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Isle of Arran

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The Isle of Arran is situated in south-western Scotland, in the Firth of Clyde near Glasgow.

Villages

Lamlash

  • Main population centre
  • bowling green - Visitors welcome to this seasonal facility, you are asked to wear flat shoes. The green is only open in good weather to avoid wear. £3 per adult £1.50 for concessions.
  • Most of the beach is stony, however there are several sandy stretches.
  • Medical Centre
  • School - Arran High School is situated to the West of Lamlash
  • Fishing Trips - limited places available so a very good idea to book ahead at the caravan on Lamlash Pier
  • Boat hire - £20 for a 4 person boat for 2 hours, £30 for a 6 person boat for 2 hours. Fishing rods are also available for hire. The views from the centre of Lamlash Bay are well worth the money
  • Boat to the Holy Isle (seasonal)

Brodick

  • Main supermarket - Brodick is home to the Co-op and the One Stop (this has recently been purchased by the Co-op) supermarkets, these offer the widest selection of goods on the Island.
  • Arran Brewery - located at the base of the footpath towards Goat Fell. There is an independent restaurant facing you in the main driveway, but walk around the corner to the Brewery itself for some generous free beer tasting and the opportunity of buying 8 pint jerry cans of some excellent real ale! Although not technically holding a licence, you can get away with drinking on the adjacent picnic tables.
  • Computer Shop - to the East of the main Co-op this shop offers a range of computing goods, also good if you run short of a fuse as no where else on the island seems to sell them.
  • bowling green - Visitors welcome to this seasonal facility, you are asked to wear flat shoes and there is normally someone on hand to show you how to play if you've never tried before. The green is only open in good weather to avoid wear. £3 per adult £1.50 for concessions
  • Leisure centre offering swimming pool - Auchrannie Spa Resort, the biggest hotel on island offers public swimming facilities
  • Good beach - This is situated on the west side of the town, the other beaches nearer the ferry terminal are nearly all rocks
  • Majority of hotels and guest houses
  • Cinema - this temporary facility uses the hall next to the library, film showings are rare and run several months behind the mainland
  • Library
  • Shop at Arran Adventure Centre at the entrance of the Auchrannie offering guided activities such as climbing, kayaking and mountainbiking- weather forecasts posted everyday

Internet access is available in the library, where there are 6 computers. The library opens at the following times:

Sunday - CLOSED
Monday - CLOSED
Tuesday - 10am-5pm
Wednesday - CLOSED
Thursday - 10am-7:30pm
Friday - 10am-7:30pm
Saturday - 10am-1pm

Free Wirless Access avaialable at Auchrannie Resort (from 8am till late 7 days a week) [1]

  • Petrol Stations - There is one situated as you leave the ferry, this also offers car hire
  • Ferry Port - ferry timetable
  • Bus Station - situated next to the ferry terminal
  • Mini Golf - on the western end of the town next to the One Stop Supermarket offers a grass course.
  • Crazy Golf - in the centre of the the town is a more exotic affair in line with a crazy golf course based on concrete and prone to flooding.
  • Basic Go Karting - age restrictions may apply to this as the set up seems geared towards children
  • Bike Hire - available at Arran Adventure centre (near the crazy golf course) and also available next to the Mini Golf course.

Blackwaterfoot

  • Bus 'station'
  • Pub serving real ale
  • B&B
  • Hotel with (rather chilly) indoor swimming pool
  • Garage
  • Bakery
  • Small grocery store selling food, whisky, and other essentials
  • Very tiny harbour
  • Pony trekking at Cairnhouse Stables - caters to beginners and experienced riders
  • Golf the Shiskine Golf and Tennis club 12 hole course - beautiful scenery. Ranked 99th in the World's Top 100 Golf Courses.

Clauchlands Point

  • Abandoned boom defence signal station from World War II
  • Good view of Holy Island and the Scottish mainland
  • Nuclear Submarines can sometimes be seen from this point
  • Large amount of bird life
  • Quite common to see seals relaxing on the rocks
  • Shrimps can be gathered in the rock pools at low tide

Kilmory

  • Tearoom
  • Hotel
  • Convenience store
  • Post office (contained within the convenience store)
  • Community hall
  • Pub

Lochranza

  • Ruined castle - Believed to be a 16th Century reconstruction of an earlier building. It is currently under restoration until 2008, though it is still accessible.
  • Whisky Distillery - Open March to October. Includes visitors centre, nice restaurant and shop
  • Stone men of Arran - Fantastic little shop placed on the side of the hill on the East coast of the Bay. Quite a long but interesting walk from the main part of the village, you are likely to meet sheep and maybe deer on the way.
  • One Pub - closer to the pier
  • Lochranza Youth Hostel- Spartan but friendly, with helpful managers and very good kitchen.
  • 18 Hole Golf Course - Normally open from April until mid October each year
  • Bus route (Stagecoach Western only, the much more intriguing Postbus has ceased operations as of 2008)
  • Deer comes down to the water most evenings
  • Ferry to the mainland, please see By Boat section.

