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Arran is arguably the most scenic
island off the coast of the Scottish
mainland. The Island has a number of fine
beaches and rugged mountains up to 2,866
ft, many with knife edge ridges.
The island is situated about 14 miles
west of Ardrossan
on the southwest coast of Scotland.
Ardrossan Train Station is situated about
half of a mile southeast of the ferry
port. Prestwick
Airport is situated about 16 miles
south, and Glasgow
Airport about 25 miles northeast.
The main car/passenger ferry from
Ardrossan to Brodick on Arran is the
Caledonian Isles with a restaurant and
bar on board. There is a smaller ferry
that runs throughout the summer mainly
carrying trucks, named the Isle of
Arran. This ferry will carry some
cars if there are no trucks but is only
licensed to carry 13 passengers, so the
restaurant and lounge that can hold over
100, is always quiet looking.
The Isle of Arran is about 56 miles
around following the coastal road. There
is also an 11 mile road that runs over
the mountains between Brodick on the east
side and Blackwaterfoot on the west side,
known as The String.
There is a small ferry that runs from
Lochranza on the north side of Arran, 14
miles north of Brodick, to Claonaig on
the Mull of Kintyre, 27 miles north of
Campbeltown, 60 miles south of Oban.
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Right is a view of the Caledonian
McBryane ferry Caledonian Isles that runs
between Ardrossan/Ayrshire and
Brodick/Isle of Arran. The crossing takes
about 55 minutes with prices being about
£10 return per passenger and
£66 return per car. Price checks and
timetables can be found at the ferry
website www.calmac.co.uk/destinations/arran.
There are about 5 crossings each way
per day. Bookings and enquiries by phone
call 0800 066 5000. There is a large
inexpensive car park at Ardrossan Pier,
as seen right, if you want to leave your
car there.
Car hire on the Island from about
£35 per day can be made from Bay
Garage based at Brodick Pier, phone 01770
302 839.
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Isle of Arran
Large Map . Arran Map . Large
Image .
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Right is a view of Brodick Pier with
the Terminal building and Bus Station.
There is also a large Tourist Information
Centre at the pier.
There are regular service buses that
run around the island with day tickets
about £5, or week tickets for about
£28, buy the tickets on the bus and
use the buses when you want.
Use the link below then type in
Brodick:
www.spt.co.uk/bus/bus-stations/
In summer, there is also an Open Top
Bus that runs between Brodick Pier and
Brodick Castle to the north, and Lamlash
and Whiting Bay to the south, also a tour
around the north of the island.
www.stagecoachbus.com/Arran2010.aspx
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The Auchrannie House Hotel, Lodges and
Spa Resort are situated on the north side
of Brodick, about 1 mile from the
pier.
The Spa Resort has a number of
restaurants, swimming and other indoor
activities.
Outdoor activities include mountain
biking, gorge walking, kayaking, archery
and much more, for individuals, couples,
families and groups.
www.auchrannie.co.uk . LateRooms
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The Isle of Arran Heritage Museum is
situated to the north of Brodick, only
about 1 mile north of the pier.
Originally the site of a small school,
the present group of buildings were a
croft and smiddy, and include a
farmhouse, cottage, bothy, milk house,
laundry, stable, coach house and harness
room. The exhibits reflect the social
history, archaeology and geology of the
island.
www.arranmuseum.co.uk .
Map .
Reviews .
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Six miles north of Brodick is the
small coastal village of Corrie.
The village has a small harbour on the
south side with boating tie ups painted
like sheep. There is also a seal
sculpture on a rock at the harbour, that
at first glance, looks like the real
thing.
The Corrie Hotel is situated
about half of a mile north of the harbour
with a large beer garden overlooking the
bay.
Rising above the village of Corrie are
mountains up to 2,720 ft.
www.corriesannox.co.uk .
Map .
Corrie
Shoreline Image .
Hotel
Reviews .
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The very small coastal village of
Sannox, that is mainly a few cottages
alongside Sannox Bay, is situated just
over seven miles north of Brodick.
Sannox Bay is a tranquil place with
only ever a few people using the scenic
shoreline. The bay is overlooked by the
Sannox Bay Hotel with its beer garden
having the best views.
There is a Pony Trekking
Centre about 1 mile north of
Sannox.
www.corriesannox.co.uk .
Map .
Large Image .
Sannox Bay Hotel
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Hotel
Reviews .
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The Corrie Golf Club and Tearoom are
situated about 8 miles north of Brodick,
on the north side of Sannox.
This is a short course of 3,220 yards,
par 62 with amazing views. Mountians up
to 2,800 feet are all around.
corriegolf.com . Map .
Reviews .
Large Image .
Tearoom Image
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North Glen Sannox has a car park about
9 miles north of Brodick for access to
some of the most rugged mountains on
Arran.
There is a trail from the car park up
into the mountains for some incredible
views.
If you want to do the loup around the
top of these mountains, that looks really
difficult, it may be best to use a local
guide your first time.
Local
Guides . Map .
Hill Walking
Map .
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of the North Glen Sannox Range .
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The Arran Whisky Distillery and
Visitor Centre is situated by the village
of Lochranza about 13 miles northwest of
Brodick.
Our Visitor Centre, which was opened
in 1997 by Her Majesty the Queen, is
built next to the Distillery in
stunningly beautiful surroundings at
Lochranza. We offer fully guided tours,
an audio visual presentation set in a
mock eighteenth century Smuggler's Inn,
an exhibition, shop and restaurant.
www.arranwhisky.com/Distillery
. Map .
