Arran: Scotland in miniature? maybe; real? YES

Arran is sometimes known as Scotland in Miniature. I am never sure how useful this sort of description is but it is true to the extent that the south is less mountainous and more highly populated - but if we are comparing the southern Arran places to Glasgow, Edinburgh or even the Border Towns, we are deep into the absurd! Arran has a number of points to commend it:

1.] It is the easiest Scottish island to reach from England and much of Scotland.

2.] There are well situated Youth Hostels at Whiting Bay or Lochranza.

3.] The circular bus ride is very attractive, though to be honest it is nowhere near the top of Scottish coastal scenery.

4.] Arran's granite mountains are among the best in Scotland, especially the excellent ridge walk described below.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Have a bus trip around the island if time allows but with limited time the mountain walks should have priority. If you have far to go after your walk to where you are staying, make sure you have checked the time-table first! See freeform entry.

There is at least one single room - or there was because I slept in one - but the price is the same anyway and the dormitories look OK. I think the warden took pity on a sort of oldie. I hate to think how he would react now! Anyway I was suitably grateful.

I was not bothered much whether I stayed here or Lochranza, though I might well have chosen the latter for its proximity to Sannox where my walk would start, but the bus timetables decided the matter for me as I was on a fairly late ferry from Ardrossan.

Youth hostels are changing all the time and I should doubtless be out of date on some points but the photos on the current web site confirm that the very pleasant building is very much the same. It is very pleasantly situated near the shore, as the address suggests. It is unfortunate that the midges seem to find it attractive as well. It is near a bus stop and the anti-clockwise circular service provides easy access to Brodick, Goat Fell and other walks.

Apart from the Cuillin Ridge on Skye this must be one of the finest ridge walks in the UK, especially if it is combined with going over A'Chir [I did not have time for this and the route described is the one I did]. It ranks along with Aonach Eagach by Glencoe or An Teallach near Little Loch Broom.

In my opinion anybody is unwise to go up on these ridges without a clear head, a fair bit of experience [or a more experienced leader] and a good guidebook. I had thick mist for a short time at the top of Cir Mor and should not have enjoyed the Carlin's Leap without a clear close-up view. Anyway the walk is wasted and would be most frustrating without the terrific distance views encompassing the sea in many directions. I regret my inability to do this again and expand on it more than any other as I have done both the mainland ridges mentioned above a few times and this only once.

I was not at Sannox Bay until geting on for lunch time and took the chance of early lunch on the splendid beach. From Mid-Sannox it is just about due west to Suidhe Fheargas [2081 feet]. There is nothing particularly hard about this ascent and the only real interest lies in the views around but from here until after you have descended from Cir Mor it is a delight.

The next stage is the ridge walk to the Carlin's Leap, Ceum na Caillich [sometimes prosaically called the witch's step] Here it is necessary to make a serious estimate of the capacity of your party. The direct descent to the col is steep and exposed - and of course exciting if you are up to it. Many will prefer to find a slightly easier way down by dropping a bit on the north side first and then traversing.

There is no further problem in the ridge walk to Caistal Abhail, at 2817 feet the highest point reached on this walk. The views from here are good in every direction, perhaps particularly of the next peak in the route, Cir Mor. I have heard good things about Goat Fell, which is higher but quite a few people who have walked a lot on Arran reckon that its wonderful shape and position make Cir Mor the favourite.

After a very brief bout of mist it cleared to show four stags all standing together nearby watching me. This is quite an unusual sight and no doubt just a couple of months later they would have been at war in the rut!

The descent from Cir Mor to Glen Sannox is good fun but the glen itself becomes wet and midgefilled. The best views were now to the rear.

This walk is considerably harder and takes longer than the distance might suggest and an earlier start would be desirable.

Brodick is the transport hub for Arran and the largest town on the island. This does not put it into any international league of big towns [understatement of the year?] but it does now have a supermarket, other shops, a post office, a bank, a chippy and a petrol station.

It also has hotels as well as self-catering accommodation. I do not know whether it is ever hard to find somewhere to stay here but by and large the supply tends to exceed the demand as Arran was a very popular destination before the days of mass continental tourism.

As you leave Brodick northward you come to Arran's Heritage Centre. This is highly informative on Arran's archaeology, geology and history. It is located in what was originally a school site and the current buildings are a smiddy which is just as it was when it stopped working and a croft. However the Centre does not only cover farming, although this is a highlight, but the development of modern sea transport. The website is http://www.arranmuseum.co.uk/

Nearby is Brodick Castle. This is a combination between a 19th century stately home and much earlier fortification built on a ledge over the north side of Brodick Bay. The gardens are particularly appealing and you will find excellent information on http://www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk/arran/brodickcastle/index.html

Getting to and from Arran is simple enough. If you are thinking about a longer tour in the summer it might be worth going one way on the summer ferry between Lochranza and Claonaig. On the other hand the ferry to Brodick from Ardrossam operates all year and there is a train between Ardrossan and Glasgow. There are only 4 or 5 train/ferry combinations a day each way and the last one is not very late so it is imperative to check current timetables. These appear at the end of the bus timetable shown below.

On the island there are circulars for the whole coastal journey [about 55 miles]. There is also what is called the String road from Brodick to Blackwaterfoot across the interior of the island. £3 Rovers [Oct 02] allow for unlimited use of the services on these lines. You can find the timetables for these and other bus services on the island as well as connections by ferry and rail to Glasgow if you look at http://www.stagecoachbus.com/western/db_search.html and put 'Brodick' in the Search Box. The search result will allow you to download the timetables.