[Closed] Isle of Arran

If you are a competent scrambler then a traverse of the main ridge from Caisteal Abhail to Beinn Nuis is superb.

Try to avoid seeing as much of Ardrossan as you can?

Any combination of the main ridges is well worth doing.

Often overlooked are the hills in the west above Pirnmill. They aren't as dramatic as the main hills but make a good short day.

There's quite a collection of standing stones, chambered cairns and the like at Machrie.

If you are on a CX bike then see if you can find the Grinduro routes.

Get yourself over to Holy Isle for a wee look around. I was there last Saturday. Saw an otter, some Sannen Goats and some very cute Soay lambs.

It's owned by Tibetian Buddhists, so there is some interesting rock art and stuff.

If you take fell shoes you could run over the ridge and back up the coast in about 2 hours, including stopping to look around.

Passenger ferries from Lamlash are fairly frequent (although very chilled out and don't tend to run to time). It was £12 return for an adult.

Arrive in lochranza in the dark. Walk around the headland in a galeforce wind and torential rain. Survive the night to find you tent inner on a dry patch with the vestibule under two inches if water. Disciver cracked poles as you dismantle tent. Lash the sodden thing to the bottom of your rucksack.

Walk from lochranza along the coast in pouring rain to sannox bay. Be immensly dissapointed and actually quite emitional that the ****ing hotel isn't open and the bus went by 5 minutes previously. Start walking towards safety phining anything that might have a room on an easter weekend. Get the last two bunks in the bunkhouse. Scatter everything with wet kit to dry out.

Do actually do the walk though. Its great, remote and no road but easy enough.

I like arran alot.

There's quite an active gravel/cx group on the island. They have a Facebook page, if you do that, Arran Gravel Riders.

Many of the routes they use aren't on the OS maps as the forestry change things quite quickly sometimes. The Grinduro route is a good suggestion, but some of it near the Clauchlands ridge is difficult at the moment due to tree felling.

A slightly less full on walk than Spin's, but still good and a challenge is the Three Bens, from Glen Rosa to Beinn Nuis, Beinn Tarsuinn,  Beinn A Chliabhain and back down to Glen Rosa. Plus loads of others.

Distillery tour is good with a decent cafe, as is the museum just outside Brodick.

The ferries and roads are in a bit of a state at the moment, but they're both being fixed (hopefully)

Going over on Saturday for a day on my favourite trails, canny wait. ❤⛰

The obvious horseshoe from Brodick is another great way to do most of the same walk others have mentioned.

Staggs at lochraza campsite (restaurant) is imho very good you will need to book

Lochranza distillery - cafe - vanilla ice cream with Arran Gold is nice

Have a pint at the Pier pub lamlash for the view, ditto kildonan hotel

Google Huttons unconformity

Giants Grave and Glenashdale falls possibly worth a walk, good picnic site on a nice day,

take deet etc(midges and beware of ticks, gf got 9(repeat 9) when we walked Lochranza to Sannox

Forest track from Kilmory goes to just above Lamlash(cart tracks/landrovers etc) and if you go to just above the Giants Grave you can loop round to just above Kildonan

Kildonan beach is good for seals and otters and I am reliably informed (*overhead a geology tour guide) that it is the largest dyke swarm in Europe

*edit - Bistro in Lamlash also v good  and history museum as above

the largest dyke swarm in Europe

Must.

Resist.

Try to avoid seeing as much of Ardrossan as you can?

Quite, the real wildlife is found in Stevenston, bottom end if you're feeling adventurous.

😂😂😂 at PP!

that it is the largest dyke swarm in Europe

Apparently there's a nudist beach around there , no idea if the two facts are related.

yes I must admit to being somwhat taken about when this bunch of old codgers in hiking gear/cagouls etc stood there on the shoreline and the leader said something like 'and that is the largest dyke swarm in Europe'

This could send PP over the edge

I’ve been over the edge for some considerable time now.

The Arran dykes are certainly impressive, some of the best examples locally indeed....

The stretch of singletrack that runs along the   Merkland burn was outstanding the last time I tried it. There was a video on YouTube but it didn't do it justice. The track is cut into the side of a steep ravine...very smooth and very, very fast.

it can be reached just after the castle entrance or as a more exciting descent down the rather humdrum goat fell tourist route.

At approx 1000 ft up the tourist track, take the left hand path where the track splits beside the wooden bridge and head downwards for the hydro electric dam and descend again until you reach a level path and keep going north until you encounter another footbridge.

theres a big clearing here and the track beside the merkland burn should be easy to find.

Whatever you do don't go up Goat Fell:  https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186555-d8505101-Reviews-Goat_Fell-Isle_of_Arran_Scotland.html

At approx 1000 ft up the tourist track, take the left hand path where the track splits beside the wooden bridge and head downwards for the hydro electric dam and descend again until you reach a level path and keep going north until you encounter another footbridge.

This misses out a brilliant Rocky descent and swaps it for smooth double track instead, madness.

Carry on down from bridge, and take first left when entering the forest, then head along to merkland descent, agree it's a peach.

If there before the bracken gets high, the Cleuchlands ridge descent is wonderful. A 50 mile road ride round the Island is a lovely jaunt and better on cx rubber given state of the roads...

Just come back to this. Many, many thanks for all the replies.

Cheers all.