Reviews .
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The Lochranza Caravan and Camping Site
is situated by Lochranza 14 miles
northwest of Brodick.
This is a quiet site at the head of
the loch surrounded by glorious mountain
scenery with a tea room and
restaurant.
Part of the Camp Site is the Lochranza
Golf Course. The golf course setting is a
delight, stretching from the head of the
glen to the sea, with views out to
Lochranza Castle and Kintyre.
Website .
Map .
Camp Site
Reviews . Golf
Reviews . Large Image .
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Lochranza village is situated about 14
miles northwest of Brodick. The road up
takes you through the scenic Glen Chalmadale.
The ruins of Lochranza Castle, as seen
right, are situated near the centre of
the village. The earliest parts of the
castle were built in the mid 1200s for
the MacSweens. Close to the castle is the
Lochranza
Hotel with views across the bay
towards Kintyre.
Lochranza is one of the most scenic
villages in Scotland, surrounded by
mountains and a sweeping bay.
There is a ferry terminal close to the
hotel that allows crossings to the small
village of Claonaig, 27 miles north of
Campbeltown, 60 miles south of Oban on
the peninsular of Kyntyre. The small car
ferry makes up to ten crossings a day.
You just queue up and wait your turn, no
bookings allowed.
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Information . Map .
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Map .
Golf
Reviews .
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Going down the west side of Arran, 2
miles from Lochranza, you pass Catacol
which is a row of cottages with the
Catacol Bay
Hotel.
Thirteen miles southwest of Lochranza,
is the area of Machrie with a few
cottages and the Machrie Bay Golf
Course & Tearoom.
About 1 mile south of the Machrie Golf
Course, just over a bridge, there is a
small car park on the shore side of the
road next to a farm road. Across the road
from the car park is a trail to the
Machrie Moor
Standing Stones.
The trail is just over 1 mile long to
the first of three sets of standing
stones, said to be of the Neolithic
period and the early Bronze Age, dating
back up to 4,500 years ago..
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Just over one and a half miles south
of the Machrie Bay Golf Course, you will
see a car park next to the road with
signs for the trail to the Kings
Caves.
One of the caves is where King Robert
the Bruce encountered the spider that
inspired him to continue his battle for
Scottish independence in the 1300s.
It is about a one and a half mile trek
from the car park to the caves, following
a woodland path, then along the
coast.
Kings Caves
Information .
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About 7 miles south of Blackwaterfoot,
are the really small villages of Lagg and
Kilmory, next to each other.
The main building in the villages is
the Lagg Inn & Restaurant, and the
main attraction in the area is the
Torrylin Cairn.
The path to the cairn is signposted
from the Kilmory post office, close to
the bridge at Lagg. The trek is under
half of a mile.
Torrylin
Cairn Information . Map .
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About 2 miles south of Lagg, 15 miles
southwest of Brodick, on the south side
of Arran, is Bennan Head Beach and
Cliffs.
The beach is one of the best on Arran
and is normally peaceful due to its
location. There is only one hotel, one
camp site, and a number of cottages along
the south side of Arran.
The Black Cave of
Bennan Head is a popular attraction
that can be visited when there is a low
tide or by canoe or boat.
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Image . Map .
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From the south side of Arran, you get
great views of the Isle of Pladda, under
1 mile off shore, and the Isle of Aisla
Craig about 9 miles south.
Pladda is an uninhabited island with
an automated lighthouse of the same name.
The island is now privately owned after
being sold by Arran Estate in the
1990s.
The Arran Adventure
Company runs Kayaking trips to
Pladda.
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About 2 miles east of Bennan Head, 12
miles southwest of Brodick, is the area
named Kildonan.
Kildonan is a few cottages and houses
here and there with a Camp Site and
Hotel.
The Kildonan Hotel
is situated right next to the beach where
you can at times watch the seals. The
hotel does bar lunches, has a restaurant,
a shop and has entertainment some
nights.
More
Information . Hotel
Reviews . Map .
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Next to the Kildonan Hotel, on the
south coast of Arran, is the Seal Shore
Camping & Touring Site.
From your pitch on our beautiful
family site beside our own private beach,
you will be afforded unsurpassed views.
From our closest neighbour, Pladda island
with its lighthouse, to the coast of
Northern Ireland.
Seal Shore
Camping & Touring Site . Map .
Reviews .
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Image .
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Lamlash is situated 4 miles south of
Brodick.
Lamlash is a fairly lively village as
there is a small ferry that runs from the
pier to the Holy Isle all day throughout
the summer, and fast boat tours also
depart from the pier. Boat Tours Website.
The pier area also attracts a number
of kids in their canoes and boats.
Lamlash has two hotels, an inn with a
beer garden, tennis courts, bowling
green, putting green and golf course.
More
Information . Map .
Lamlash Pier Large
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The Holy Isle lies one mile off the
Arran coast at Lamlash. Previously the
site of an early Christian monastery, it
is now the home of a Buddhist Retreat. In
1263, before the Battle of Largs, the
Norse king Haakon anchored his fleet in
Lamlash Bay. The cave of Saint Molaise on
the island has Viking inscriptions which
may have been made by sailors at that
time.
A small ferry departs Lamlash Pier on
the hour throughout the summer, when the
weather and tides are suitable. The last
ferry back is about 17.00. Tel: Tom
Sheldon on 01770 600 998.
www.holyisland.org .
Map .
Holy Isle
Hike Guide . Large Image
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