Cicerone Guide Book: Walking on Arran

Walking on Arran
by Paddy Dillon

The 45 walking routes in this Isle of Arran guidebook range from easy 3km (2 miles) nature trails to long arduous mountain routes with scrambles (up to 32km) providing thorough coverage of Arran, including the ascent of Goatfell and nearby Holy Isle. Most routes are 10km to 15km long but many give opportunities to create longer cross island walks.

This guidebook presents a selection of 45 day walks on the popular and accessible Isle of Arran. The routes are between 2 miles (3km) and 20 miles (32km) in length, from easy waymarked forest trails to more arduous mountain walks, exposed ridge routes and scrambles. There are linear and circular walks to choose from, and opportunities to link routes together and create longer walks across the length and breadth of the island. With highlights including Goatfell, Beinn Tarsuinn, the Sannox Horseshoe, Glen Rosa and the Cock of Arran, there's something here to suit walkers of all tastes and all levels of fitness.

Often described as 'Scotland in miniature', Arran boasts a rich variety of landscapes, and walks have been chosen to showcase this variety. There are few roads but ample opportunities to explore the island on foot, or using the excellent bus network. For an island, travel to Arran is remarkably easy: it is not far to Glasgow, from where onward connections to the Isle of Arran are swift and frequent.

All the routes are clearly described with OS mapping, with extra notes revealing the archaeology, history and natural wonders of the island, along with background information on travel to Arran, public transport, and a useful Gaelic/English glossary.

The book includes a summary of the Arran Coastal Way, a complete coastal walk around the Isle of Arran – for more details on the coastal route see The Ayrshire and Arran Coastal Paths.

Activities
Walking; trekking; scrambling; local food and drink; wildlife and birdwatching; geology

Seasons
Arran is good for walking year-round: be aware that the island's population triples in the peak summer period, and deer stalking occurs mid-August to mid-October.

Centres
Brodick; Lamlash; Lochranza

Difficulty
This guidebook include a few easy, waymarked forest trails or low-level walks and a dozen or so moderate glen or hill walks. The rest require more effort, involving higher mountains, sometimes with hands-on scrambling. There are roads and forest tracks, hill tracks or paths, but many routes also cross pathless slopes and traverse rocky mountain ridges.

Must See
Walk Goatfell, Holy Isle, Beinn Nuis, Beinn Tarsuinn, the Sannox Horseshoe, Glen Rosa and the Cock of Arran Over 40 routes giving thorough coverage of this wild but accessible Scottish island Varied walking includes all the island's best and classic routes