Places to visit -

Machrie standing stones

Kings caves

Holy isle as above

So many awesome beaches

Distillery

Best walks IMO -

Basically as many ridges as you can squeeze in, be wary of A'chir and Ceum na caillich though

Coire fionn lochann up onto Beinn Bhreac and the other 2 grahams on west coast

Holy isle again!

Food and beer -

Drift inn

PHT

Coast

Shiskine golf club

Little rock

Velo cafe

Do not attempt to ride from Brodick up onto Beinn a'chlabainn, Beinn Tarsuinn, A'chir, Caisteall Abhaill and sail an im. It's a long way to push a bike in zero visiblity and 50 mph gusts. Great walk/run though!.

It's my favourite place on earth, been going there for nigh on 40 years, Lamlash is the best place to stay IMO, Whiting bay, Corrie and Lochranza also nice, Brodick tends to be a bit of a weegie heaven in summer, best avoided. Blackwaterfoot, like Lochranza is also nice but a wee bit out the way.

If you want any MTB routes, gimme a PM mate.

Nobeer, thanks for that fella. We've got a cottage in Lamlash so that's good to hear. PHT?

I've ordered the OS map, bought Walking on the Isle of Arran guidebook and downloaded the Arran Bike Club's online routes so together with all the info gleaned on here I've got plenty to go at now. Can't wait for July now.

PHT?

PierHead Tavern - great pub in centre of village (Lamlash)

The club's routes are a little out of date now tbh, I wouldn't bank on using them. Which cottage are you in, there's every chance I've stayed in it! If it works in with my hols, I'd be up for a spin, I'm only 20 mins form the ferry, I'm sure IainC would be up for it too.

^^^^ for sure.  and Crewlie lives on the Island.

Quite, the real wildlife is found in Stevenston, bottom end if you’re feeling adventurous.

I'm normally quite defensive of the three toons but I can't argue with that really.

I’m normally quite defensive of the three toons but I can’t argue with that really.

It's improved in the last few years, no worse than Ardrossan now. You can't lose in excess of 20,000 jobs in an area populated by around 30 odd thousand and not see a decline, sadly.

Nobeer, it's this one: https://www.iknow-uk.com/accommodation/158181-bay-view-cottage-isle-of-arran.htm

I'm toying with the idea of doing the Half Marathon that's on the day after we arrive, although I get the feeling it won't be a PB course...

Had a look at the course sparkles, not very hilly tbh, only about 200m of climbing. I'm away on hols that week unfortunately!.

Getting near now and I'm getting giddy! I can't wait. Decided to enter the half marathon for 'a laugh'. Not sure who will be laughing. Possibly my wife...

Arran update: we went. Had pretty much the best week of my life there. Weather perfect. Digs in Lamlash right on the bay overlooking Holy isle. We ran every day. Got up in the mountains. So much history - stone circles, standing stones, Viking forts etc etc. Didn't see Golden eagles, otters or seals but saw loads of other wildlife including a large herd of deer in the hills above Lochranza. Only got out on the bike twice but you can't do everything. Took my climbing shoes too and downloaded 'Bouldering on Arran' and managed to go falling off a few big rocks too. Had some great meals. Basically it's been ace from start to finish. Even the half marathon went well. Many thanks to everyone who offered advice.

Rode some of the Castle and Dyemill trails last Sunday with some pals and some locals. Roasting hot and dusty trails, epic !

I'm heading over for Grinduro this weekend - really enjoyed it last year and am hopefully better prepared this year!

If the weather holds that will be fantastic. Enjoy!

Awesome sparkles! Glad ye loved it. I'm now going to leave the Arran recommendations now, it's getting too busy!

YGH - what bike ye riding? You know the course, but I'd defo go hardtail, not any drop barred buffoonery!

Course has changed from last year, the singletrack through the woods (Sector 2) has been replaced with a more open trail, and is now the final sector. It looks like it's more suited to the dropped-bar variety of bike.

It will be faster than last year for the skinny tyres, but the ground is very hard and bumpy in places. I'll be on my Solaris...comfort over speed 🙂

Nobeer, I blame you for how busy it is here...all these newcomers 😉

Aye, I did it on drop bars and 30mm slicks last year, so, em, totally got that wrong!

This year I've got a titanium 29er hardtail

Have put tubeless 2.3" balloon tyres on it along with a dropper and some 140mm Pikes.

Just been out for a final shakedown ride after putting on a clutch mech, so here it is:

Only change is that I moved the water bottle on to the top of the top tube and have some Ergon grips with little bar ends to fit

See, I learns my lessons.

Book marked

Crewlie,  aye, I've a lot to answer for! Heading over on Saturday for a wee cheeky impromptu night at glenartney, mibbe a wee ridge walk if the weather is okay.

Mibbe my 8th visit this year?! 😊

My favourite place to stay ..The Glenartney .

Mind you it's the only place we have stayed on our trips there !

Riding straight from the doorstep too..

Very jealous ..had hoped to be coming over this year but that is looking less likely as time moves on ..

Bringing your bike over, Nobeer? Club should be riding out of Brodick Sunday morning 🙂

Not this time Mark, I'll be back over for a ride in a few weeks though, got a few folks that want to be shown the good stuff!

I'm just enjoying reading this thread thinking of when I'll be able to go back. Maybe take the bike next time...

Drop me a mail if you want the Grinduro route