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The Isle of Arran is the southernmost of all of Scotland’s major islands. It is mostly encircled by Scottish mainland, with Glasgow and Firth of Clyde to the east and the Campbelltown Peninsula to the west. Arran is often described as “Scotland in miniature” featuring highlands and glens in the north and gentler rolling terrain in the south. With so much beauty and variety within a day trip’s reach of Scotland’s most populous city via ferry, it’s no wonder that Arran is such a popular place to visit.
Light from the the open door illuminates the staircase at Lochranza Castle on the north end of Scotland’s incredible Isle of Arran.
In Lochranza Castle
Red and cream stones add some color to Lochranza Castle, sprinkled in amongst the grays. Of all of the castles I visited in Scotland, this one had the most variety of types of stone. The light illuminating the left doorway is entering through the open front door of the castle.
Getting to Arran
Pretty much everyone arrives of Arran via one of two CalMac ferry routes. The main route crosses the Firth of Clyde, leaving from Ardrossan (fairly close to Glasgow via train or car) and landing in Brodick. This ferry is quite popular and is often fully booked. I reserved a spot on the ferry well in advance and was glad I did because the ferry was sold out. The other, much smaller ferry crosses from Skipness to Lochranza. Very few people take this ferry – on our crossing there were four vehicles and a total of ten passengers. A reservation is not normally needed for this route.
Brodick Ferry: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/route-information/ardrossan-brodick/#/
Lochranza Ferry: https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/route-information/claonaig-tarbert-loch-fyne-lochranza/#/
Brodick
The population center of Arran is the town of Brodick on the central east coast of the island. The main CalMac ferry terminal is on the south end of town which is how most visitors arrive on Arran. Brodick is well-positioned on the island, with the main road that crosses the island (“The String”) meeting the highway that traces the shoreline (A841) at the north end of the village. Brodick has all the services and ammenities you could need, including a grocery store, restaurants, shopping, and links to local public transportation all in a pretty waterside setting.
If you’re looking to spend the night on Arran, which I highly recommend as seeing all of the major sites takes a full two days, The Douglas is where you want to stay. What a lovely hotel, with beautiful rooms and a central location. Our room rate included breakfast as well which was very good. The main restaurant is outstanding and includes extensive patio seating. We liked the restaurant so much we ate there for dinner and again for lunch the following day.
South of Brodick along the sheltered East Coast of Arran are the island’s other more significant towns: Lamlash and Glenkiln near the Holy Island, and Whiting Bay located further to the south.
Things To Do
Castles
The Isle of Arran houses a few castles. By far the most prominent is Brodick Castle. Located two miles north of the CalMac ferry terminal just north of town, Brodick Castle has been beautifully preserved and includes a great deal of tourable rooms featuring lavish 17th – 19th century furnishings, artwork, and decor. The castle grounds are huge and include a formal Victorian-era walled garden plus ten miles of trails across the wooded estate. A big outdoor children’s play park, a cafe, and a gift shop which includes an antique arcade round out the offerings here. Just exploring the castle and enjoying the garden takes two hours, with a full day of strolling the paths possible here if conditions are pleasant. The castle is closed Nov – Feb but the admission to the grounds is reduced roughly in half during this time.
Brodick Castle has been expanded several time over the centuries. This face was added during the Victorian era and seems to be the current front of the castle.
Brodick Castle
What began as a Viking fortress over a thousand years ago is today Brodick Castle, the most prominent and largest castle on Isle of Arran, complete with a formal garden and a massive estate surrounding it. The oldest parts of the structure standing today date from the 1100s. This section, which is actually the front … Read more
The island features two other castles – Lochranza and Kildonan. Both are ruins. Of the two Lochranza is far more accessible, located on a little peninsula protruding into the bay in the middle of Lochranza village on the north end of Arran. It’s not far as the crow flies but it takes a bit to reach Lochranza by road due to the rugged terrain of Arran’s northern half. The castle has beautiful, colorful stonework and some cool features. Visitors are welcome to enter the castle ruins to explore. If you’re short on time then skip Lochranza Castle as it is fairly small. Kildonan Castle is even smaller and is on private property near the island’s SE corner. A trail skirts the edge of the property providing views of the castle’s crumbling exterior.
Other Historic Locations
The central west area of the island between Blackwaterfoot and Machrie include a concentration of ancient sites spanning the Neolithic through the Viking age. With less than 24 hours on Arran we did not make it to any of these places, which is one reason I am very anxious to return to Arran again. Machrie Moor Standing Stones hike is probably the most well-known, with fairly easy access along a trail which leads past several other neolithic stone monoliths en route including Moss Farm Road Stone Circle. Nearby along the coast is King’s Caves which feature early Christian carvings as well as a Norse serpent and other cave art. Continue south from King’s Cave along the coastal trail to reach Drumadoon Point, a scenic spot which is known for sunsets. En route you may find a dinosaur footprint in a vertical rock wall!
