REWALK MAY 2015
Walks Isle of Arran – Author: Richard Hallewell
Re walked by Richard Legate
The areas covered by some of our mainland guides can appear arbitrary, but the island guides are more easily understood. This guide covers the island of Arran, in the Firth of Clyde, plus little Holy Island, in Lamlash Bay.
Arran is large enough (20 miles/32km by 10 miles/16km) to allow walkers to visit for a week and find new walking every day, and varied enough that they will be able to find something truly different each day. This variety has led to the island being described as a ‘Scotland in miniature’, with a mountainous interior, low land around the coast, moorland and woodland. The best known walk (and people will often visit the island purely to complete it) is the climb up Goatfell: a 2867ft/874m peak, surrounded by other peaks and ridges, which can be climbed directly from the ferry terminal in Brodick. It is a terrific climb, and the views from the summit are as good as any in Scotland (seebottom left), but it would be a mistake to concentrate on this one walk to the exclusion of everything else the island has to offer. There is a coastal path running right round the island, for example, and individual sections – notably the Cock of Arran, in the north, and the headlands between Brodick and Lamlash – provide fine walking. Elsewhere, there is an excellent woodland walk to Glenashdale Falls, the path to the extraordinary standing stones at Machrie (see centre left), and the fine paths across the wooded slopes around Brodick Castle.
The population of the island is small – around 5,000 – but all services are available. Also, navigation around the island is simple: there are only three significant roads and a good bus service.
The guide has been completely reworked and updated, but there have been no major changes. There is currently significant forestry work being undertaken north of Sannox, but the changes to the existing routes are well signposted on the ground.
For more details or to buy a copy click here.