Whiting Bay

  • Nice-looking village south of Brodick. Large white sand beach. Football pitch, Childrens playground, putting green, bowling green.
  • Three well stocked groceries shops: Village Shop, Bay Stores and Kirkend Nurseries (grows its own fruits and vegs).
  • Galleries, DIY, Craft shops, Petrol stations, Newsagent, furniture and carpet shop, massage and reiki treatment.
  • Restaurants: Trafalgar, Burlington Hotel (closed over the winter), Indian, The Beach Hut, The Golden Dragon, Eden Hotel and two Pubs.
  • Starting point for walks to the "Giants Grave" (1.5 mile round trip), the "Glenashdale Falls" (7 mile round trip) and round "Kings Cross Point" (3 miles round trip).
  • Whiting Bay Golf Club. 18 holes, Starter box with changing room, Clubhouse with Restaurant and Bar. Snooker Table in its own room.

Corrie

  • Picturesque village situated five miles north of Brodick. Approximately one mile long.
  • Two craft shops and one grocery/gift shop in the centre of the village.
  • Corrie Hotel - good accommodation, with a friendly bar which is also open to non-residents.
  • Sandstone Quay - sitatuated 1/4 mile into the village, includes children's play area and public toilets
  • Caves - approx 2/3 into the village, can be accessed from the Shore Road, and is best visited as part of a steep trek to the top of the hill

Other destinations

Holy Island (known locally as the Holy Isle)

  • Sole inhabitants are Buddhist monks, during summer tourist season, boat takes visitors roughly every hour from 10am to 5pm
  • Vision of Virgin Mary persuaded previous owner to sell it to the monks
  • Food stuff available for purchase from monks
  • Walk up the backbone of the island - However, keep to the path! There are dangerous crevasses hidden in the heather
  • Beautiful view of Lamlash and the Scottish mainland
  • Buddhist Monastery - please note this is not accessible to the public as it is used as a place of retreat (Monks stay there for 3 years and 3 months)
  • Caves
  • Buddhist Art
  • East side of the Island is closed to the public as there is the danger of rock fall

The Ross

  • Lamlash to Lagg
  • Not recommended to take this route in the winter as road can become impassable due to snow and ice.
  • Good to take cars
  • Possible to cycle - however it is steep. A bike with many gears is recommended
  • Sparsely populated, danger of meeting sheep and occasionally deer on the road
  • Fantastic Scenery
  • No public transport - though you should be able to hitch passing cars fairly easily

Culture and History

The Isle of Arran is often described as 'Scotland in Miniature', offering the scenery of the Scottish Highlands and Lowlands on one Island, in the North and South respectively.

For detailled Information consult the Internet guide "Visit Isle of Arran" [2]. This is a comprehensive Tourist guide, showing all addresses with phone number of all island business venues with touristic values (all sort of Accommodation, Galeries, Restaurants/Pubs, Garages, Taxis, Shops, Services, Attractions etc), some with live links to their Website and to their Email-address. In short, everything a tourist ever desires to find.

Talk

Travel to Isle of Arran & Visa Requirements

Flights and airtickets to Isle of Arran

The nearest Airport to Arran, is Glasgow Prestwick International on the mainland, situated 32 miles to the south of Glasgow. Flights arrive daily from Stansted, Paris and Dublin along with less regular flights from other destinations (check here for destinations). The airport is well sited with numerous hotels in the vicinity. A train station is situated to the east of the airport complex with trains direct to Glasgow Central and offers an indirect route to Ardrossan Harbour through a change at Kilwinning. The train takes 15 minutes to get from Prestwick to Kilwinning. Taxis to Ardrossan harbour are also available at a standard charge of £15 (?need to check).

You will then have to take a ferry to Arran.

By train

Trains run regularly from Glasgow central to Ardrossan Harbour, where you can pick up the ferry to Brodick. Make sure you get a train to Ardrossan Harbour as Ardrossan Town and Ardrossan South Beach are some distance from the ferry port, nearly all trains to the harbour meet up with ferrys and quite often the ferries are delayed if your train is running late. Tickets for trains can be bought once on board as well as at stations. Discounts are available when you show a valid plane boarding pass. Go to By Boat section

By car

There is no bridge link to Arran and you must take the ferry, however both ferries carry cars.

By boat

The only reasonable way to actually get to Arran is using one of the two Ferries operated by Caledonian McBrayne. The Ferries run between:

Ardrossan(mainland) - Brodick(Arran)

Name: MV Caledonian Isles
Facilities on Board: toilets, children's play area, tourist information desk, disabled access, Bar, Restaurant
Vehicle capacity: 120 cars (other vehicles can be accommodated) N.B. It is prudent to book in advance
Passenger capacity: 1000
Duration of Trip: 55 minutes
Runs all year: Yes
Trainlink mainland: Yes
Cost (foot passengers): You can buy a 5 day saver return for around £8, with single fares being ~£5

Claonaig(mainland) - Lochranza(Arran)

Name: MV Loch Tarbert
Facilities on Board: toilets, small passenger lounge
Vehicle capacity: several cars (other vehicles can be accommodated)
Passenger capacity: 100?
Duration of Trip: 30 minutes
Runs all year: Closed in Winter
Trainlink mainland: No

