small island costs £24 for adults and £16 for children. However, from the Lamlash Cruises website, it is currently unclear if the ferries are running this year. For more information click here.

That sums up all of the top sights on Arran. I had such a lovely time when we went for a weekend. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t great but you have to expect that in Scotland. As well as that, we didn’t have much time to complete all the things we wanted to do but, it was still fantastic! I also want to share the b&b that we stayed in as I thought it was great….

Burlington Guest House

We stayed at Burlington Guest House in Whiting Bay. This was a great location as we got the bus to the pub on the evening so we didn’t have to think about driving back and that made the evening much more celebratory for both of us. This was super easy to do too! It is also right on the coast which was so lovely! It was great to look out of the window and see the sea. Although some people may dislike this, the hotel is self-check in which a code left in an envelope for your arrival. However, when we rang for assistance the staff were so helpful as was the lady who served us breakfast in the morning. You picked what you were going to have the night before and we both went for the Full Scottish Breakfast. This was phenomenal and there was such a great selection of fruit, cereal, yoghurt and croissants available too. Part of me regretted getting the full breakfast as I didn’t have room for the rest of it but, the breakfast was also delicious so I didn’t feel like I missed out too much. I highly highly recommend staying here.

One final note, be careful with petrol if you’re driving on the island. We had an issue when we needed petrol on the Sunday. We hadn’t thought about the fact that a lot of the smaller stations would be closed. Also, google maps suggested that the Gulf in Brodick was only open 12-2 and we into Brodick at 2:30pm. We debated what to do for a while but, I urged us to check it was closed anyway. Turns out, this is no longer a Gulf garage and is now privately owned. It was open and had petrol which was all that mattered on this occasion. It is something to bear in mind though!

I think that about covers everything! Thank you so much for reading and I’ll be back next week with a step by step route to Goatfell!

Amie x