Hiking and Natural Features
Glen Rosa is probably the most popular hike on the island. This easy hike leads up a beautiful open glen to the northwest of Brodick. It’s easy to reach, with a clear and simple trail leading to incredible views looking up the glacially-carved valley to Goatfell, the highest peak on Arran. Blue Pool is a favorite destination in the glen, which is deep and swimmable although small. The water is cold but has nice color. I really enjoyed my easy early morning hike up Glen Rosa and I definitely recommend spending an hour or two here! A trail network through the glen, including neighboring Cnocan Burn and Goatfell provide longer and more challenging routes through the beautiful and rugged countryside for more avid hikers looking to spend longer times out in the island wild.
Goatfell rises behind verdant Glen Rosa on a gorgeous summer morning.
Glen Rosa and Goatfell
Mist clears from Goatfell and its companion peaks on a beautiful summer morning in Glen Rosa on Isle of Arran, Scotland. I got up and hit the trail early, reaching this view looking up the glacially-carved glen before the trail got busy. Arran is often described as Scotland in miniature, with highlands and glens in … Read more
East of the more southern town of Whiting Bay is another noteworthy hike. This more moderate excursion leads to a well-developed viewpoint of the island’s largest waterfall – Eas a’ Crhannaig (aka Glenashdale Falls). The hike continues as a loop, leading past a noteworthy pair of historic chambered cairns known as the Giant’s Graves. The entire loop takes 2-2.5 hours. This is another hike I did not get to do…anothe reason to come back!
We spent a few hours near the seaside community of Kildonan on the island’s southern shore. We spent over an hour searching for the “Dinosaur Footprint” which Google Maps says is embedded in a rock just west of where the main road to the village first meets the sea. While we never found it, perhaps due to the tide being too high, we thoroughly enjoyed exploring the pretty, calm little beaches and rocks on a clear and warm afternoon. Views of Pladda Lighthouse, located on a small offshore island, only added more to the peaceful serenity of the area.
It doesn’t get more peaceful than this gorgeously calm and sunny afternoon at Kildonan Beach on the south coast of Isle of Arran.
Placid
It doesn’t get more peaceful than this warm, calm day at Kildonan Beach on the south coast of Isle of Arran – the experience of being there, with the entire beach to ourselves, has become my definition of the word “placid”. We spent an hour scouring the entire beach for a supposed dinosaur footprint that … Read more
In stock
On the main road at the turn to Kildonan is a nice little cafe called The Forest of the Falls Cafe. Stop here, grab a wonderful coffee, then head up the steep little track behind the cafe to reach views of slender Eas Mor waterfall, then cross the stream above the falls and head down for a few minutes to reach The Library – a truly unique little shack absolutely covered in notes that people have left here over decades. The amount of paper in this small building is staggering. This spot is flammable! Beware of starting to read the walls, ceilings, journals, anything…you are opening up a time vacuum that can suck hours away as you pour through the messages residing here. A reasonably-paced trek past the waterfall to the library and back to the cafe takes around an hour. I hustled and did it in 45 minutes. The falls is quite tall but be aware that it gets wispy if it hasn’t rained in a few days because much of the water is diverted for irrigation just above the falls.
Suggested Itinerary
I highly suggest two full days on Arran to see everything. If possible, plan to spend two (or three) nights on the island and arrive via Lochranza so you can easily add Lochranza Castle to your itinerary.
Optional First Evening: Arrive on Arran via Lochranza Ferry, visit Lochranza Castle, then drive to Brodick or wherever your lodging is. Enjoy dinner and get to bed.
First Full Day: After breakfast head south to Whiting Bay and do the hike to Eas a’ Chrannaig and Giants Graves. Continue south, then east around the island and have lunch at Forest of the Falls Cafe. Trek up to the library (skip this if you got a late start), then head down to the beach near Kildonan and explore for an hour while taking in the beautiful scenery. Next continue around the island and grab a snack or happy hour in Blackwaterfoot. Then head for your final hike, the easy walk to the Neolithic sites at Machrie Moor. If you’ve made good time you could try fitting in an early evening visit to Kings Caves. When you’re done with the day’s adventures take The String back across the island to dinner and your lodging in Brodick.
Second Day: After breakfast head up to Glen Rosa and hike around. The scenery here is beautiful and is best in the morning. This is such a pretty area – take your time and enjoy! Come back to Brodick for lunch, then head to Brodick Castle. Plan to spend the afternoon here exploring the castle, garden, and grounds. Head to the ferry terminal in Brodick in time to catch your ferry back across the Firth of Clyde, or stay for one more night and depart the following morning.
If you have to pick and choose, the three must-see spots are Glen Rosa, Machrie Moor, and Brodick Castle. Seeing all three in one day would likely be quite challenging and would feel rushed. Glen Rosa in particular was just wonderful, with scenery that far exceeded my expectations and a trail that was quite easy. Brodick Castle is the only major island castle in the National Trust for Scotland which is fully maintained and furnished. The Machrie Moor hike is another high value hike, visiting seven ancient sites in one easy journey.
I really hope you enjoy your time on Arran as much as I did! I look forward to returning to see the remaining locations I did not have time to visit on my first trip to this beautiful Scottish island.