Be warned services can be cancelled due to bad weather and reduced services run on Sundays and off season. There is an extra Friday evening ferry which does not run for the rest of the week

Tours & Getting around Isle of Arran

  • Car Hire is available from near the ferry terminal in Brodick.
  • If you don't have a car the best way to travel around the island is by bus, with and all day rover ticket costing £2.40 for adults (be wary of seasonal changes). However check the time table and plan accordingly as some buses only run on Fridays and most places have one bus an hour. Buses stop before 11pm so consider booking a taxi. Bus timetables are available on each bus and from most of the convenience stores, so don't be afraid to ask for one.
  • Recommended is hiring a bike to travel the routes, such as the Ross, that the bus doesn't take. In Brodick, Bike hire is available from the Boathouse and Arran Power and Sail on the shore and Arran Adventures next to the Auchrannie.In Blackwaterfoot you can hire a bike from teh Kinloch Sports Club.
  • Taxi services cover the entire island and you may find that booking ahead is a good idea as they get very busy in peak season. If you are travelling alone it is best to ask for a quote when booking, as prices can be steep depending on where you want to go.
Brodick to Clauchlands Point £6 single

Isle of Arran attractions and sightseeing

  • There are great rock formations and a lighthouse at Kildonan
  • Ailsa Craig from the south of the island or the top of Goat Fell
  • View from top of Goat Fell, including Ireland on a good day
  • Seals in the sea around Arran
  • Standing stones at Machrie Moor
  • The Mull of Kintyre accompanied by singing the song
  • The fairies in the garden on Holy Isle
  • The Buddhist rock carvings
  • The various standing stones, stone circles and cairns scattered all over the island, Highly recommend getting an ordnance survey map and a mountain bike.
  • The castle at Lochranza
  • The castle at Brodick
  • The waterfalls hidden near the Giants Graves.
  • Goat Fell - both walks to the summit offer fantastic scenery, take a camera and best to go on a clear weather day
  • Golden Eagles in the mountainous north of the island, divers around the island, hen harriers towards the south, ravens widespread, many deer throughout the island and exclusively red squirrels can be occasionally sighted. Also many passing migrant birds have been reported, including waxwings and crossbills. Some more northern birds have also been known to become windswept southwards, for example the white-tailed sea eagle and long-tailed skuas.

Beaches

  • Kildonan and Pirnmill are generally regarded as the best beaches on the island
  • Cleat's shore is Scotland's only officially designated naturist beach (there are only 11 in the whole of the UK). Unlike all the other official naturist beaches, don't expect to actually see anyone else at all, nudist or otherwise!

Isle of Arran city tours

  • Golf at one of the islands many courses
  • Brodick Castle
  • Distillery at Lochranza
  • Sailing
  • Lawn Bowls
  • Walk up Goat Fell. Recommend tackling in the morning; it can be achieved in half a day. Has fantastic view from on top, worth trying to go on a clear day. Its all walkable, no climbing involved.
  • The Corrie route - Has waterfalls, is steeper.
  • Pony Trekking, North Sannox, spectacular scenery.
  • Take the ferry from Lamlash to Holy Isle. See the wild ponies, goats, seals. Have tea with a Buddhist monk.
  • Quad biking at Balmichael Visitor Centre - on track or by trek.
  • Helicopter rides, also at Balmichael
  • Fish - trout fishery just south of Blackwaterfoot - more or less guaranteed a catch! Novices welcome.
  • go for a great senic walk in glengloy brodick=)

Isle of Arran Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

There are many good eateries on the island. From the 5 Star Kilmichael Country House Hotel, the Auchrannie (both in Brodick), the Trafalgar Restaurant (Whiting Bay), the Kildonan Hotel (Kildonan), the Kinloch Hotel in Blackwaterfoot to the Restaurant at the Distillery in Lochranza.

  • eighteen69, Auchrannie Hotel, Brodick [3]- fine dining in casual atmosphere; 2 AA Rossettes
  • Brambles Brasserie, Auchrannie Hotel, Brodick [4]- top quality casual dining, excellent food.
  • The Brodick Brasserie - Extensive selection on the blackboard Monday - Saturday, Very Pricey!!
  • Toby's Tearoom, Kilmory - Freshly prepared traditional food, open every day except Wednesday. Excellent value for money with attentive, prompt service.
  • The Glenisle Hotel, Lamlash - Again, not cheap - didn't enjoy it so much 2nd visit
  • The Coffee Pot, Whiting Bay - snacks and light meals - good service, reasonably priced

Isle of Arran nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

At least one Pub is in most Villages, some have two or more.

Cruize Bar [5] at the Auchrannie Spa Resort offers a good range of drinks (also serves food), open 7 days, comfortable surroundings and occasional party nights.

An intersting one often with live music on Fridays and Saturdays in Whiting Bay (the Cameronia Pub)

Another at the Ormidale Hotel, Brodick. It has a nice atmosphere (upper part is in former glasshouse), pub quizzes and the most insanley tiled toilet block in the world.

There is also a pub with real ale at the Blackwaterfoot Lodge.